11th Annual Lighthouse At The Met Concert Marks Release Of Cd 'A Musical Tapestry' From Lighthouse International's Music School For The Visually Impaired'
April 6, 2007, NEW YORK, NY - Lighthouse International's Filomen M. D'Agostino Greenberg Music School announces the 11th Annual Lighthouse at The Metropolitan Museum Concert in celebration of the exhibition Barcelona and Modernity: Gaudi to Dali. The concert is free with Museum admission and will take place on April 20th, 2007 at 7:00 pm in the Temple of Dendur at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on 81st Street and Fifth Avenue in New York. The performance will introduce the audience to the artistically rich flavor of Catalonia, Spain, through its strong choral tradition, folk music and popular song. The event also marks the official release of the school's first full-length studio recorded album, 'A Musical Tapestry'.
The program will have four components: Spires and Spiritualism, The Alluring Woman by the Sea, Bohemian Barcelona and Catalan Triumphant. A number of soloists will be featured-both instrumental and vocal-in addition to a 14-member Vocal Ensemble with accompanying instrumental musicians. Highlights will include the popular "La Vie en Rose" and "Besame Mucho". Concluding the program with nationalistic fervor are the choral strains of the Catalan National Anthem-El Segadors and the haunting folk melody of Pablo Casals' El Cants dels Ocells.
Initiated in 1997 as a collaborative venture between Lighthouse International and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Lighthouse at the Met Concert was conceived as a way to include the visually impaired community in the art world. According to Dr. Leslie Jones, Executive Director of the Filomen M. D'Agostino Greenberg Music School, "Experiencing visual art through integration of music and the spoken word allows art to come alive. Music is selected to coincide with paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, and photographs and accompanying verbal descriptions provide an objective perspective of the art that is chosen".
The only community music school on the East Coast that teaches children and adults who are visually impaired, the Lighthouse Music School provides the highest quality music instruction to help people explore their creative talents and enjoy performing at any age. Since its founding in 1913, the Music School has been a model in making music universally accessible to all.
In keeping with this tradition of linking music to various forms of art and culture, the Music School's first studio recorded album, appropriately titled 'A Musical Tapestry', explores a diverse range of musical styles and genres. The album includes an original song by one of the students as well as classical, folk, popular, jazz and country songs such as "On the Street Where You Live," "Le Gondolier opus 65 #3" and "All Blues" by Miles Davis.
"The name of the CD," explains Dr. Jones, "aptly represents all aspects of the recording. Vision loss and music share a common thread: There are no boundaries. People from all walks of life as well as professional and amateur musicians may experience the infinite joys of music while meeting the challenges of vision loss. Our recording includes people whose lives are enriched by a tapestry of music." The CD will be available for purchase for $20.00 online at www.lighthouse.org, in the Lighthouse International store or by calling (212) 821-9384.
Founded in 1905, Lighthouse International is a leading non-profit organization dedicated to preserving vision and to providing critically needed health care services to help people of all ages overcome the challenges of vision loss. Through services, education, research and advocacy, the Lighthouse enables people with low vision and blindness to enjoy safe, independent and productive lives. For more information about vision loss, its causes and what you can do about it, contact Lighthouse International at 1-800-829-0500 or visit www.lighthouse.org
Information:
Leslie Gottlieb 212.821 9760