No Music Is An Island

The National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute
Orchestra has programmed two FREE concerts for the Kennedy
Center Concert Hall, on Sunday July 10 and Sunday July 24 --
both at 6 PM -- as part of the Kennedy Center's innovative
and popular Millennium Stage commitment to a more democratic
culture. And guess what the young musicians will be performing
on those two occasions? You guessed it -- Beethoven, Weber,
Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and Sibelius -- and not a 19th or 20th
century American to be seen. (Perhaps the NSO should rename
itself the District of Columbia Symphony Orchestra, and all
American orchestras could compete for the annual laureate
title "this year's National Symphony Orchestra" -- based upon
the orchestra's commitment to American culture, and connection
to all of its potential audiences.)

At the same time that the NSO and the NSOSMIO are being
reactionary, the Millennium Stage programming forges ahead
into the musical 21st century, this July, with performances by Los
Pleneros de la 21, Cowboy songwriters Chuck Milner and Patrick
Karnahan, Keith Bear and Rita Cantu, the Boys Choir of
Tallahassee, the Jeremy Kittel Trio, Jazz Mantra, classical
organist Charles Pugh, the James King Quintet, D.C Hip Hop
artist Benji Reid in 13 Mics, D.C. Hip Hop artist Jack Ya Body,
Kermit Ruffins, Hairspray Dance Party, Washington NATIONAL
Opera Institute for Young Singers, Cowboy songwriter
D.W. Groethe, Daby Toure of Mauritania, young classical artists
Kimberly Kong and Maureen Walsh, Nigerian Kuku,
Chris Fonseca and Alan Shain, Catfish Hodge, the Broto Roy
Indian Jazz Ensemble, the David Munnelly Band, Latino Caranga
Cakewalk, Afro-funk orchestra Chopteeth, and Ron Diehl
and Friends.