In this issue: Grapefest, Thriving Minds, Listen Up! and more
Dallas / Fort Worth • wrr101.com
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The Official Publication of WRR
September 2008
DSO presents world premiere of ‘August 4, 1964’ The Dallas Symphony Orchestra commissioned composer Steven Stucky and librettist Gene Scheer to write a secular oratorio to celebrate the 100th anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s birth. After researching White House logs, telephone transcripts, newspapers, and letters, Stucky and Scheer decided to create a work of universal appeal based on the events in the Oval Office on August 4, 1964. The activities in the Oval Office began rather routinely on Aug. 4, 1964. President Johnson attended a Congressional leadership breakfast to discuss his legislative program. By mid-morning, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara interrupted a domestic policy meeting to inform the President that American ships in the Gulf of Tonkin were under attack by the North Vietnamese. The President and the National Security Council then met to formula a response and decided upon a forceful limited air attack. During the meeting with the National Security Council, President Johnson received a call from Assistant FBI Director Cartha “Deke” Deloach informing him that the bodies of the three civil rights workers who had been missing since June had been found in Philadelphia, Mississippi. The activities of that day came to a close just before midnight when President Johnson issued a statement on live television that the United States was declaring war against North Vietnam. Stucky spent months with pencil and paper setting these powerful human emotions and genuine quotes to music. August 4, 1964 is written to exhibit the compelling colors of the orchestra and gives the chorus
Stucky
President Johnson
the role of society’s conscious. The major characters include the larger than life President Lyndon Baines Johnson, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, and the mothers of the slain civil rights workers, Carolyn Goodman of New York and Fannie Lee Chaney of Mississippi. Stucky, came to the WRR studios and gave Weekend Host, Karen Moyer, his unique perspective on creating a work based on these weighty historic events. The interview can be heard on podcast at wrrr101.com. The world premiere of this momentous work, August 4, 1964, will be performed by the DSO from Sept. 18-21 at the Meyerson Symphony Center.
Start of the arts
Quin Mathews:
Dallas and Fort Worth galleries and museums kick off Fall Season
Legend
You know the official start of the Arts Club DADA (how appropriate). Gift bags feaSeason is always WRR’s Picnic in the Park. turing coupons from area retailers, treats from The visual arts community kicks into high gear participating galleries and tickets to the after on the second Saturday in September with the party will be available for the first 500 Deep Dallas Art Dealers Association (DADA) and Ellum Gallery guests. Deep Ellum Art Walks. And Fort Worth’s Day in Lucky for you that Fort Worth is giving the District following suit on the last Saturday in us time to recuperate before “A Day in the September. District.” The J o i n 2008 event DADA Sept. 13 at takes place Sept. 27 from Heritage Auction Galleries from 10 a.m.5 10:30 a.m.- 2 p.m. p.m. and feafor an Art Appraisal tures the Amon Workshop and pick Carter Museum, up the Fall Gallery Fort Worth Brochure with a Community Arts map to the 34 parCenter, Fort ticipating DADA Worth Museum galleries open from of Science and 2- 8 p.m. History, Kimbell The Dallas Art Museum, Opera will be out Log Cabin and about throughVillage, Modern out the day for per- ART WALK-Patrons enjoy the art at DADA participant Art Museum of formances at select Kettle Art Gallery. Fort Worth, and art spaces. Be sure to come by HCG Gallery National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. around 4 p.m. and find WRR’s van making one The museums offer free admission, and of its first Jaap Van Hits in honor of the arrival of various performing arts organizations offer free the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s new musical performances in and around the museums. director Jaap van Zweden. We’ll have tickets Outdoor performances and events encourage to the world premiere performance of Stephen patrons to walk through the beautiful grounds Stucky’s August 14, 1964 and Jaapomaniac T- surrounding the museums. This festival is deshirts while they last. signed to invite local residents to enjoy the For those of you able to pace your- world-class cultural experiences offered in Fort selves, more than 25 galleries in Deep Ellum Worth. It also provides an opportunity for those have agreed to keep their doors open late so who are not aware of the various organizations once you take in all the art DADA has to offer, in the community to discover something wonhead over to the Deep Ellum/Expo Park area derful and new. from 6-11 p.m. There’s also an after party at
Quin Mathews, cohost of WRR’s Art Matters, is a recipient of a Dallas Contemporary Legends 2008 Award. Given annually for 16 years, Legends Awards recognize individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary talent, generosity, and commitment to the visual Mathews arts in Texas. Recipients are nominated for their contributions as artist, arts professional, and arts patrons. Mathews and other recipients will be honored at the Dallas Contemporary on Sept. 4. “It’s a big honor,” Mathews said. “Dallas and Fort Worth have a really strong art community, and it’s a privilege to be part of it.” A filmmaker, journalist and broadcaster, Mathews has told stories about the arts through television, film and radio for 35 years. In 1988, he began a production company to make programs for business and the arts. Additionally, he and his radio partner Sharon Benge created Art Matters, a weekly show on the arts which airs on WRR Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. During these 20 years, the show has broadcast more than 2,000 interviews with visual artists, musicians, directors and other important people in the arts in North Texas and around the world. Mathews has produced documentaries on subjects and locales from music in the Soviet Union to emerging artists in China. In the last year he has worked on films on solar power, baroque Mexican churches and a 400-yearold violin returning to its birthplace in Cremona, Italy. The Legends event raises $100,000 for exhibitions and educational programs.
• September 2008
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