U-M’s University Musical Society recently announced the launch of UMS playlists on Apple Music and Spotify. Deborah Holdship, editor of Michigan Today and host of the Podcast Listen in, Michigan, recently sat down to talk Eric Woodhams, UMS’ senior manager of digital strategy, about the new initiative. Woodhams and says that audiences can expect artist previews for the 2019-20 season, playlists curated by special guests, and ongoing inspiration from the UMS Rewind archives.

UMS is a revered institution among fans of classical music, jazz, chamber music, dance, and more. It’s one of the oldest performing arts presenters in the country, and hosts as many as 75 performances and more than 100 free educational activities each season. With Hill Auditorium as its home base, UMS has brought a breathtaking array of artists to Ann Arbor since its debut in 1879. They have brought famed opera singer Enrico Caruso to campus, as well as composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein, dancer Merce Cunningham (who performed with John Cage), American soprano Leontyne Price, mezzo soprano Cecilia Bartoli, big band leader Benny Goodman, pianist Vladimir Horowitz, and many others.

UMS will take this rich history to the digital audio space. Woodhams is creating UMS playlists (ums.org/playlists) to keep fans—near and far—engaged with the same kind of stellar content UMS presents. Their first playlists showcase Chamber Arts, Jazz Masters and Piano Solos.

In July 2019, UMS even uploaded a playlist of “moon” compositions in honor of the 50th anniversary of man’s first walk on the moon. Going forward, Woodhams plans to ask musicians and other artists to curate their own lists to share with fans their personal favorites.

The artists featured in this episode (in order of appearance):

• Snarky Puppy performing “Bad Kid”
• Emerson String Quartet performing “Bartok String Quartet No. 5”
• Tarek Yamani Trio performing “Hala Land”
• Vivaldi “Four Seasons” recomposed by Max Richter

 

UMS Playlists

Journeys: Presenting global artists featured in UMS’s 2019/20 ‘Traditions & Crosscurrents’ series.

Solo piano: Fall in love with solo works performed by classical and jazz pianists who appear in UMS’s 2019/20 season.

Chamber arts: Discover the virtuosity and variety of sounds, ensembles, and works by composers featured in UMS’s Chamber Arts series.