Nashville, Tenn. (December 14, 2016) – The Nashville Symphony has been named the recipient of an Art Works grant from the National Endowment of the Arts, part of more than $30 million in nationwide funding for local arts projects and partnerships announced by the NEA this week.

 

The $15,000 grant will be used to support three performances and the first-ever live recording of American composer Terry Riley’s At the Royal Majestic, featuring the Nashville Symphony and acclaimed organist Cameron Carpenter on February 23-25, 2017, at Schermerhorn Symphony Center. The recording is slated for physical and digital release on Naxos, the world’s leading distributor of orchestral music.

 

“Celebrated as the pioneering ‘father of Minimalism,’ Terry Riley is one of the most influential composers of the 20th and 21st centuries,” said Alan D. Valentine, Nashville Symphony president and CEO. “With its diverse array of sounds and styles, At the Royal Majestic displays the incredible breadth and richness of his gifts. We are grateful for the NEA’s support of this project, which will allow the Nashville Symphony to share this singular piece with music lovers of every age and background both here in Nashville and around the world.”

 

Riley will travel to Nashville for the February performances to assist and collaborate with the orchestra in its preparation, as well as oversee the recording project. He will also participate in a series of public lectures alongside Nashville Symphony music director Giancarlo Guerrero prior to or following each of the three performances.

 

The National Endowment for the Arts is the federal agency that supports and funds the arts to give all Americans the opportunity to experience creativity and participate in the arts. The NEA’s Art Works category supports the creation of work, the presentation of both new and existing work, lifelong learning in the arts, and public engagement with the arts through 13 arts disciplines or fields.