A Reason To Celebrate

Did you know that September is both Classical Music Month and National Piano Month? Now you have two powerful reasons to celebrate! Both month-long holidays were proclaimed in the early 1990s. National Piano Month was first named in 1991 by the National Piano Foundation. It’s an opportunity to honor pianists, piano makers, and piano music enthusiasts everywhere. In 1994, President Bill Clinton declared every September as Classical Music Month. It is an eloquently written proclamation and worth reading in its entirety.

Proclamation 6716—Classical Music Month, 1994

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

In the symphony halls of our great cities across America, in the community centers of our small towns, on radio and in recordings, a note is played that began centuries ago and resounds to this day. At the heart of classical music is continuity and tradition. What was heard in a Vienna opera house was heard again in a colonial theater in Charleston, South Carolina, was echoed at the inauguration of President Lincoln, was repeated in turn-of-the-century Chicago, and is played again today by a range of musicians from the most skilled of virtuosos to the youngest student struggling with the complexities of the violin.

Classical music is a celebration of artistic excellence. Great art endures through the ages, and in the United States we have embraced that great music and incorporated it into the American experience. Our best art reflects our Nation’s spirit—that mixture of discipline and improvisation, the combination of strong individual voices working together at the same time, the bravado, the inventiveness, the dynamism of the American character. Classical music plays in harmony with that energy and spirit to become reinvigorated and reinvented with each new orchestra or chamber group, with every performance that rings out new and fresh.

This month we exalt the many talented composers, conductors, and musicians who bring classical music to our ears. These artists carry on a great tradition of musical achievement, and we are proud of their outstanding accomplishments. Whether in new American works or in the masterpieces of the great composers of old, music is a unifying force in our world, bringing people together across vast cultural and geographical divisions. Classical music speaks both to the mind and to the heart, giving us something to think about as well as to experience.

The Congress, by House Joint Resolution 239, has designated September 1994 as “Classical Music Month,” and has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this month.

To mark both National Classical Music Month and National Piano Month, we’re offering you the opportunity to enjoy opening weekend’s Beethoven & Boléro concert at 50% off. When you order tickets online for Sept. 22, 23, or 24, just use promo code “Celebrate,” and the 50% discount will be applied to your order.

Watch the Pacific Overtures blog and our social media channels all month for ideas on ways to make the most of these two month-long celebrations!