» Press Releases

A breathtaking journey through the arts awaits audiences for the ninth season of Seven Days of Opening Nights, Feb. 12-27, 2007.

Topping the itinerary of Florida State University's annual festival of the fine and performing arts are a Rosanne Cash/Kris Kristofferson combo, Rita Coolidge and the John Pizzarelli Quartet, the dance company of Paul Taylor--known as the world's greatest choreographer--and renowned cellist Lynn Harrell with the University Symphony Orchestra.

The whirlwind Seven Days cultural tour includes Ireland, with The Irish Rovers; South Africa'sLadysmith Black Mambazo; Flags of Our Fathers' author James Bradley; and actor Joshua Kane's Gothic at Midnight. All-American stops include crossover jazz from The Manhattan Transfer, young piano prodigies with The 5 Browns, and jazz piano veteran Marian McPartland.

Also on the jam-packed schedule: A special Prism concert, the premiere of a film by FSU professors, The Trees Have a Mother: Stories of the Amazon, art exhibits (AfroProvocations at the Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science; More Is More-Maximalist Tendencies in Recent American Painting and Ray Burggraf: Retrospective), the annual Healing and the Arts symposium, and the ever-popular free Saturday Matinee of the Arts. The Seven Days fringe festival includes a wealth of additional cultural offerings.

Florida State University, in cooperation with dozens of generous sponsors and members, presents Seven Days of Opening Nights each year to bring world-class artists to the region, not only for the enjoyment of general audiences, but also to work with students. Artists and performers each year provide unique opportunities for student interaction through master classes, lectures, readings, exhibits and other discipline-specific experiences.

Tickets are available through the FSU Fine Arts Ticket Office, 644-6500, or online atwww.tickets.fsu.edu.

The complete schedule:
2/12/07 Prism: Special Edition III, Ruby Diamond Auditorium, FSU
2/13/07 Healing and the Arts, Conradi Theatre, FSU
2/14/07 Paul Taylor Dance Company, Ruby Diamond Auditorium, FSU
2/16/07 Art Exhibit Openings, Museum of Fine Arts, FSU
2/16/07 The Irish Rovers, Ruby Diamond Auditorium, FSU
2/17/07 Marian McPartland Trio, Turner Auditorium, Tallahassee Community College
2/19/07 James Bradley, University Center Ballroom, FSU
2/20/07 Rita Coolidge and the John Pizzarelli Quartet, Ruby Diamond Auditorium, FSU
2/21/07 Gothic at Midnight, Turner Auditorium, Tallahassee Community College
2/22/07 The 5 Browns, Ruby Diamond Auditorium, FSU
2/23/07 The Manhattan Transfer, Ruby Diamond Auditorium, FSU
2/24/07 Saturday Matinee of the Arts, Tallahassee Museum
2/24/07 Rosanne Cash and Kris Kristofferson, Ruby Diamond Auditorium, FSU (SOLD OUT)
2/25/07 The Trees Have a Mother, Student Life Theatre, FSU
2/26/07 AfroProvocations, Opening Reception, Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science
2/26/07 Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Kleman Plaza, Downtown Tallahassee (SOLD OUT)
2/27/07 Lynn Harrell with the University Symphony Orchestra, Ruby Diamond Auditorium, FSU

Florida State University introduced Seven Days of Opening Nights, a festival of the fine and performing arts, in 1999. Since its inception, the festival has brought world-renowned artists and performers to Tallahassee, including Pulitzer Prize and Academy Award winners, dance companies and musical ensembles, musical theatre and films premiering in Tallahassee. Now in its ninth year, the festival has showcased world-class performers and artists like the Boston Pops, Garth Fagan Dance, Violinist Joshua Bell, mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves, international musicians, Pulitzer Prize-winning writers, and respected stage and screen actors.

Corporate sponsors include Florida State University, Altria, Tallahassee Community College; Gold Circle: Capital City Bank, Champion Chevrolet, Legacy Toyota; Benefactor: Meridian Healthcare Group, Publix, Florida Lottery; Guarantor: BB&T, Carlton Fields, Collier Interiors, Inc., Datamaxx, Florida Retail Federation, The Gem Collection, New Leaf Market, Peter Brown Construction, St. Joe, and other fine businesses and organizations. Media sponsors include Tallahassee Democrat, Comcast, WCTV, Cumulus, Tallahassee Magazine/Rowland Publishing, Florida Trend and University Communications.

For more information, call 644-7670 or visit www.sevendaysfestival.org.