Yale Bulletin and Calendar

October 15, 2004|Volume 33, Number 7

Events marking the 25th anniversary of the establishment of a conservation and restoration fund by George P. O'Leary will feature a performance on an 18th-century harpsichord (left) by German maker Johann Adolph Hass.

Harpsichord concert and other events
celebrate anniversary of endowment fund

A concert featuring two restored 18th-century harpsichords will highlight a two-day series of events marking the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the George P. O'Leary Endowment for the Conservation and Restoration of Keyboard Instruments at the Yale Collection of Musical Instruments.

Over the past quarter of a century, the endowment has funded nine major restoration projects in addition to the ongoing program of regular conservation, adjustment and tuning. Four harpsichords, two spinets and two clavichords have been restored to excellent playing condition by conservators Frank Rutkowski and Robert Robinette; and a 19th-century grand piano was restored by Rodney Regier.

A series of events the weekend of Oct. 16-17 will pay tribute to the generosity of the fund's founder, George P. O'Leary '64 B.S., '66 M.S. and '69 Ph.D. Following a brief academic career, O'Leary served as a chief administrator of several technology companies, including Floating Point Systems Inc. and Accufiber Inc. He has also served on the boards of a wide range of philanthropic enterprises, including the Portland Early Keyboard Society, the Yale Club of Oregon, the board of regents of the University of Portland, the Association of Yale Alumni and the Oregon Art Institute. He is a charter member of the board of advisers of the Collection of Musical instruments (1980 to the present). He currently resides in Portland, Oregon, with his wife Reba.

George P. O'Leary

The weekend celebration will include a lecture-demonstration on a restored instrument for associates of the museum on Saturday, Oct. 16, and other invitation-only events.

The final event of the celebration will be the opening concert of the 37th annual series of concerts at the Collection of Musical Instruments on Sunday, Oct. 17. Harpsichordist Bradley Brookshire will present a program of solo works of Bach and Handel at 3 p.m. in the collection, located at 15 Hillhouse Ave. The concert is open to the public. Tickets are $20 for the general public; $15 for senior citizens and Yale staff; and $10 for students.

Brookshire will perform on a two-manual harpsichord by German maker Johann Adolph Hass (Hamburg, 1760) and a two-manual harpsichord by English maker Jacob Kirckman (London, 1754). Both instruments are part of the Collection of Musical Instruments.

Hailed as a "rising star on the New York early music scene" by The New York Times, Brookshire has gathered similar acclaim for his appearances throughout Europe and the United States. His recent tours have taken him to such venues as the Liszt Academie in Budapest; the Barbican Centre in London; the Festival des Cathédrales in Paris; Schloss Brühl in Cologne; Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall and Merkin Concert Hall, all in New York; and the Kennedy Center and the Folger Library in Washington, to name only a few. His critically acclaimed recordings include a CD of J.S. Bach's "Six French Suites," which received a Grammy award in 2001.

Brookshire has been a member of the Purchase College Conservatory of Music faculty since 1998 and holds the position of director of graduate studies there.

For information and ticket reservations, call (203) 432-0825.

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