FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 3, 2008

Poplar Forest Presents an Afternoon Concert April 13th

To Celebrate Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday

Forest, VA – Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest is pleased to present The Léya String Quartet for a Sunday afternoon chamber music concert on April 13, 2008 at 2:30 p.m. The concert is part of the celebration of Thomas Jefferson’s 265^th birthday.

“Music…is the favorite passion of my soul,” wrote Thomas Jefferson in 1778 in a letter to his Italian music instructor, John Fabroni. Thomas Jefferson was not only a lifelong lover of music, but he was also an accomplished amateur violinist. Throughout his life, Jefferson stressed the value of music, owning violins and various keyboard instruments and encouraging his daughters and grandchildren to be diligent in their practice. As he wrote in 1818 to his friend, Nathaniel Burwell, “music…furnishes a delightful recreation for the hours of respite from the cares of the day, and lasts us through life.”

Formed in Montréal in September of 2005, the Léya Quartet brings together young musicians from various cultural backgrounds – Canada, Russia, Poland, and the United States.  The group currently studies with well-known Austrian violist Jutta Puchhammer-Sédillot at the Université de Montréal. Members are Brendan Conway, Nikita Morozov, Patrick LeStrange, and Amaryllis Jarczyk. The Leya String Quartet will perform pieces by Franz Joseph Haydn, Beethoven, and Claude Debussy. 

The quartet was invited in April of 2007 to perform at the Warehouse Theater in Lynchburg by Forte Chamber Music and the Academy of Fine Arts and is returning to Lynchburg to celebrate Thomas Jefferson’s 265^th birthday at Poplar Forest.  

Tickets for the concert at Poplar Forest are available by calling (434) 534-8120. Advance ticket purchase is recommended. Tickets purchased in advance are $15.00 for adults and $10.00 for youth. Admission includes a wine and cheese reception at intermission. 

The concert will be given in memory of Allen E. Womack, a former member of Poplar Forest’s Board of Directors and lifelong supporter of history and the arts.  

Poplar Forest will celebrate Jefferson’s birthday throughout the day on Sunday, April 13^th. Other activities include a talk and ceremonial planting by The American Chestnut Foundation at 12:30 p.m. Birthday cake will be served!  

About Poplar Forest
Poplar Forestis Thomas Jefferson's secluded plantation and retreat home, now a National Historic Landmark. Undergoing award-winning restoration and archaeology, Poplar Forest offers tours and special events. Call (434) 525-1806 or visit www.poplarforest.org for additional information.

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