Release Date: Septembr 18, 2000

National Gallery of Art Begins Its Fifty-Ninth Concert Season 1 October 2000

Washington, DC—Washington's oldest free concert series begins its fifty-ninth annual concert season at the National Gallery of Art on Sunday, 1 October 2000. The schedule includes thirty-six concerts by acclaimed national and international musicians, who will perform every Sunday through 24 June 2001, except 24 December, Christmas Eve; 31 December, New Year's Eve; and 15 April, Easter Sunday. Gallery concerts are free and open to the public on a first-come, first-seated basis. Seating begins promptly at 6:00 p.m. and concerts are performed in the West Garden Court at 7:00 p.m. Monthly listings of the concert programs may be obtained by calling (202) 842-6941.

The New York Chamber soloists will open the concerts on 1 October with quintets by Mozart, Prokofiev, and Brahms. The National Gallery Orchestra, under the direction of music director George Manos, will perform five concerts, beginning with the 22 October concert. The orchestra will be joined on two occasions by internationally renowned soloists. Metropolitan Opera soprano Alessandra Marc will sing the Four Last Songs of Richard Strauss on 19 November 2000, and violinist Aaron Rosand will play Beethoven's Violin Concerto with the orchestra on 3 June 2001. Two other National Gallery resident ensembles will be heard: the National Gallery Chamber Players Wind Quintet performs on 1 April 2001, and the National Gallery Chamber Players String Quartet plays on 17 June 2001. The program on 17 June will include the Schubert string quartet known as "Death and the Maiden."

Other world-renowned artists who will appear at the Gallery include pianists Gary Graffman (14 January with the Borromeo String Quartet), Cecile Licad (21 January in an all-Chopin recital), and Paul Badura-Skoda (24 June). The sensational young American violinist, Leila Josefowicz, will be heard in recital on 18 February 2001, and veteran violinist and chamber musician Ida Kavafian will lead the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center on 25 February in a concert of quartets and quintets by Ned Rorem, Felix Mendelssohn, and Ernest Chausson.

American Music Festival
On 6 May, jazz legend Diane Schuur will open the Gallery's award-winning American Music Festival. The month-long festival will also feature the National Men's Chorus, pianist Jeffrey Chappell, and soprano Marilyn Taylor.

International Artists and Premieres
Artists from abroad who will be heard at the Gallery this season include Greek pianist Vinia Tsopela (29 October), French violinist Bernard Zinck (5 November); Swedish cellist Erling Blöndal Bengtsson (26 November); Swedish mezzo-soprano Charlotte Hellekant (3 December); Canadians Shauna Rolston and Bernadene Blaha, cellist and pianist, respectively (10 December); the Osiris Piano Trio from Amsterdam (11 March); Ukrainian pianist Mykola Suk (March 18); the Parisii String Quartet from France (8 April); and Austrian pianists Barbara Moser (22 April) and Paul Badura-Skoda (24 June).

Premieres
Several world and Washington premiere performances are in store for Gallery concert audiences, including Dave Brubeck's Points on Jazz for two pianos (8 October), Erich Korngold's Suite for Piano, Left Hand, and Strings (14 January), and two works by Sotireos Vlahopoulos: Poème (29 April, performed by flutist Karen Johnson and pianist Brian Ganz) and Three Paraphrases (20 May, performed by pianist Jeffrey Chappell). Chappell's 20 May American Festival program will also include the world premiere of one his own works and a work by Rehoboth, Delaware, composer James Grant.

Holiday Concerts
Two traditional holiday concerts are planned. On 17 December 2000, the Columbia Union College Collegiate Chorale will perform, and on 7 January the National Gallery Orchestra will play its traditional Viennese New Year concert.