[FA Worldmusic] news about...well....me

Fri Nov 16 19:31:41 AST 2007

This is really wonderful hot news about our fave Bill Bragin!  We'll all 
miss you at Joe's Pub that you've built into one of New York's finest venues 
for World Music, Bill, and lucky Lincoln Center!

Warmest congrats --
Evangeline

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill Bragin" <bbragin at publictheater.org>
To: <fa-worldmusic at folk.org>
Sent: Friday, November 16, 2007 5:40 PM
Subject: [FA Worldmusic] news about...well....me

> I've gotten much appreciated notes and calls from some of you, so I know
> that a lot of you have seen the announcement in the NY Times, or
> elsewhere online, but I wanted to tell you personally about all the
> exciting changes going on with me personally, and at Joe's Pub at the
> Public Theater.
>
> But (he said, procrastinating), first a quick message about an event I
> was just invited to take part in tonight - a fantastic cross-cultural
> concert at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine called Songs of the
> Spirit <http://www.songsofthespiritconcert.com/> .  Songs of the Spirit
> combines contemporary popular music and spoken word performances with
> traditional sacred music of diverse faiths and cultures.focusing on the
> shared spiritual ideals of an interconnected, interdependent world.
> I've been asked to be one of the readers on a stellar bill which
> features Odetta, Hugh Masekela, Craig Harris, Haale, Frank London &
> Lorin Sklamberg of the Klezmatics, Tracy Grammer, The Shangilia Youth
> Choir of Kenya and the Tibetan Monks of the Drepung Loseling Monastery
> and includes such other readers as Lee Breuer and Laurie Anderson.  Or
> as my wife Lisa asked, "why did they ask you?  They couldn't get Patti
> Smith?"  Well, sorta.  I'm really honored and slightly daunted to have
> been asked, and hope that some of you might be able to make last minute
> plans to come up and see the event tonight.
>
>
> <outbind://150-000000005F2403D5223F5D4CB6837C79C3AF0C9A0700AD569D36E0604
> 2408D380BB0AC4EBD8A000000008C410000EC15949E300CB247A00C4376FF1DAA5E00000
> 1E13E9D0000/http://www.songsofthespiritconcert.com/images/Head_03.jpg>
>
> New York, NY: Friday, November 16 - 7:00 PM
> Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine
> 1047 Amsterdam Avenue at 112th Street, New York City
> Tickets & information
> Tel: 1.866.468.7619 (ticketweb)
> Online: http://www.ticketweb.com/ <http://www.ticketweb.com/>
>
>
> OK, enough avoidance.  Here's the shortest version of the story, as
> reported by yesterday's NY Times Arts Briefly
> <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/15/arts/15arts.html>
>
> "Bill Bragin, director of Joe's Pub at the Public Theater and an
> influential concert promoter, has been hired as director of public
> programming at Lincoln Center, it was announced yesterday. He will begin
> in January in the new position, and will program the Midsummer Night
> Swing and the Out of Doors summer series and work on events for Lincoln
> Center's 50th anniversary, coming in 2009. ... "
>
> I'm thrilled to have this chance to bring my own particular spin to
> these two free/low-cost outdoor multi-ethnic, multi-disciplinary
> favorites of NYC, and looking forward to the new adventures and new
> discoveries ahead at Lincoln Center, where I already have a number of
> friends and colleagues in the programming department.  As many of you
> might imagine, the decision to leave a place that I love as much as
> Joe's Pub was not an easy one, and my excitement doesn't come without a
> sense that I'll feel a huge hole as I make this change. It's going to
> take a long time to wean myself from my (more-or-less literal) home for
> the past six years. But it's a fantastic opportunity to be a part of one
> of the world's leading performing arts institutions as they (we!)
> prepare for its 50th Anniversary and the redevelopment of its public
> spaces, and to play a role in helping shape its next 50 years.  I'm a
> little less excited about having to religiously check weather.com like I
> did when I was back at Central Park SummerStage or this September during
> Joe's Pub in the Park.
>
> To answer a few quick questions I'm sure some of you may have.
>
> I'll remain at Joe's Pub until just before Christmas, and then start the
> second week of January at Lincoln Center.  My new email address will be
> bbragin at lincolncenter.org, so file that one away, but keep writing to me
> here until December 21.   I should have my phone extension and mailing
> address soon.
>
> Along with Isabel Soffer and Maure Aronson, I'll continue to produce
> globalFEST, which is at Webster Hall on Jan 13, 2008 (artists to be
> announced on November 26, but onsale now.)   I'll also still be wearing
> my Acidophilus hat as I DJ occasionally as part of the GlobeSonic Sound
> System <http://www.globesonic.com/> , including a special party at the
> new club Drom <http://www.myspace.com/dromnyc>  (where Opaline used to
> be on Avenue A) on Friday, December 21, celebrating the transition from
> one incredible chapter of my life to another.  More about that in a few
> weeks.  And I hope to see many of you up on Broadway, when Passing
> Strange <http://myspace.com/passingstrange>  opens at the Belasco
> Theater in February.
>
> Shanta Thake, who is currently the Associate Director of Joe's Pub, has
> been named acting Director of Joe's Pub, a role she so richly deserves.
> Shanta has worked by my side for the past 5 years, and has been
> essential to the growth and evolution of Joe's Pub.  Moreover, she's
> become a good friend and trusted ally.  Over the past few years, the
> artistic vision of Joe's Pub has really become a collaborative process
> between us, as well as our colleagues Walter Durkacz, Kevin Abbott, and
> KB Berton.  There's virtually nothing that happens at Joe's Pub that
> Shanta hasn't had a hand in, and I'm thrilled that her talent, taste,
> and all-around-general-goodness will now be recognized more broadly.  So
> expect more of the fine programming and great vibes you've come to
> expect from Joe's Pub, as she seamlessly leads it toward its upcoming
> 10th anniversary.
>
>
> That's the news for now - looking forward to whatever this next part of
> the story will reveal.
>
> All the best,
> Bill
>
> OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
>
>
>>From Lincoln Center:
>
> NOTED CONTEMPORARY AND INTERNATIONAL ARTS PRESENTER, BILL BRAGIN,
> APPOINTED DIRECTOR, PUBLIC PROGRAMMING, LINCOLN CENTER FOR THE
> PERFORMING ARTS
>
> Bill Bragin has been named Director, Public Programming for Lincoln
> Center, Inc., it was announced today. Bragin, currently Director of
> Joe's Pub at The Public Theater, will start at Lincoln Center in
> January, 2008.
>
> In this newly created position, Bragin will be responsible for curating
> the popular Midsummer Night Swing and Lincoln Center Out of Doors
> festivals held on Lincoln Center's public plazas each summer.
> Additionally, he will work throughout the year on select public
> programming including special upcoming 50th Anniversary events in
> 2009-2010, and other selected projects.
>
> In issuing the announcement, Jane Moss, Vice President, Programming,
> commented, "We wish to unify the curatorial vision for our outdoor
> programming festivals - Midsummer Night Swing and Lincoln Center Out of
> Doors - especially in light of the current transformation of Lincoln
> Center's public spaces. Bill's encyclopedic knowledge of the
> international music scene will ensure that the hundreds of thousands of
> people who come to Lincoln Center each summer will have outstanding,
> diverse artistic experiences in a new, welcoming outdoor environment."
>
> Throughout his career, Bragin has presented a who's who of the music
> world, from Brazilian, Latin, African and Asian artists to rock, jazz,
> hip-hop, country, electronic and new music, as well as modern and ethnic
> dance and spoken word events. He has served as Director of Joe's Pub at
> The Public Theater since 2001 where, during that time, he was dubbed by
> Time Out in 2005 as "New York's Finest Music Booker."  While at The
> Public Theater, he presented more than 3,000 concerts, introduced the
> Joe's Pub in the Park concert series at the Delacorte Theater in Central
> Park, developed ongoing contemporary dance and family programming, and
> initiated the Public's acclaimed new rock musical Passing Strange, which
> will transfer to Broadway in February 2008. In 2004, he co-founded the
> annual globalFEST world music festival/showcase, presented with World
> Music Institute and World Music/Crash Arts, in order to expand the role
> of world music in the Performing Arts field in North America.
>
> In addition, Bragin programmed the multi-disciplinary Central Park
> SummerStage performing arts festival for five seasons, including three
> as Artistic Director, expanding its international offerings and
> developing a dance and live music commissioning program.  Bragin was
> music curator at Symphony Space for two seasons, where projects included
> the acclaimed Wall-to-Wall Miles Davis marathon.  Previous experience
> includes working in a programming and production capacity for various
> festivals at George Wein's Festival Productions and managing the launch
> of Allen Toussaint and Joshua Feigenbaum's NYNO record label.  He began
> his career as director of the Alternative Concert Series at Haverford
> and Bryn Mawr Colleges.  Bragin has also consulted on a variety of music
> and performing arts projects including Lincoln Center Festival, the TED
> Conferences, the Abril Pro Rock Festival and worked with choreographers
> Susan Marshall, Wally Cardona and Ben Munisteri. He also dj's
> internationally as part of the GlobeSonic Sound System, spinning
> hybridized world/electronic music under the moniker Acidophilus.
>
> Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. (LCPA), serves three
> primary roles: presenter of superb artistic programming, national leader
> in arts and education, and manager of the Lincoln Center campus. As a
> presenter of more than 400 events annually, LCPA's programs include
> American Songbook, Great Performers, Lincoln Center Festival, Lincoln
> Center Out of Doors, Midsummer Night Swing, the Mostly Mozart Festival,
> and Live From Lincoln Center.  In addition, LCPA is leading a series of
> major capital projects on behalf of the resident organizations across
> the campus.
>
> ###
>>From The Public Theater
>
> Dear Friend of Joe's Pub.
>
> I wanted you to be among the first to know that Bill Bragin, Director of
> Joe's Pub, will be leaving The Public at the end of the year to become
> the Director of Public Programming at the Lincoln Center for the
> Performing Arts.
>
> Over the past six years, Bill's passion, tireless commitment and vision
> have shaped Joe's Pub into one of New York City's most celebrated
> showcases for live music and performance.   Many of you are personal
> friends and acquaintances of Bill, and I'm sure you will join us in
> wishing him the best in his new position.
>
> Our new Acting Director will be Shanta Thake, previously the Associate
> Director of Joe's Pub and an integral part of the venue's team for the
> past five years. Shanta and the rest of the Joe's Pub staff (Kevin
> Abbott, KB Berton, Sara Beesley, Andrew Dainoff, Rebecca Elroy, Jo
> Lampert and John Seroff) are at your disposal.  They are committed to
> providing the same caliber, diversity and frequency of live performance
> in the future as you have come to expect from Joe's Pub in the past.
>
> If you have any questions concerning this change of staff, about the
> venue or future programming, please feel free to contact Shanta or
> anyone on the Joe's Pub team.
>
> I thank you for your continued support of Joe's Pub.
>
> Sincerely,
> Oskar Eustis
> Public Theater Artistic Director
>
>
> All the best,
>
> Bill Bragin
> Director of Joe's Pub
> The Public Theater
> 425 Lafayette Street
> New York, NY  10003
>
> t/ 212.539.8512
> f/ 212.539.8505
> e/ bbragin at publictheater.org
> www.joespub.com
> Wanna be our Friend?  www.myspace.com/joespubatthepublic
>
> [demime 1.01d removed an attachment of type image/jpeg which had a name of 
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