Highlights of the History of the National Gallery of Art Music Program

May 31, 1942

The first National Gallery of Art concert features a performance by the Budapest String Quartet and is supported by private funds.

June 7th, 1942

National Gallery of Art founding benefactor Chester Dale supports a series of summer evening concerts. The inaugural program is attended by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who comments: “I think it was one of the pleasantest hours that any could spend on a hot summer evening.”

1943

Richard Bales conducts his first National Gallery of Art concert and is soon named the assistant to the director for music. During his 42-year tenure at the National Gallery, Bales would organize and present 1,786 concerts and conduct more than 500 of them. He would also compose more than 35 works, among them the National Gallery Suites, musical compositions inspired by works of art at the National Gallery.  

1944

The National Gallery of Art presents its first annual American Music Festival. Founded by Richard Bales, it has become the longest continuous music festival dedicated to the works of American composers. The festival has been the venue of more than 300 world premiere performances, most notably the debut of The First Symphony by Charles Ives in 1953. The classical festival thereafter expands to include genres such as jazz, bluegrass, and American gospel.

1950

Sunday evening concerts at the National Gallery of Art are first heard as live radio broadcasts, a practice that continued until 1992. They are still frequently featured on local and national radio broadcasts.

1964

A new radio series Picture of the Week is launched and features pre-recorded broadcast discussions of a single painting in the collection of the National Gallery during the Sunday night concert intermissions.

1971

The National Gallery of Art celebrates its 30th anniversary with a special concert.

1985

George Manos succeeds Richard Bales as the second assistant to the director of music. During his tenure at the Gallery (1985–2003), Manos would form the Vocal Arts Ensemble in 1986 and the two NGA Chamber Players groups (a wind quartet and a string quartet) in 1996.

1991

A gala is held on March 17 marking the 2,000th concert at the National Gallery of Art and celebrating the museum’s 50th anniversary. The anniversary concert season features performances by 20 international musicians who had performed at the Gallery early in their careers. In further honor of the milestone, the Gallery awards four commissions to American composers, including Richard Bales, who composes the National Gallery of Art Suite No. 5 for the occasion.  

2001

The popular Jazz in the Garden concert series, which continues to this day, begins in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. 

2004

The 2,500th concert at the National Gallery of Art is held in the East Building on June 13.

2006

A program of weekly midday performances is launched to complement the long-running Sunday concert series. 

2016

In celebration of its 75th anniversary, the National Gallery of Art invites music ensembles from four branches of the United States military to perform daily during a four-day celebration.

2017

National Gallery of Art inaugurates a new mid-week series Washingtonians on Wednesdays to feature local musicians performing American music.