City of Columbus Black History Month Celebration to honor the 200th Anniversary of the founding of the city

Columbus…Ohio’s great capital city was founded in 1812. And on February 11, 2012, at the King Arts Complex, the City of Columbus will officially salute and honor the 200th Anniversary of the founding of the city during the annual Black History Month Celebration.

Three, separate concerts will comprise this year’s program. Columbus native Hamilton Hardin will present an original musical score for piano and string quartet, honoring the City. Hardin is a multi-instrumentalist producer/composer. His work with national jazz and gospel artists and big bands has taken him across the U.S., and to England, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France. Hardin earned his degree in Jazz Studies and Saxophone performance from The Ohio State University and serves as an adjunct instructor at the Fort Hayes Career Center.

Six performers from the Cleveland-based group, Global Entertainment will perform their tribute to Columbus in the musical tradition of Afritean - a mix of African and European music featuring the African drum and European violin.

Finally, Columbus native and Julliard graduate, Aaron Diehl will make a return to the City celebration. The American Pianists Association 2011 Cole Porter Fellow in Jazz, will perform the sacred music and jazz of Duke Ellington and Cole Porter songs.  Hailed by the Chicago Tribune as "The most promising discovery that [Wynton] Marsalis has made since Eric Reed," Diehl has also toured internationally in Europe, South America and Asia. He has performed with the Wynton Marsalis Septet, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, The Boston Symphony Orchestra, Benny Golson and Loren Schoenberg, to name a few, and was featured on NPR’s "Piano Jazz." Diehl has released three projects, Live at the Players, 2011, Live at Caramoor, 2009 and Mozart Jazz, 2006. Winner of  the Lincoln Center's prestigious Martin E. Segal award in 2004, Diehl lives in Manhattan and serves as music director of St. Joseph of the Holy Family Church in Harlem.

The City of Columbus Black History Month Celebration will be held from 2 – 4 PM at the King Arts Complex, 867 Mt. Vernon Ave, Columbus, OH 43203. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served immediately following the event.

Contact: Melvin Richardson, City of Columbus, Black History Month Program Coordinator                 
Phone: 614-645-8871
E-mail: MVRichardson@columbus.gov

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