Violin Virtuoso Leads 19-Member String Orchestra at the Cleveland Museum of Art's VIVA! & Gala Series

CLEVELAND (Jan. 20, 2011) – The Cleveland Museum of Art's VIVA! & Gala Performing Arts Series presents Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and New Century Chamber Orchestra on Wednesday, February 2, 2011, 7:30 p.m. in the museum's Gartner Auditorium.

One of the leading violinists of our time, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg is known for exhilarating performances that convey penetrating charisma and depth. In her third season as musical director for the 19-member New Century Chamber Orchestra, Nadja will lead the group in performing passionate interpretations of selected works by elite composers Wolf, Bartók, Piazzolla and Tchaikovsky. New Century Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1992 by cellist, Miriam Perkoff, and violist, Wieslaw Pogorzelski. The goal of the founders was to present classical music in an innovative and dynamic way.

Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg studied at the Curtis Institute of Music and with Dorothy DeLay at the Juilliard School of Music. In 1981, she became the youngest prizewinner in the Walter W. Naumberg International Violin Competition. In 1983, Nadja was honored with an Avery Fisher Career Grant and in 1999 she received the Avery Fisher Prize for "outstanding achievement and excellence in music."

In addition to her musical expertise, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg started the record label, NSS Music in 2005. In 2009, NSS Music released "Together," Nadja's first recording collaboration with New Century. "Together" includes Piazzolla's Four Seasons of Buenos Aires and Bartók's Romanian Dances arranged for string orchestra. In fall 2010, Nadja and New Century release their second CD, "Live", a live recording of Strauss's Metamorphosen, Barber's Adagio for Strings, and Mahler's Adagietto from Symphony No. 5.

Nadja and her artistry have been the subject of numerous reports in the media, appearing on programs such as CBS' 60 Minutes and Sunday Morning; CNN's Newsstand; NBC's National News and The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson; A & E's Artist of the Week with Elliot Forrest; Bravo's Arts & Minds and The Art of Influence; PBS' Live from Lincoln Center, The Charlie Rose Show, and City Arts. She was the subject of the 2000 Academy Award-nominated film, Speaking In Strings, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. This intensely personal documentary was released in theaters nationwide and subsequently premiered on HBO's Signatures channel in 1999.

$30, $26; CMA members $29, $25. Group and student rates are available. Pending availability, students can purchase "Pay What You Can" tickets at the door for any VIVA! & Gala performance. Tickets are available through the museum's online box office at www.ClevelandArt.org or by phone at
216-421-7350 or 888-CMA-0033.

VIVA! & Gala 2010-11 Season
VIVA & Gala has built a reputation among regional audiences for bringing one-of-a-kind artists to Cleveland, and the 2010–11 season is no exception, with 21 performances from 10 different countries.

Programs are made possible in part by The Ernest L. and Louise M. Gartner Fund, The P.J. McMyler Musical Endowment Fund and The Anton and Rose Zverina Music Fund. Additional support provided by the Musart Society. Support for the "Faces of Latina Performers" miniseries is provided by Kathryn Karipides and David Brown in memory of their beloved friend May Chicris. The "Pay What You Can" student ticket program is made possible in part by the Milton and Tamar Maltz Family Foundation. The Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba performance is made possible by Erica Hartman-Horvitz and Joan Horvitz. The official media sponsor is WVIZ/PBS and 90.3 WCPN ideastream.

Subscriptions for the series are on sale now. Subscribers can save up to 25 percent off single ticket prices or may choose to create their own, custom packages by selecting four or more concerts at a savings of 5 percent. Details can be found at www.ClevelandArt.org.

Single tickets for individual performances are available by calling the Cleveland Museum of Art box office or online at www.ClevelandArt.org.

About the Cleveland Museum of Art
The Cleveland Museum of Art is renowned for the quality and breadth of its collection, which includes more than 40,000 objects and spans 6,000 years of achievement in the arts. Currently undergoing a multi-phase renovation and expansion project, it is a significant international forum for exhibitions, scholarship, performing arts and art education. Admission to the museum is free.

The Cleveland Museum of Art has a membership of more than 21,500 households and is supported by a broad range of individuals, foundations and businesses in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. The museum is generously funded by Cuyahoga County residents through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture. Additional support comes from the Ohio Arts Council, which helps fund the museum with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. For more information about the museum, its holdings, programs and events, call 888-CMA-0033 or visit www.ClevelandArt.org.

Editors' note: Video/audio samples of VIVA! & Gala performances are available on the Cleveland Museum of Art's website Jukebox at http://www.clevelandart.org/events/music%20and%20performances.aspx.