ANNIVERSARIES play a large part in the 2008–09 Stanford Lively Arts Series, which was announced April 23. To honor French composer Olivier Messiaen, born 100 years ago, the series presents two different takes on his famed Quartet for the End of Time. On Nov. 13, the St. Lawrence String Quartet performs the piece in its original form; on Jan. 28 (2009), clarinetist David Krakauer, cellist Matt Haimovitz and DJ SoCalled deliver a hip-hop-inflected and klezmerized version they call a "Messiaen Remix." The Messiaen tribute winds up on Feb. 22, with pianist Christopher Taylor presenting Messiaen's monumental keyboard suite Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus.

Lively Arts marks another centenary on April 25 (2009), when the Limón Dance Company honors the 100th birthday of Mexican choreographer José Limon with Missa Brevis and selections from the repertoire. Cutting back a half-century, on April 18 (2009), the Jazz Museum in Harlem celebrates the 50th anniversary of Miles Davis' seminal album Kind of Blue. Films and lectures about Davis will lead up to the concert.

The season numbers several premieres: a new dance/visual pieces by Meredith Monk called Songs of Ascension (Oct. 18); the West Coast premiere of Roberto Sierra's Concierto de Camara by the Imani Winds and the Miami String Quartet (Nov. 19); and a percussion piece by Paul Dresher (March 7, 2009). The most intriguing offering looks to be Elizabeth Streb's oddball smorgasbord of boxing, dance, circus tricks and stunt tricks called STREB Vs. Gravity, which she will present with help from the Stanford gymnastics team (Jan. 24). The series begins Oct. 5 with a Sunday-matinee show by Branford Marsalis and climaxes with the Limón program the following April, with more than 30 performances at various Stanford venues.

STANFORD LIVELY ARTS runs Oct. 5 (2008)–April 25 (2009) on the Stanford University campus. Subscription sales begin in July; single tickets can be had in August. A full list of concerts is on www.metroactive.com. (Call 650.725.ARTS for details and ticket information.)

Stanford Lively Arts, Complete Schedule
2008-09

OCTOBER

Oct. 5, 2:30pm: Branford Marsalis and members of the Philharmonia Brasileira; Memorial Auditorium; $40-$56

Oct. 7, 8pm: Soweto Gospel Choir; Memorial Church; $44

Oct. 10, 8pm: Word for Word Performing Arts Company, a staged reading of Sonny's Blues followed by a performance with Marcus Shelby; Pigott Theater; $20

Oct. 12, 2:30pm: The St. Lawrence String Quartet with pianist Claude Frank; Dinkelspiel; $40/$46

Oct. 15, 8pm: Emerson String Quartet; Dinkelspiel; $46/$52

Oct. 18, 8pm: Meredith Monk, Songs of Ascension; Memorial Auditorium; $25-$40

Oct. 29: Turtle Island Quartet and the Assad Duo on guitars; Dinkelspiel; $42/$48

NOVEMBER

Nov. 2, 2:30pm; What Makes It Great? With Rob Kapilow and the Stanford Chamber Strings; Kresge Auditorium; $38

Nov. 12, 8pm: The Urban Bush Women and Compagnie Jant-Bi; Memorial Auditorium; $25-$40

Nov. 13, 8pm: Messiaen Celebration with St. Lawrence String Quartet and organist Robert Huw Morgan performing Quartet for the End of Time.

Nov. 19, 8pm: Imani Winds and the Miami String Quartet, includes West Coast premiere of Sierra' Concierto de Camara; Dinkelspiel; $32/$38

DECEMBER

Dec. 3, 8pm: Boston Brass and the Brass All-Star Big Band perform A Stan Kenton Christmas; Dinkelspiel; $40-$46

Dec. 6, 8pm: Santa Rosa Symphony performing Martin Matalon's score to Fritz Lang's Metropolis; Memorial Auditorium; $25

Dec. 9-10, 8pm: A Chanticleer Christmas; Memorial Church; $48

JANUARY, 2009

Jan. 7, 8pm: What Makes It Great? With Rob Kapilow and Trio Con Brio Copenhagen; Dinkelspiel; $34/$38

Jan. 10, 8pm: Word for Word does Tobias Wolff stories; Dinkelspiel; $30/$36

Jan. 24: STREB vs. Gravity; Memorial Auditorium; $25-$40

Jan. 25, 2:30pm: The St. Lawrence String Quartet with violinist Barry Shiffman and cellist Marina Hoover; Dinkelspiel; $42/$46

Jan. 28, 8pm: Messiaen Celebration with David Krakauer, Matt Haimovitz and DJ So-Called; Dinkelspiel; $32/$38

FEBRUARY

Feb. 4, 8pm: Rokia Traoré; Dinkelspiel; $32/$38

Feb. 15, 2:30pm: Violinist Livia Sohn performs Opera Fantasies; $32/$38.

Feb. 18, 5pm: Making Books Sing, a family show about choreographer José Limon; Dinkelspiel; $22/$26

Feb. 20, 8pm; Kronos Quartet in conjunction with Pan-Asian Music Festival; Dinkelspiel; $42/$46

Feb. 22, 2:30pm: Messiaen Celebration with pianist Christopher Taylor; Dinkelspiel; $42.$46

Feb. 27, 8pm: Esperanza Spalding

MARCH

March 7, 8pm: Steven Shick in a Paul Dresher Ensemble production; Dinkelspiel; $32/$38

March 11, 8pmn: Danu; Dinkelspiel; $36/$40

March 15, 2:30pm: Spanish Harlem Orchestra; Memorial Auditorium; $25-$38

APRIL

April 1, 8pm: Lila Downs; Dinkelspiel; $32/$38

April 5, 2:30pm: St. Lawrence String Quartet; Dinkelspiel; $40/$46

April 18, 8pm: Jazz Museum in Harlem Performance salutes the 50th anniversary of Miles Davis' Kind of Blue; Kresge Auditorium; $32/$38

April 22, 8pm: Cut Circle, choral works; Dinkelspiel Auditorium; $42/$46

April 25, 8pm: Limón Dance Company; Memorial Auditorium; $25/$40

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