USIA Artistic Ambassador Program Musical Commissions
Catalog Record: http://lccn.loc.gov/2010561024
General International Standard for Archival Description
Music Division Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
Finding aid encoded by Library of Congress Music Division, 2010
Encoded Archival Description
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
collection
USIA Artistic Ambassador Program Musical Commissions 1973-1988 (bulk 1983-1987)
United States Information Agency. Artistic Ambassador Program
Biographical History for: USIA Artistic Ambassador Program Musical Commissions 1973-1988 (bulk 1983-1987)
Organizational History The United States Information Agency was established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in August 1953 and was active until October 1, 1999. Its basic mandates were the Smith-Mundt Act of 1948 and the Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961. The Agency's stated mission was "to understand, inform, and influence foreign publics in promotion of the U.S. national interest, and to broaden the dialogue between Americans and U.S. institutions, and their counterparts abroad." One aspect of this strategy involved the identification, promotion, and financial support of young, virtuoso American performers as "ambassadors" of international understanding and goodwill. Those who had yet to establish themselves as "big-time" artists were of primary interest. Following the success of a 1982 pilot program that sent pianist Robert Noland to tour France and Germany, USIA director Charles Z. Wick formally launched the Artistic Ambassador Program in April 1983 under the leadership of John Robilette and named pianist Arthur Greene the second Artistic Ambassador. In 1984, four additional pianists were recruited to represent USIA: Michael Caldwell, Dean Kramer, Steve Warzycki, and Nancy Weems. The program continued to expand rapidly, and by the following year, eleven pianists had traveled to 38 countries, including the Soviet Union and China. By 1986 and 1987 respectively, the performance programs had also incorporated violin-piano duos and violoncello-piano duos. Touring efforts continued until the termination of the Program in 1989. In addition to its support of performers, the Program sought commissioned works from eminent American composers, including Norman Dello Joio, Morton Gould, George Rochberg, and others. This marked one of the first dedicated efforts by the federal government to commission musical works for the purpose of promoting American culture abroad. Between 1983 and 1987, a total of 13 works were commissioned by the Program.
Scope and Content Note The musical works commissioned for the USIA Artistic Ambassador Program date from 1982-1988. The "Music Manuscripts" series contains holograph manuscripts and/or sketches for all thirteen commissioned pieces, with Bacon's "Gunnison River" being the only exception. Two additional works commissioned by the USIA prior to 1982, but not for the Artistic Ambassador Program, are also included. Lukas Foss’ Fanfare was commissioned to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Turkish Republic and was performed by the Presidential Symphony of Ankara in Istanbul with Foss conducting on June 28, 1973. Leo Smit’s Symphony of dances and songs was commissioned to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of U.S./Serbian diplomatic relations and was performed by the Belgrade Philharmonic with Smit conducting on November 6, 1981. The "Research Materials" series contains memoranda, booklets, reviews, competition brochures, press releases, news clippings, and feature stories about the program’s inception, purpose, and active years. Biographical materials and images of several of the artistic ambassadors are also included.
series
Music Manuscripts, 1973-1987
file
Bacon, Ernst
The Gunnison River
Dello Joio, Norman
Introduction and fantasies on a chorale tune
Finney, Ralph
Narrative in retrospect, 1983
Foss, Lukas
Fanfare, 1973
Central Park reel, 1987
Gould, Morton
Patterns for piano, 1984
Hoiby, Lee
Ballade, op. 41, 1983
Lees, Benjamin
Tableau, 1986
Mayer, William
Abandoned bells, n.d.
Muczynski, Robert
Dream cycle : op. 44, 1983
Perle, George
Six new etudes, 1985
Rochberg, George
Short sonatas, 1984
Siegmeister, Elie
From these shores, 1986
Smit, Leo
Symphony of dances and songs, 1981
Dance card, 1985
Research Materials, 1982-1988
USIA file, 1983-1984
USIA file, 1982-1988