UCLA Center Announces New Season

Called “A Season of Celebration,” the 1992-93 season at the UCLA Center for the Arts promises a lineup of instrumental and vocal soloists, dance and music ensembles and theatrical attractions--including the Royal National Theatre of Great Britain, sopranos Kathleen Battle and Dawn Upshaw, violinist Midori, pianist Vladimir Viardo, the Kronos Quartet, the dance companies of Paul Taylor, Alvin Ailey and Susan Marshall, the Guarneri and Lindsay String Quartets and the Australian Chamber Orchestra--taking place from mid-September through mid-May, 1993, and noting the 125th anniversary of the University of California.

The UCLA Center, which presents music, dance, theater and pops events in Royce Hall and Schoenberg Hall on the university campus, as well as in Wadsworth Theater in Westwood, opens its season Sept. 15-27 with the already announced engagement of the Royal National Theatre of Great Britain, touring with a production of Shakespeare’s “Richard III” starring Ian McKellen.

The Royce Two-Seventy Series, one of 14 ticket groupings being offered for sale, continues with a recital by violinist Midori (Oct. 16), Stan Freeman as Oscar Levant in “At Wit’s End” (Jan. 23), opening night of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater engagement (April 14) and pianist Billy Taylor with the Turtle Island String Quartet (May 14, 1993).

* The six-event Dance Series in Royce Hall opens with the Susan Marshall Dance Company (Oct. 9 and 10), the Paul Taylor Company (Nov. 13-14), the Hubbard Street Co. (Feb. 12-13), an appearance by the Joe Goode Performance Group (at Wadsworth, April 2-3), the Alvin Ailey Theater (April 16-17) and the Lewitzky Dance Company (May 8-9, 1993).

* Three touring troupes will make up the International Festival of Dance: Ekaterina Maximova, Vladimir Vasiliev and their “Stars of the Bolshoi” company (Oct. 24); the Royal Winnipeg Ballet (Jan. 22) and the Ailey Dance Theater (April 15).

* The Recital Series will offer three performances, by soprano Dawn Upshaw, with pianist Richard Goode (Oct. 18), pianist Vladimir Viardo (Feb. 14) and soprano Kathleen Battle (May 15, 1992). A Jazz Series will include appearances by Milton Nascimento (Oct. 11), Paquito d’Rivera and Arturo Sandoval (Feb. 5) and Tuck & Patti (singer Patti Cathcart and guitarist Tuck Andress) (March 20).

The groundbreaking Kronos Quartet will appear in Westwood twice, Oct. 30 and May 8, 1993, both in Wadsworth Theater.

* On the Chamber Music Series are the Lindsay Quartet (Nov. 1), the Guarneri Quartet with pianist Peter Serkin, playing the world premiere of Hans Werner Henze’s Piano Quintet (March 23) and the Arden Trio (April 10).

* A two- or three-event Early Music Series offers the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra (Oct. 13), Cappella Pratensis (Oct. 28) and the Handel & Haydn Society, led by Christopher Hogwood (April 23, 1993).

* Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra will play a six-concert series in Westwood, Oct. 23, Nov. 19, Dec. 11, and Feb. 19, March 26 and May 7, 1993, conducted by Christof Perick, Iona Brown, Helmuth Rilling and Tamas Vasary.

* The four-event International Festival of Music Series will bring to Royce Hall the Alexandrov Red Army Chorus and Dance Ensemble (Oct. 7), Danza Floricanto/USA in its “Epopeya Mestiza” (Nov. 21), the Phoenix Symphony, with North American flutist R. Carlos Nakai (March 21) and the Australian Chamber Orchestra (April 3, 1993).

In addition to the attractions on the center’s 14 formal series--including a Choose Your Own Series--the center will offer a number of non-subscription events. For a brochure: (310) 825-2101.