This was a historical achievement. As stated in the opening paragraph of the program notes:

"For those who have perhaps never encountered the music of Ludwig van Beethoven live – and we hope that there are many of you here tonight – you could not have picked a better concert to attend. The compositions presented tonight – three by Beethoven, one by Brahms, and two poems by Friedrich Schiller set to music by the two composers – are exemplary of their best work. Most notably, all are being performed at the “Verdi tuning,” where the middle C is at 256 cycles per second, resulting in an A in the range of 430-432, a much lower pitch than is commonly heard in many concert halls today. Authenticity, we contend, need not demand that one perform on late-18th century period instruments. In properly “retuning” to C 256, we seek to present a program which, combining artistry with science, strives to reach as close to the intent of the composers as possible."

We believe this intent was beautifully conveyed to the audience. A near-capacity audience of approximately 2,500 people, including 1,000 sponsored students and their families from NYC public schools attended the concert. The dress circle and balcony were filled to the brim with these grateful New Yorkers, many of whom had never heard classical music live, and could not have been treated to a more wonderful holiday gift. The impact of this evening on the lives of these children is eloquently captured in the following note we received from one of the school principals from a Bronx school, who attended with 30 students:

"Since our introduction, the collaboration upon which we have embarked has brought energy, positivity, and art to our students and staff. These priceless gifts cannot be underestimated during this formative period in our young adults’ lives. Last night, was yet another developmental step in our nascent relationship and the impact was literally and figuratively resounding. The power of last night’s performance changed some of our students’ impressions of Beethoven and the classical music genre for the better. Thank you for expanding audiences and impacting lives."

This year is the year of Beethoven! Moving forward from this concert, our Foundation looks forward to more such wonderful projects and fruitful collaboration. Our slogan this year is “Think Like Beethoven”. We invite and need your participation!

On February 1, 2020, we invite all of you to join us at a symposium on Music, Creativity, Education and the science of beauty and character—dedicated to the great violinist, orator, abolitionist and proponent of literacy and the classics - Frederick Douglass! If you're interested, CLICK HERE. Stay tuned for our announcements of new programs! Join our Newsletter HERE. Best wishes for Happy, Healthy and Musical Holidays and New Year!