NEW YORK, NY.- Works & Process at the Guggenheim is pleased to announce the 2009 spring season. For 24 years and in more than 300 productions, Works & Process at the Guggenheim has been a pioneer in creating ground-breaking, carefully crafted programs which uniquely blend performance and discussion. Each program provides unprecedented access to today's leading performing artists, choreographers, composers, writers, directors, and scientists. Works & Process capitalizes on the rich talent found only in New York and only at Works & Process are these artists engaged in conversation and creation with performers and audiences. Following often sold-out programs in the Guggenheim's intimate Frank Lloyd Wright-designed 285-seat theater, a reception with the artists takes place in the museum rotunda. Described by The New York Times as "a popular series devoted to shedding light on the creative process," The Village Voice as "revelatory," The New Yorker as "exceptional," and New York Magazine as "illuminating," Works & Process has become well respected by artists and audiences, and is produced by Mary Sharp Cronson and Charles Fabius.

Lead funding provided by The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation with additional support from The Brown Foundation, Inc., of Houston., Geoffrey C. Hughes Foundation, The Christian Humann Foundation, Leon Levy Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Inc., Louisa Sarofim and The Evelyn Sharp Foundation.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

2009 Spring Season Schedule

ARVO PÄRT, SOPHIE CALLE AND CHRISTOPHER WHEELDON
Sun and Mon, Jan 11 and 12, 7:30 pm
Lauren Flanigan, Wendy Whelan, Albert Evans and Sébastien Marcovici perform in an all-Pärt evening featuring the U.S. premiere of the operatic monologue, L'Abbe Agathon with visual concept created by Sophie Calle. Christopher Wheeldon's Liturgy set to Fratres and After the Rain pas de deux set to Spiegel im Spiegel will be performed. The staged premiere of L'Abbe Agathon is commissioned by American Opera Projects and Works & Process.

NEW YORK CITY BALLET - EMERGING CHOREOGRAPHERS
Sun and Mon, Jan 18 and 19, 7:30 pm
Stuttgart Ballet's Douglas Lee presents excerpts of his new ballet created to celebrate New York City Ballet's launch of the Rudolf Nureyev Fund for Emerging Choreographers. Melissa Barak presents excerpts from her new ballet. Both participate in a discussion.

GÜNTER BLOBEL - CELL EVOLUTION
Sun, Jan 25, 7:30 pm
Cells - the basic unit of all life - arose approximately 4 billion years ago and have divided and continuously evolved. Nobel Laureate Günter Blobel will share his remarkable research and present the striking beauty of numerous cellular machines.

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE - FEMALE CHOREOGRAPHERS
Sun and Mon, Feb 1 and 2, 7:30 pm
American Ballet Theatre recently launched Voices and Visions: The Altria/ABT Women's Choreography Project to foster emerging talent. This program will discuss the new initiative and past female choreographers at ABT. Dancers will perform excerpts.

BALANCHINE AND THE SCHOOL OF AMERICAN BALLET
Sun and Mon, Feb 22 and 23, 7:30 pm
For 75 years SAB has trained superb dancers. Commemorating this landmark year, senior faculty member Suki Schorer will demonstrate the classical vocabulary with dancers from New York City Ballet and SAB students.

MORPHOSES - CHOREOGRAPHY AND DESIGN
Sun and Mon, Mar 8 and 9, 7:30 pm
Dancers from Morphoses perform excerpts from the fall 2008 hit ballet, Commedia, set to music by Stravinsky. Morphoses' co-founder and Artistic Director, Christopher Wheeldon, joins design team Isabel and Ruben Toledo to discuss their collaboration on Commedia.

ETHAN STIEFEL AND HIS STUDENTS
Sun and Mon, Mar 15 and 16, 7:30 pm
Ethan Stiefel, ABT principal dancer and newly appointed Dean of the School of Dance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts shares his vision for leading, educating and inspiring future dance professionals. Students perform classical and contemporary repertoire and a new work by Larry Keigwin as a culmination to a Keigwin + Company dance residency.

WORLD PREMIERE & WORKS & PROCESS COMMISSION
ROBERT WILSON - KOOL - DANCING IN MY HEAD
Fri and Sat, Apr 17 and 18, 7:30 pm
Robert Wilson, working with Carla Blank, creates a performance-portrait inspired by Suzushi Hanayagi, legendary Japanese choreographer and member of the Judson Church Dance movement. Archival and newly filmed material of Suzushi by Richard Rutkowski is combined with dances performed by Jonah Bokaer and Illenk Gentile. The work reflects Hanayagi's current state of dementia and serves as a poetic monument to a working friendship. This production is presented as part of Third Mind Live, a performance and lecture series that will bring world-renowned practitioners in the fields of dance, music, performance art, and theater to the museum's theater and gallery spaces in conjunction with The Third Mind: American Artists Contemplate Asia, 1860-1989, on view January 30 - April 19.
KOOL is co-produced and co-commissioned by Works & Process, Guild Hall, Easthampton and the Byrd Hoffman Watermill Foundation with support from the Jerome Robbins Foundation.

WORLD PREMIERE & WORKS & PROCESS COMMISSION
DONALD HALL - POETRY & MUSIC
Sun and Mon, May 10 and 11, 7:30 pm
Donald Hall, the 14th U.S. Poet Laureate and one of the most celebrated poets in America, will read and discuss his work with Sarah Rothenberg. New musical settings of Hall's poetry from Milton Babbitt, Drew Baker, George Lewis, David Del Tredici, Joshua Schmidt and Charles Wuorinen complete the program.

WORLD PREMIERE & WORKS & PROCESS COMMISSION
SCENTOPERA
Sun and Mon, May 31 and Jun 1, 7:30 pm
The ScentOpera introduces a new art form created by Stewart Matthew based only on smell and sound. Matthew collaborates with renowned fragrance designer Christophe Laudamiel and composers Nico Muhly and Valgeir Sigurdsson. Original scents and music will be performed in the dark via a customized scent organ for a world premiere unlike any other.

ScentOpera's creation is supported by Fläkt Woods, Thierry Mugler Parfums, Arup and IFF.