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Sizzling Opening Night for NEA National Heritage Fellows From Appalachia Evening Concert SeriesJune 27, 2003
The 90-degree heat that gripped the nation's capital Thursday evening did nothing to slow the hand clapping, foot stomping, or two-stepping under the Harmony Stage tent as the National Endowment for the Arts opened its five-concert National Heritage Fellows From Appalachia series.
NEA Chairman Dana Gioia welcomed the crowd and praised the "true singing" of the evening's performers - all of whom have been named National Heritage Fellows by the NEA. "Appalachian music, like all great art of the ages, strives to capture that elusive combination of truth and beauty," said Gioia. The NEA concert series is presented as part of the 37th annual Smithsonian National Folklife Festival, in association with the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance. The opening night concert, which was emceed by Joe Wilson, executive director of the National Council for the Traditional Arts, featured rousing fiddling, picking, and singing from Ralph Blizard with The New Southern Ramblers, John Dee Holeman, Wayne Henderson, John Cephas and Phil Wiggins. More photos from opening night. The NEA National Heritage Fellows from Appalachia concert series continues through July 5th with the following schedule (National Heritage Fellows are in bold):
June 27, 2003
June 28, 2003
July 3, 2003
July 5, 2003 Please see a listing of all Heritage recipients. National Heritage Fellowships Nomination Information
National Endowment for the Arts · an independent federal agency |
