National Symphony To Debut Music On First President

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The National Symphony Orchestra is preparing a multimedia composition focused on George Washington's life.

The Kennedy Center will host the world premiere of "george WASHINGTON" by Roger Reynolds on Oct. 3-5. It will feature massive screens and surround sound to provide sights, sounds and readings from the first president's Mount Vernon estate in Virginia.

The center will also host an exhibit titled "The Many Faces of George Washington" from Sept. 30 to Oct. 6.

The orchestral commission is part of a three-way partnership with Mount Vernon and the University of California's Washington Center. It marks the Sept. 27 opening of the National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon.

Reynolds says the piece is "not a history lesson" but is about bringing the audience "into Washington's world."

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