THE MENDELSSOHN CENTER

In the spirit of the enlightenment that gave birth to the Mendelssohn Salon in Berlin of the 19th-century, The Mendelssohn Project is planning the creation of The Mendelssohn Center in New York City. It will present world premieres of the hundreds of newly discovered works by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel. The Center will host visiting soloists and ensembles as they perform groundbreaking new compositions and classics of the past, and will foster young artists of all disciplines, from music to poetry, and from painting to drama. Among its other events, the Center will recreate the traditional Mendelssohn family Sunday afternoon salon chamber concerts, house exhibitions of the unknown paintings and drawings by Felix Mendelssohn, will initiate seminars, lectures and presentations dedicated to the study of Felix and Fanny's grandfather, the renowned philosopher Moses Mendelssohn, and will continue the first-time recordings of the complete works of both Felix Mendelssohn and Fanny Mendelssohn.  

The Mendelssohn Center will:

  • record on CD and present live concerts of the music of Felix Mendelssohn, and give world premieres of his 317 unpublished works.
  • record on CD and present live concerts of the music of Fanny Mendelssohn, and give world premieres of her more than 200 unpublished works.
  • present live concerts of music of all generations from the Renaissance through the    20th - century.
  • pay special attention to presenting live concerts of music being written in the 21st - century.
  • initiate programs and scholarships to support and present the most exciting young composers, instrumentalists, singers and painters of our time.
  • present further performances of The Mendelssohn Project's concert/theatre production chronicling the life of Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn.
  • arrange for other New York City ensembles and artists to take up permanent residence in the Center.
  • host visiting symphony orchestras, chamber orchestras, opera houses, chamber ensembles, theatre groups, choruses, and soloists.
  • recreate the traditional Mendelssohn family Sunday afternoon salon chamber concerts (replete with High Tea).
  • house exhibitions of the unknown paintings and drawings by Felix Mendelssohn.
  • display samples of the family's thousands of lost documents and letters.
  • work with area universities and schools to host lectures and seminars dedicated to the entire Mendelssohn family and their contribution to music, literature, philosophy and the arts.
  • accommodate seminars, lectures and presentations dedicated to Moses Mendelssohn.
  • establish a number of young people's and family concerts and arts events in coordination with the local area schools, churches, and synagogues.
  • work with the local communities and schools to create arts outreach programs for less fortunate children and families.
  • serve as a practice hall for area universities and schools.
  • house the main offices of The Mendelssohn Project.
< back