Release Date: May 2, 2007
Washington, DC—The National Gallery of Art will celebrate the centenary of the birth of Paul Mellon (1907–1999) with a special series of afternoon piano concerts. The one-hour midday performances, made possible by a generous grant from the Billy Rose Foundation, will begin at 12:10 p.m. in the East Building Auditorium each Wednesday from May 2 through June 6. Leading pianists will perform works by composers as diverse as J. S. Bach, Chopin, and Villa-Lobos on the newly refurbished Steinway piano—a gift to the Gallery from Ailsa Mellon Bruce, Paul Mellon’s sister.
As a special tribute to Mellon’s passion for jazz by one of his favorite performers–Benny Goodman, clarinetist Eddie Daniels and Ensemble will perform a special Benny Goodman-style jazz concert for Gallery visitors in the East Building atrium on Sunday, June 10 at 3:00 p.m., just as Benny Goodman himself performed for Mellon and guests on May 30, 1978. Goodman’s performance was a surprise from Mellon’s wife, Bunny, at the gala affair celebrating the opening of the East Building. Daniels will announce musical selections from the stage.
All programs are free and open to the public unless noted otherwise. All midday concerts are performed in the East Building Auditorium except the June 10th concert, which will be performed in the East Building atrium. For more information, call (202) 737-4215, visit the Web site at www.nga.gov, or inquire at the Art Information Desks located at each Gallery entrance. To learn more about Paul Mellon visit www.nga.gov/xio/mellonchrn_1.htm. For a full concert schedule, click on www.nga.gov/programs/music/index.shtm or call (202) 842-6941.
Piano Concerts
East Building Auditorium
May 2
Thomas Hrynkiw
Music by J. S. Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Prester, and
Vytvytski
May 9
Tao Lin
Music by Balakirev, Chopin, Haydn, and Schubert
May 16
Marta Felcman
Music by Chopin, Guastavino, Ravel, and Scarlatti
May 23
Brian Ganz
Music by Chopin, Debussy, and Liszt
May 30
Stephen Prutsman
Music by J.S. Bach, Ravel, Scriabin, Stravinsky,
and Prutsman
June 6
Ney Salgado
Music by Chopin, Liszt, Mozart, Ravel, and Villa-Lobos
Jazz Concert
East Building Atrium
June 10
Eddie Daniels and Ensemble
Benny Goodman-style jazz concert
General Information
The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden are at all times
free to the public. They are located on the National Mall between 3rd
and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, and are open Monday through
Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00
p.m. The Gallery is closed on December 25 and January 1. For information
call (202) 737-4215 or the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD)
at (202) 842-6176, or visit the Gallery's Web site at www.nga.gov.
Visitors will be asked to present all carried items for inspection upon
entering the East and West Buildings. Checkrooms are free of charge and
located at each entrance. Luggage and other oversized bags must be presented
at the 4th Street entrances to the East or West Building to permit x-ray
screening and must be deposited in the checkrooms at those entrances.
For the safety of visitors and the works of art, nothing may be carried
into the Gallery on a visitor's back. Any bag or other items that cannot
be carried reasonably and safely in some other manner must be left in
the checkrooms. Items larger than 17 x 26 inches cannot be accepted by
the Gallery or its checkrooms.
For additional press information please call or send inquiries to:
Press Office
National Gallery of Art
2000B South Club Drive
Landover, MD 20785
phone: (202) 842-6353 e-mail: pressinfo@nga.gov
Deborah Ziska
Chief of Press and Public Information
(202) 842-6353
ds-ziska@nga.gov
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