This fall, Miller Theatre ushered in its 20th season with what it does best: another performance filled with originality, audacity, and flair.
The landmark anniversary celebration began in September, with the U.S. premiere of Iannis Xenakis’ opera, Oresteia, based on Aeschylus’s epic tragedy. As the largest production that the theater has undertaken to date, it incorporated elements of Japanese Noh theater, dance, music, and mixed media in a performance that featured more than 75 people on stage. “It happened to be on everybody’s list of things to do,” Lauren Bailey, the director of marketing at Miller Theatre, said of the production. “It was almost as if the stars”—literally and figuratively—“were perfectly aligned.”
In many ways, Oresteia marks the beginning of the end of one man’s presence at Miller Theatre. Outgoing executive director George Steel, who came to Columbia University in 1997, made an unexpected announcement in August about his move to Dallas, Texas, to assume the position of general director at the Dallas Opera. Although he will return on occasion to conduct the Vox Vocal Ensemble, of which he is also the founder, Miller Theatre has been left with big shoes to fill.
“Oresteia is one of George’s favorite pieces,” Bailey said. It was only fitting, then, that this season began with an unexpected tribute to one of the most charismatic proponents of contemporary music in the world.
When George Steel took to the helm a little more than 10 years ago, he actively steered Miller Theatre towards what Bailey calls the “cultural consumers of tomorrow.” Steel staunchly rejected the conventional notion of “pre-packed programs” that many venues employ, choosing instead to customize Miller’s lineup by handpicking individual artists and works. While many venues play host to artists who tour with the same program around the country, Miller boasts artists who perform to fulfill a specific artistic purpose.
Bailey acknowledges that there are difficulties that come with starting from scratch. At Miller, press and marketing are done in-house, instead of relying on artist management companies to do the job. But this arrangement also provides the opportunity to interact directly with artists. “We like to see ourselves as a ‘performing arts producer,’” she explained.
Even with Steel gone, Miller’s programming for the season still attests to his legacy. As in previous years, the theater’s season is primarily divided into four series—Composer Portraits, Early Music, Jazz, and Bach and the Baroque. The program will showcase some of Miller’s most-loved performers. It also upholds the tradition of bringing music to various off-campus locations, which this year includes the American Academy of Arts & Letters and the Church of St. Mary the Virgin.
Steel’s outreach mission continues to reverberate on campus as well. “Our relationship with Columbia University is a big part of our identity,” Bailey said. On average, 25 percent of Miller audiences are Columbia University students. The theater also works with CUArts to promote upcoming performances and offers $7 student tickets to full-time Columbia students for any performance in its concert series.
Bailey cites the Composer Portraits series, Lunchtime Concerts, and campus performers partnerships as three prime examples to illustrate Miller’s presence on Columbia’s campus. The Composer Portraits series, which showcases works by composers of contemporary music, offers students a chance to explore the unconventional alongside performers who are themselves mostly young professionals.
The advertisements for Composer Portraits, featuring “fun and funky illustrations,” reflect the “young and interesting artists performing in the concert,” Bailey said. “The Composer Portraits focus on the music of today. These concerts are inviting and easy, and people should not be scared of not knowing who these people are.” Lunchtime Concerts, held in Philosophy Hall’s Graduate Student Lounge from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., was a new and very well-received initiative last year. “The room was packed, and we even had to turn people away,” Bailey said. This year, the series, which begins on Monday, returns with 18 free concerts featuring the Daedalus, Chiara, and Pacifica String Quartets performing works by Haydn, Mozart, and Mendelssohn.
Through its campus partnerships program, Miller has also established relationships with various performing arts groups on campus, which include the Barnard-Columbia-Juilliard Exchange program, Columbia University Jazz Ensemble, Columbia University Orchestra, Columbia Ballet Collaborative, and Columbia Classical Performers. In addition to offering prime performance space, Miller has also provided these groups with marketing and production support, which has enhanced their visibility in the local arts community.
The search for Steel’s successor is well underway, and there are talks of an appointment by late spring. In the meantime, Bailey is hopeful. “It’s different to not have such a motivational speaker here to reinforce the excitement, but we’re very lucky to have two more years under George’s vision, and we’re going to keep it alive,” she said.
Miller Theatre’s season is certainly a reaffirmation of Steel’s goals to capture audiences with music that provokes, questions, and—in the case of the Early Music series—examines its origins. And while Steel has moved on to other endeavors, Miller Theatre, as prime breeding ground for contemporary music, will continue to do what it has been so well known for. Miller is set to change—and even, at times, to determine—notions regarding music. It is, after all, only turning 20.
