Former Presidents Honor One of Their Own at Kennedy Center

The Points of Light Institute hosted an event honoring former president George H.W. Bush and his years of service at the Kennedy Center's Opera House Monday night. The tribute featured speeches from all four living former presidents: Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. The last time all the former presidents met was at the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama.

Also in attendance was Andrew Card, George W. Bush’s chief of staff, Maine Senator Susan Collins, and the Japanese Ambassador to the United States, Ichiro Fujisaki. The program was intertwined with musical performances, short-winded speeches, and inspiring stories of service. Several musical artists performed including Kid Rock, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Garth Brooks, and Cee Lo Green.

The night was not only a reflection on President Bush’s life and the lives of those who were recognized for their voluntary service, but the night had its share of laughs. President Clinton said Barbara Bush calls him her “black sheep son.” Neil Bush, Chairman and CEO of Nexus Energy, called Clinton “a brother from another mother.”

On a more serious note, Bush explained how his dedication to service completely changed his relationship with his father, George H.W. Bush. Brooks mentioned the temptations of becoming separated by the online virtual world and praised H.W. Bush’s hands-on approach toward service. “This is what he’s advocating: lets get face to face,” Brooks said.

The tribute will air on NBC next Monday, March 28, at 8 p.m.

Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin" Graces the Kennedy Center

London Symphony Orchestra principal conductor Valery Gergiev and the famed Mariinsky Orchestra and Opera premiered at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Friday evening with its rendition of Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin."

Based on the Russian classic novel by Alexander Pushkin, the opera follows the urbane, worldly gentleman Eugene Onegin, who comes to regret his coarse rejection of the love-struck country girl Tatyana and his careless incitement of a lethal duel with his best friend Lensky. 

The one-night performance featured the baritone Alexey Markov as Onegin, the soprano Irina Mataeva as Tatyana, the tenor Sergey Semishkur as Lensky and the mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Semenchuk as Olga. 

The Washington Post's Anne Midgette praised the evening and the raw emotion that seemed to permeate the opera house. 

"[The performance] was sustained by vivid, almost crazy energy emanating from Gergiev and the orchestra," Midgette wrote Monday. 'Onegin' is easy to make pretty; here it came across as visceral as heart's blood." 

The novel - one of the most revered pieces in Russian literature - has been adapted for the stage, opera, ballet, and film and translated into five languages. 

Conservatory Week at the Kennedy Center

The Kennedy Center will be featuring performances from some of the nation’s top music conservatories throughout the week on the Millennium Stage. The students participating in this concert series represent some of the best talent in the world and truly are the future of professional classical music.

Students from the Cleveland Institute of Music performed on Monday evening. Members of the Indiana University Jacob’s School of Music will play on Tuesday. Wednesday will have the Curtis Institute presenting twin pianists Christina and Michelle Naughton. The University of Michigan School of Music, Theater, and Dance will perform on Thursday. Friday will feature the New England Conservatory. Finally, the Peabody Conservatory will conclude the week long event with their concert on Saturday.

While each performance is unique, all of the concerts will consist of soloists and small ensembles presenting classical works from a variety of time periods.

Due to increased interest, performances will be held in the Terrace Theater as opposed to the Millennium Stage. However, like every other Millennium Stage

performance, each concert is free and no tickets are required to attend. Performances begin at 6 pm and last approximately one hour. The Kennedy Center would also like to remind anyone ages 17 to 25 to sign up for the Attend discount program. Members can enjoy drastically discounted tickets for select performances throughout the year with many seats starting as low as ten dollars.

-Joe Lewis