ARTlantic Days promote German-American relations

Petra Lessoing
Kaiserslautern American


***image1***For the fourth time, the Atlantic Academy Rheinland-Pfalz, in cooperation with the county of Kaiserslautern and other sponsors, presents its cultural festival “ARTlantic Days” today through Nov. 21.

“We offer a small but fine festival,” said Dr. Werner Kremp, director of the Atlantic Academy. “By presenting American music and American arts, we want to intensify relationships between our two nations,” he added. One of the main goals of the Atlantic Academy is to promote the mutual understanding and knowledge of Americans and Germans about politics, economics, society and culture.

Jens Barnieck, pianist and missionary of American music, is the festival’s artistic director. “This year’s emphasis is on the American composer Charles Ives,” said Mr. Barnieck. “It’s to observe his 130th birthday and 50th day of his death.”

-With regard to the German-American Day Saturday, the Atlantic Academy opens the “ARTlantic Days” with a concert at 8 p.m. today at the Fruchthalle in Kaiserslautern. Two Americans, tenor John Hurst and pianist Peter Nelson, will lead the evening with works by Aaron Copland, Charles T. Griffes, Samuel Barber and Charles Ives. Tickets cost 12 EUR and are available at the Tourist Office in Kaiserslautern’s city hall, Pfalztheater and at the door.

-The German-American friendship concert by the U.S. Air Forces in Europe Concert Band is included in “ARTlantic Days” and takes place at 8 p.m. Saturday.

-The cultural event continues with the Bozzini Quartet Montreal presenting a chamber concert at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The quartet performs the “Second String Quartet” by Ives and the “Fifth String Quartet” by Gloria Coates. Tickets cost 10 EUR.

-A display with photos by Christine Welch, an associate professor at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design in Lancaster opens Oct. 24 at the Museum im Westrich in Ramstein-Miesenbach. “Commonplace” shows photos of a variety of rooms without people through Nov. 21.

-An open-end election party with discussions, lectures and live music by the Frankfurt Jazz Trio starts at 2 p.m. Nov. 2 at the Pfalzakademie in Lambrecht. Cost is 20 EUR. With overnight and brunch the following day, the cost is 40 EUR for a single room and 30 EUR per person in a double room.

-A free church concert with soprano Antonietta Jana and organist Herwig Maurer takes place at 8:30 p.m. Nov. 12 at the Protestant Church in Lambrecht.

-“Galileo” is a performance to make mathematics sound by the American composer Tom Johnson at 7 p.m. Nov. 18 at Wollmagazin, Schoenstrasse 9 in Kaiserslautern. Tickets cost 10 EUR and include a glass of champagne.

-Mr. Barnieck, who besides being the festival’s artistic director also is a renowned pianist, closes out “ARTlantic Days” with a piano concert at 8 p.m. Nov. 19 at Theodor-Zink-Museum on Steinstrasse in Kaiserslautern. He presents piano sonata by Christopher Trapani and the first piano sonata by Ives. Tickets cost 7 EUR.

For more information on each event and advance tickets, call the Atlantic Academy at 0631-366100 or visit http://www.atlantische-akademie.de.