Evening star., 1961-09-24
NEWS OF MUSIC
CIiburn to Give U. N. Concert
By IRVING LOWENS
Star Music Critic

friendship was sounded or
inauguration eve when, de.
spite one of the worst biz.
yards in Washington's his
tory, the President-elect ano
Mrs. Kennedy went to Con-
stitution Hall to hear an in
augural concert of solid mu-
Sical interest.
One of the first actions OF
the administration was to
make the new State Depart
ment auditorium available
for the National Symphony
Orchestra post-season Music
for Young America" series
until then virtually homeless.
Mrs. Kennedy, Mrs. Lyn-
don johnson and other
prominent members of the
official family have made it
a special point to attend and
sponsor concerts and opera
productions.
A recent notable instance
of the fact that music is
very much "in fashion" was
the concert on the White
House lawn played by young
sters from the Brevard
Music Camp, for handicapped
tots from the District OF Co.
lumbia area. This was the
first in a proposed series of
concerts by young people for
young people under Mrs.
Kennedy's patronage.
p. Sing at White House
The worlds greatest per-
forming artists now fire.
quently grace White House
formal functions. Only last
week Coloratura Roberta Pc
ters (who sang for the
Eighth Congress Of the In
ternational Musicological So
ciety in the Library of Con-
gress just seven days earlier)
and Basso Jerome Hines,
both of the Metropolitan
Opera Company, starred at
the reception for President
Prado of Peru.
But the administrations
biggest venture into the con-
cert world is still to come.
Who would you say was
the biggest drawing card
among young artists today?
You are absolutely right
Van Cliburn.
One day after his solo ap-
pearance under Hayes aus
pices "a concert which will
undoubtedly sell out long be-
fore the young pianist enters
Constitution Hall on Sunday
afternoon, october 22) Mr..
Cliburn will play again To-
cally, the State Department
announced.
The Monday evening af-
fair, to take place in the
State Department Auditori-
um, will be under the patron
age of the President and
Mrs. Kennedy and the Cana
dian Ambassador and Mrs.
Heeney. Hosts will be the
Secretary of State and Mrs.
Rusk; Mr.. Rusk has asked
the United States Ambassa-
dor to the United Nations,
Adlai E. Stevenson. and the
national chairman of the
United States Committee for
the United Nations, Robert
S. Benjamin, and Mrs. Ben
jamin to serve as co-hosts.
Canadians Coming
Mr.. Cliburn will be heard
as soloist with the Canadian
Broadcasting Corpora ton
Symphony Orchestra, whose
excellenceS are known here,
thanks to it's appearance last
spring during the course of
the Second Inter American
Music Festival.
The 86-piece orchestra will
be flown to Washington from
Toronto specially for the con-
cert and will play under the
direction of its regular con-
ductor, DIR. Godfrey Wad-
dington.
The event-a truly inter-
national one-will salute the
10th anniversary of the
United Nations; the program
has not yet been announced.
The concert is for the
benefit of the United States
Committee for the United
Nations, a non-profit, edu-
cational organization. It's ma
tional chairman is appointed
annually by the President of
the United States.
Working through 1876 ma
tional organizations, it dis
seminates information about
the U. N, attempts to arouse
interest in the U. N, and
promotes the Nationwide OBJ
servance of United Nations
Day, which is October "a.
Even though the concert
season begins only today, it
is not difficult to predict
that the Cliburn-CBC SYM
phony concert will be one of
the most spectacular of the
year, as well as one of the
most glamorous.
AS icing on the cake, the
State Department notes that
a reception will follow the
performance.
October % should be a red
letter day for music in Wash
ington, as well as for the
United Nations.
| Edwin Hughes
/ of New York