EVENT

WHO:             Gallery Quartet                  

WHEN:          Sunday, October 28, 2012

WHERE:        Washington County Museum of Fine Arts

HAGERSTOWN, MD  – The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts will present the Gallery Quartet, now in its 36^th season, in a program of chamber music on Sunday, October 28, 2012 at 2:30 p.m.  The concert is sponsored in part by Keller-Stonebraker Insurance, Inc. and is free and open to the public.

            The first part of the program will be a performance of the String Quartet No. 21, in D major, K. 575 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791).  This quartet was the first of the composer’s last three string quartets, which were commissioned by Frederick William II, King of Prussia.  The quartet has all of Mozart’s charm, with an occasional prominent cello part, since the King was an amateur cellist.

            For the second part of the program, the Quartet will perform the String Quartet in F Major, Op. 59, No. 1 by Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827).  This is the first of three string quartets Beethoven dedicated to Count Razumovsky, the Russian ambassador in Vienna.  The third movement, Theme Russe, consists of Beethoven’s robust riffs on a Russian folk song theme.  This quartet represents a very significant break from all previous string quartets, and at the time many musicians thought it too difficult to play. Quartet members performing in this concert are Cleveland Chandler and Carl Tretter, violins, Jere Stern, viola and Robert Wright, cello.

Established in 1931 and dedicated to collecting, preserving and interpreting works of art for the people of Washington County and citizens from the four-state region, the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts has been recognized as one of the finest small museums in the United States. The mission of the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts (WCMFA) is to collect, to preserve, to interpret and to exhibit art of lasting quality for the citizens of Hagerstown, Washington County and the surrounding region.  The mission is implemented through the development, interpretation and care of art collections; creation of original and educational exhibitions; and presentation of interpretive lectures, concerts, films, art instruction and other programs to ensure that visitors gain a better appreciation and understanding of the fine arts.  The presentation and care of art collections, and associated interpretive activities requires the maintenance of a specialized and architecturally significant building and grounds. The opportunity for the public to encounter highly significant works of art in a beautiful setting, and with safety and security are important values of the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts.

Accredited by the American Association of Museums, admission to the Museum is free and its collection includes over 7,000 works of art. The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts has an enduring commitment to arts education and to the support of regional artists. The Museum actively collects works of art in the fields of American Art, world cultures, and art of the region. The museum regularly offers studio art courses, art historical lectures, concerts, and exhibitions from its permanent collection and traveling shows. The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts is funded through support from museum membership and annual fund donations by the public, grants from the business and corporate communities, and support from Washington County, the City of Hagerstown, private foundations, and the Maryland State Arts Council. For more information on the Museum, please phone (301) 739-5727 or visit www.wcmfa.org.  Museum hours are Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.