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From : Scranton Community Concerts FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FREE ARTS EDUCATION PROGRAM TO FEATURE LEON BATES
Scranton Community Concerts will present renowned pianist Leon Bates on Friday February, 24, 2006 at 10:00 am in a very special lecture/mini-concert at the Mellow Theater at Lackawanna College . This free educational performance deals with the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision, and how this landmark event changed Mr. Bates' life both personally and professionally. This performance will be presented free of charge to area school students and seniors in conjunction with the celebration of Black History Month, and is open to the general public as well. For reservations and information, please call (570) 342-4137 .
Mr. Bates will recount the history of segregation in American music and the h istorical difficulties African-American musicians faced in either seeking or maintaining their careers. Mr. Bates will discuss the differences for African-American musicians brought about since the Brown v. Board of Education decision and their ability to sustain careers in performance, composition, and other aspects of musicianship. The discussion of luminary musicians whose successes have been influential in the history of American music will include Marian Anderson [1897-1993], Roland Hayes [1887-1976], Paul Robeson [1889-1976], and will also reflect Mr. Bates' personal experiences. Musical excerpts by noted African-American Composers will include: Sonata #1 by George Walker [b. 1922], In the Bottoms Suite (1913) by Nathaniel Dett [1882-1932], and possibly Piano Rag by Scott Joplin [1868-1917].
A native of Philadelphia , Leon Bates began his formal study of music at the age of six on both piano and violin. Since winning the Philadelphia Orchestra Senior Auditions as a student, Leon Bates has emerged as one of America 's leading pianists. He is invited to the most prestigious concert halls and his performances have warranted critical and audience accolades in such halls and the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Philadelphia's Academy of Music and Kimmel Center, and in San Francisco where he has been presented numerous times by Four Seasons Concerts. His sheer mastery of the instrument has led to many invitations to perform with major symphonies in the U.S. such as the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the American Symphony. One of his career highlights includes being chosen to play at Carnegie Hall in the Steinway Foundation's Gala celebration commemorating the building of their 500,000 th piano.
In addition to this educational performance, Mr. Bates will present a public performance at 8:00 PM on February 24 th featuring the works of Rachmaninoff and Chopin. Tickets are $30, $20 and $15 and can be obtained by calling (570) 342-4137, or in person at Scranton Community Concerts' offices in Lackawanna College 's main building located at 501 Vine Street in Downtown Scranton. Substantial group discounts and student and senior rate tickets are also available.
Mr. Bates' performances are sponsored in part by Lackawanna College, Penn Security Bank and are supported by a Lackawanna County Arts and Cultural Grant, a program of the Lackawanna County Commissioners and the Lackawanna County Council on the Arts. Additional funding comes from the University of Scranton as part of its newly established Diversity Initiatives Program. This project is also partially supported by a grant from Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour, a program developed and funded by the Vira I. Heinz Endowment; the William Penn Foundation; the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency; and the Pew Charitable Trusts; and administered by Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation . For more information, please call (570) 342-4137 or email info@scrantonconcerts.org .
Contact: Wendy Popeck (570) 342-4137 or commconcerts@aol.com
