Internationally acclaimed concert pianist Leon Bates will begin a six-day residency at the State University of New York at Fredonia on Monday, Sept. 26. The special visit has been arranged by Rockefeller Arts Center in cooperation with the SUNY Fredonia School of Music and will include a number of entertaining and educational events that are both free and open to the public.
 
The residency will then culminate on Saturday, Oct. 1 with the Someplace Special Pops Series presentation of Leon Bates and Friends in "Gershwin on Broadway," a musical tribute to one of the greatest American composers of the 20th century. "Gershwin on Broadway" will feature performances by Mr. Bates and respected theatre and opera veterans Cedric Cannon (baritone), Sam McKelton (tenor), La-Rose Saxon (soprano) and Louise Toppin (soprano). Music for the evening will include such timeless selections as "Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off," "Embraceable You," "They Can’t Take That Away From Me," "Summertime," "Rhapsody in Blue" and other Gershwin classics. For tickets, visit the Central Ticket Office on the SUNY Fredonia campus or call (716) 673-3501.
 
Major support for the Leon Bates-SUNY Fredonia residency has been provided by Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour and the Williams Visiting Professor Fund of the Fredonia College Foundation.
 
Philadelphia native Leon Bates has performed with major symphonies such as the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the National Symphony and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, among many others. He has taken the stage in the most prestigious venues in the United States and has been seen on the BRAVO! Network, NBC’s The Today Show and CBS’s Sunday Morning. Mr. Bates has won a number of awards and competitions and holds an honorary doctorate from Washington and Lee University. He was also selected by Steinway and Sons to perform in a special Carnegie Hall performance commemorating the construction of the venerable company’s 500,000 piano. A respected recording artist, Mr. Bates’ work has been released on the Orion, Performance and Naxos labels.
 
The public is welcome to attend the following events leading up to "Gershwin on Broadway":

• Conversations on the Classics. Monday, Sept. 26 at 7:30 p.m., Rosch Recital Hall. From church hymns to pop songs to commercial jingles, classical music remains an important part of our daily lives — often in ways we never even recognize. Mr. Bates will help his lecture audience identify the ways in which classical music continues to infiltrate our ears and offer background information on some of the composers and compositions that remain at the forefront of the public consciousness today. Will include brief performances by Mr. Bates. Admission is free.
   
  
• High School Student Master Class. Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 4 p.m., Rosch Recital Hall. Mr. Bates loves working with children of all ages, and he will offer technical advice to young Western New York pianists. Admission is free.
   
  
• All About Gershwin. Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m., Rosch Recital Hall. Everyone knows at least a little about George Gershwin’s music — but what was the story behind George Gershwin, the man? Mr. Bates will discuss the life of George Gershwin both inside and outside the concert hall, as well as his enduring legacy in American music. Will include brief performances by Mr. Bates. Admission is free.
   
  
• College Student Master Class. Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2 p.m., Rosch Recital Hall. Mr. Bates will offer technical advice to SUNY Fredonia piano students.
   
  
• Jazz Ensemble Clinic. Wednesday, Sept. 28, 5 p.m., Rosch Recital Hall. Mr. Bates spent his high school days jamming with a jazz combo, so he knows firsthand about the mix of emotion and precision that goes into this offshoot of classical music. Admission is free.
   
  
• Brown vs. the Board of Education. Thursday, Sept. 29 at 7:30 p.m., Rosch Recital Hall. Mr. Bates will recount the history of segregation in American music, and share what he learned from an older generation of black musicians who opened the door for today’s African-American performers. Admission is free.
   
  

Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour is a program developed and funded by the Vira I. Heinz Endowment, the William Penn Foundation, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (a state agency) and the Pew Charitable Trusts. Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation administers Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour.
 
The Williams Visiting Professor Fund of the Fredonia College Foundation was established by the Williams family to provide support for educational programs at SUNY Fredonia that feature prominent national and international guests. Recent Williams Visiting Professors have included Polish statesman Lech Walesa, poet Maya Angelou and historian/author David Halberstam.
 
Other residency supporters will include the SUNY Fredonia Department of Health and Wellness, The Friends of Rockefeller Arts Center, The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Chautauqua County Music Teachers’ Association, Music Forum for Piano Teachers of Western New York and the Jamestown Area Piano Teachers’ Guild.
 
For additional information on the Leon Bates-SUNY Fredonia residency, please visit www.fredonia.edu/LeonBates. To learn more about upcoming events at Rockefeller Arts Center, please visit www.fredonia.edu/rac