At the invitation of the Oklahoma Arts Council and the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has selected Oklahoma for its National Symphony Orchestra 2001 American Residency. The Residency is funded by the Kennedy Center through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education for the seventh consecutive season. For the third season, additional support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Residency will take place between March 14 and March 24, 2001. There will be a total of nine full orchestral concerts: five evening performances led by Music Director Leonard Slatkin, and two performances for school groups led by Mr. Slatkin.

"Oklahoma is very fortunate to have the renowned National Symphony Orchestra touring our state," said Governor Frank Keating. "We look forward to a great week in March as Oklahomans around the state attend splendid concerts that will benefit our own fine symphony orchestras."

"The Residency is one of the cornerstones of the Kennedy Center's national education program," stated Kennedy Center President Lawrence J. Wilker, "and we are delighted to be invited by the state of Oklahoma. This will be our first visit west of the Mississippi since the 1997 Arizona Residency. We have connections with Oklahoma through Ann Graves (Tulsa) of the Kennedy Center National Committee for the Performing Arts, National Symphony Orchestra National Trustees Richard L. Sias (Edmond) and Lou C. Kerr (Oklahoma City), and President's Advisory Committee on the Performing Arts members Michael Turpen (Oklahoma City) and Donna Whitworth (Bartlesville). We are very excited by what they and others tell us about about Oklahoma's thriving arts organizations. "

"This is a huge honor for the state of Oklahoma," said Betty Price, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Arts Council. "This is an opportunity that doesn't come along very often. It really is an extraordinary musical event that we hope many will take advantage of."

"This is an incredible opportunity for the residents in our state," said Joe Ragan, General Manager of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. "It particularly represents an exceptional musical opportunity for many Oklahoma students."

"The nationwide interest in this project - which is unique to the National Symphony Orchestra -- is a tribute to the musicians who, in addition to performing full orchestral concerts, bring their love of music and their expertise to one-on-one sessions with students, teachers and audience members," added Robert C. Jones, President of the National Symphony Orchestra and Vice-President of Music for the Kennedy Center. "Without their commitment, the Residencies would not be the extraordinary experiences they have become. Each Residency is distinctive, and we look forward to working with our colleagues in Oklahoma to create the 2001 American Residency program."


Summer Music Institute. Since 1992, the Kennedy Center/NSO Summer Music Institute -- a training program for young orchestral musicians (ages 14-20) from across the country -- has welcomed students annually for three weeks of study, rehearsal and coaching sessions. As part of the American Residency, up to six students from Oklahoma will be chosen to receive scholarships to the 2001 Summer Music Institute. Students are selected by taped audition. In-state coordinator for the project will be the Oklahoma Alliance for Arts Education.

Teacher Fellowship. An Oklahoma music teacher will be selected by the Oklahoma Alliance for Arts Education, for an individually designed program to further the teacher's professional development. The program will be individually designed to take place in Washington, D.C., under the auspices of the National Symphony Orchestra of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.


Representatives from the National Symphony Orchestra are currently working with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and the Oklahoma Arts Council to determine the complete Residency schedule. The following schedule of full orchestral concerts is confirmed and constitutes the core of the Residency.