UW World Series announces new season with Pilobolus, Alonzo King, more

Longtime dance and music favorites — Pilobolus, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, pianists Angela Hewitt and Garrick Ohlsson, the Emerson String Quartet — are on the roster for the UW World Series' 2011-12 season at Meany Hall. But the lineup, the last to be programmed by outgoing director Matt Krashan after 29 years on the job, also includes acts new to Meany.

On the dance front, there's Australia's Chunky Move and Dutch ensemble Introdans. Mali's Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba, and fiddler-vocalist-accordionist Cedric Watson, with his band Bijoux Creole, are making their first appearances in the World Music and Theatre Series.

The new season also introduces chamber ensembles Cuarteto Casals and the Calder Quartet to Meany audiences. On the keyboard front, Austria's Till Fellner and 16-year-old Canadian prodigy Jan Lisiecki will make their debuts on the Meany stage.

Carpe Diem Quartet, whose Meany appearance was canceled by last year's Thanksgiving week deep-freeze, will play it safer this fall — with an early October show date. In the long-time-no-see category are Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba, who haven't been here for 10 years, and Israeli singer Chava Alberstein (ditto).

Tickets: $120-$231 dance, $80-$108 world music, $100-$175 piano, $110-$184 chamber music.

Single-ticket sales start June 27 (206-543-4880 or www.uwworldseries.org).

Here's the full lineup:

World Dance Series:

Oct. 6-8: Pilobolus (USA)

Nov. 17-19: Alonzo King LINES Ballet (USA)

Feb. 2-4, 2012: Shen Wei Dance Arts (USA)

March 1-3, 2012: Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba (Cuba)

April 12-14: Chunky Move (Australia)

May 10-12: Introdans (Netherlands)

International Chamber Music

Series:

Oct. 4: Carpe Diem String Quartet (USA)

Nov. 8: Cuarteto Casals (Spain)

Jan. 18, 2012: Trio Con Brio Copenhagen (Denmark)

Feb. 15: The Ritz Chamber Players (USA)

March 14: Calder Quartet (USA)

April 17: Emerson String Quartet (USA)

President's Piano Series:

Oct. 18: Till Fellner (Austria)

Nov. 15: Nikolai Lugansky (Russia)

Feb. 8, 2012: Jan Lisiecki (Canada)

March 7, 2012: Garrick Ohlsson (USA)

May 15, 2012: Angela Hewitt

(Canada)

World Music and Theatre Series:

Nov. 12: Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba (Mali)

Dec. 10: Chava Alberstein (Israel)

March 10, 2012: Ladysmith Black Mambazo (South Africa)

April 18, 2012: Cedric Watson et Bijoux Creole (USA)

Michael Upchurch: mupchurch@seattletimes.com