NMWA Presents 2019–20 Shenson Chamber Music Concert Season

View of the museum from outside showing the Neoclassical building from one corner. The building is a tan-colored stone with an arched doorway, long vertical windows, and detailed molding around the roof.
September 10, 2019
9/10/19

WASHINGTON—The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) presents a lineup of acclaimed performers as part of the annual Shenson Chamber Music Concerts. Through these concerts, the museum carries out its mission of recognizing and supporting women in all areas of the arts. Women musicians performing in the museum’s free concert series have been impressing audiences for more than 20 years. The series was named in honor of Drs. Ben and A. Jess Shenson, who were longtime supporters of the museum and lovers of music.

“I am thrilled to announce three new concerts that uphold our mission of celebrating and supporting women in all areas of the arts,” said Artistic Director Gilan Tocco Corn, who has guided the programming of the Shenson series since its inaugural season. “Since 1998, we have presented more than 68 free performances featuring emerging and established women musicians.” Over the years, the series has welcomed the Ahn Trio, Julia Bullock, Sasha Cooke, Sara Daneshpour, Simone Dinnerstein, the Eroica Trio, Ingrid Fliter, Sharon Isbin, Olga Kern, Anne Akiko Meyers, Midori, Mary Millben and Eugenia Zukerman.

This season’s concert series commences on Oct. 2 and features the following programs:

Anniversaries: a Recital and Narration with Jamie Bernstein and Spencer Myer
Wednesday, October 2, 2019, 7:30 p.m.
Jamie Bernstein, the daughter of Leonard Bernstein, is a writer, broadcaster, filmmaker and concert narrator. She travels extensively to speak about music and her father. Her documentary Crescendo: The Power of Music has won numerous prizes and is now viewable on Netflix. Her memoir, Famous Father Girl, was published by HarperCollins in June 2018. Spencer Myer has been piano soloist with The Cleveland Orchestra, the Indianapolis and Phoenix Symphonies and the Johannesburg and Cape Town Philharmonics. He is currently Artist-Teacher of Piano and Collaborative Piano at the Longy School of Music of Bard College. Since 2017, Myer has released three recordings on the Steinway & Sons label.

The McDermott Trio with violist Paul Neubauer
Wednesday, March 25, 2020, 7:30 p.m.
Hailed for their “dazzling virtuosity and beautifully integrated ensemble,” the McDermott Trio has been recognized as one of the most exciting trios of their generation. Since their Carnegie Recital Hall debut, they have performed internationally. Recent highlights include debuts at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, the 92nd Street Y’s Kaufmann Hall and the Ravinia Festival, as well as their first visit to Mexico with the Mainly Mozart Festival.

Violist Paul Neubauer’s has been referred to as “a master musician” by the New York Times. In 2018 he made his Chicago Symphony debut and his Mariinsky Orchestra debut. Neubauer is also the artistic director of the Mostly Music series in New Jersey and is on the faculty of The Juilliard School and the Mannes School of Music. 

Jennifer Koh, solo violin recital
Wednesday, May 27, 2019, 7:30 p.m.
Violinist Jennifer Koh is recognized for commanding performances and for promoting diversity and inclusivity in classical music. She has premiered more than 70 works written specifically for her; been named Musical America’s 2016 Instrumentalist of the Year; and won the International Tchaikovsky Competition, the Concert Artists Guild Competition and an Avery Fisher Career Grant. Koh is also the artistic director of the nonprofit arco collaborative.

All Shenson Chamber Music Concerts are FREE with reservations. Please note, space is limited. Seating is first-come, first-served. NMWA is located at 1250 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20005—two blocks north of Metro Center. NMWA has partnered with SpotHero, the nationwide leader in online parking reservations, to allow visitors to purchase guaranteed parking at nearby garages.

The Shenson Chamber Music Concert Series is made possible by support from Fred M. Levin and Nancy Livingston, The Shenson Foundation in memory of Drs. Ben and A. Jess Shenson, and The Honorable Mary V. Mochary.

National Museum of Women in the Arts

The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) is the only major museum in the world solely dedicated to championing women through the arts. With its collections, exhibitions, programs and online content, the museum seeks to inspire dynamic exchanges about art and ideas. NMWA advocates for better representation of women artists and serves as a vital center for thought leadership, community engagement and social change. NMWA addresses the gender imbalance in the presentation of art by bringing to light important women artists of the past while promoting great women artists working today. The collections highlight painting, sculpture, photography and video by artists including Louise Bourgeois, Mary Cassatt, Frida Kahlo, Shirin Neshat, Faith Ringgold, Pipilotti Rist and Élisabeth Louise Vigée-LeBrun.

NMWA is located at 1250 New York Avenue, NW, in Washington, D.C. It is open Mon.–Sat., 10 a.m.–5 p.m., and Sun., noon–5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for visitors 65 and over and students, and free for NMWA members and youth 18 and under. Admission is free the first Sunday of each month. For information, call 202-783-5000, visit nmwa.org, Broad Strokes Blog, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

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