Release Date: January 6, 2006

National Gallery of Art and Five Washington Area-Institutions Present "Mozart on the Mall" Concerts

Washington, DC — The National Gallery of Art, Freer Gallery of Art, National Museum of American History, National Academy of Sciences, Library of Congress, and Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden present “Mozart on the Mall,” a series of concerts in honor of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (January 27, 1756–December 5, 1791). Performances of music by Mozart and by composers he inspired are augmented by a special exhibition at the Library of Congress, and by a special symposium at the Smithsonian Institution. Concerts take place at each venue between January 19 and March 25, 2006. The schedule of events, many of which are free and open to the public, is as follows:

National Gallery of Art
6th Street and Constitution Avenue NW
West Building, West Garden Court

Sunday, January 22, 2006, 6:30 p.m.
The National Gallery Orchestra, with guest conductor Otto-Werner Mueller and violinist Amy Lee, performs Mozart’s Overture to The Magic Flute, Violin Concerto in A Major, and Symphony no. 39.

Sunday, February 5, 2006, 6:30 p.m.
The Mozart Piano Quartet performs piano quartets and trios by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Franz Xaver Mozart.

Sunday, February 19, 2006, 6:30 p.m.
The renowned Kuijken Quartet—a pioneer in the historical performance practice movement— performs Mozart’s string Quartets K. 387, 421, and 458. This is the first of two concerts in which the quartet plays the complete cycle of "Haydn" quartets: the first concert is at the National Gallery of Art and the second is at the Library of Congress.

Admission to the National Gallery of Art and its concerts is always free. Additional information is available at (202) 842-6941 or http://www.nga.gov/programs/music/index.shtm.

Freer Gallery of Art
Independence Avenue at 12th Street SW

Thursday, January 19, 2006, 7:30 p.m.
Pianist Pedja Muzijevic performs Turkish-influenced works by Mozart, Liszt, Gurdjieff, Hummel, and Tajcevic. This event coincides with Style and Status: Imperial Costumes from Ottoman Turkey, an exhibition of Ottoman silks on view through January 22. Admission is free, but tickets are required, and are available at www.ticketmaster.com or (202-397-7328). Additional concert and admission information is available at (202) 357-2700 or www.asia.si.edu.

National Museum of American History
Concerts are in the Renwick Gallery
17th Street at Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Location of symposium is printed on tickets

Saturday and Sunday, January 21 and 22, 2006, 7:00 p.m.
The Smithsonian Chamber Music Society presents the six Mozart quartets dedicated to Haydn, performed by the Axelrod Quartet:
Quartet in B-flat Major, K. 458, “The Hunt”
Quartet in E-flat Major, K. 428
Quartet in G Major, K. 387

Saturday and Sunday, March 25 and 26, 2006
Concert at 8:00 p.m., on Saturday, with pre-concert talk at 7:00 p.m. Concert at 7:30 p.m., on Sunday, with pre-concert talk at 6:30 p.m.
The Axelrod Quartet and fortepianist Malcolm Bilson perform:
Quartet in A Major, K. 464
Quartet in D Minor, K. 421/417b
Quartet in G Major, K. 465, “The Dissonance”
Piano Quartet in G Minor, K. 478

Saturday, March 25, 2006, 9:30 a.m.—5:00 p.m.
The Smithsonian Associates presents a symposium entitled, “Happy Birthday, Mozart.” The seminar is moderated by popular Smithsonian music lecturer Saul Lilienstein, who discusses some of Mozart’s great operatic works. His presentation is highlighted by live performances of Mozart arias by singers from the Washington National Opera Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program. Additional speakers include Cornell University professor of music Malcolm Bilson, an expert in historical keyboard instruments, who performs and discusses music by Mozart; Robert W. Gutman, who lectures on the mythic Mozart; and Smithsonian Chamber Music Society artistic director Kenneth Slowik, who explores Mozart’s handling of the orchestral instruments of his day. Audience members will have a special opportunity to hear either the Saturday, March 25, 8:00 p.m. or the Sunday, March 26, 7:30 p.m. performance by the Axelrod Quartet and Malcolm Bilson. Ticket and admission information is available at (202) 357-3030.

National Academy of Sciences
2100 C Street NW

Sunday, January 29, 2006, 3:00 p.m.
Jean and Kenneth Wentworth, piano four hands, perform Mozart’s Sonata in B-flat Major, K. 358; Sonata in D Major, K. 381; Sonata in F Major, K. 497; and Sonata in C Major, K. 521
Additional information is available at (202) 334-2436; admission is free.

Library of Congress
First Street and Independence Avenue NW

Friday, February 3, 2006, 8:00 p.m.
Cuarteto Casals performs Mozart’s Quartet in G major, K. 80, and other works.

Friday, February 10, 2006, 8:00 p.m.
The Czech Nonet performs Mozart’s Oboe Quartet, K. 370, and other works.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006, 8:00 p.m.
The Kuijken Quartet performs Mozart’s "Haydn" Quartets no. 4, K. 428; no. 5, K.464; and no. 6, K.465.

All concerts take place in the Coolidge Auditorium in the Jefferson Building. A special exhibition of Mozart’s autographed scores and selected first editions will be on view in the foyer of the Coolidge Auditorium for all three concerts. Admission is free, but tickets are required and available through Ticketmaster. Additional information is available at (202) 707-5502.

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
7th Street and Independence Avenue NW

Saturday, February 11, 2006, 5:00 p.m.
In its February 11 concert at the Hirshhorn Museum, the 21st-Century Consort will address the exhibition of works by Hiroshi Sugimoto, on view at the Hirshhorn from February 16 through May 14. The program, entitled Time and Memory, presents recent composers’ memories and reflections on Mozart and includes Moz-Art by Alfred Schnittke, and Mozart-Adagio by Arvo Pärt, as well as the world premiere of Dream Palace by Democracy composer Scott Wheeler. A pre-concert discussion is scheduled for 4:00; a reception follows the concert. Tickets are available through The Smithsonian Associates. Visit http://residentassociates.org/perf-arts/consort.asp or call (202) 357-3030 for tickets and information.

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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