Clarinetist Anthony McGill performs as featured artist at 2009 Presidential InaugurationSee the Video Here!Anthony McGill, principal clarinetist of the Metropolitan Opera Company, performed a new work by film composer John Williams for the Inauguration of President Barack Obama on January 20th, 2009 at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. The work is entitled Air and Simple Gifts and uses the same folk song, The Gift to Be Simple, that Aaron Copland used in his ballet Appalachian Spring. 
DOWNLOAD AIR AND SIMPLE GIFTS, BY JOHN WILLIAMS HERE FROM ITUNES.
When did Anthony McGill, Ma, Montero and Perlman perform the new work? The swearing-in ceremony occurred at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on January 20th, 2009. Moments after Joe Biden was sworn in as Vice President of the United States on the West Front of the Capitol, Anthony McGill performed with the now famous quartet. The four and a half minute work occurred just before Barack Obama took his oath as president at 12 noon.
"Wow, this is absolutely unbelievable. When I was watching the election on TV, going to the inauguration was the furthest thing from my mind," Anthony McGill says. On the day of the ceremony, it was REALLY COLD. Several Washington Post, New York Times articles etc... seem to "pound" these four musicians for pre-recording the music and "lip-syncing" it for the Inauguration. Now, let me ask you somthing, have you ever played clarinet in a poorly heated room? Well, you probably understand that the cold tempuratures make you sound very flat. This is the reason these musicians had to pre-record the music. I'm surprised Mr. McGill had his good wooden horn out in the cold weather. If they had performed the John Williams' work live, the intonation would have sounded horrible. Not even these world class musicians can overcome such temperatures. And, realize this, the pre-recorded music was Ma, Perlman, Montero and Anthony McGill. I have a good deal of experience attempting to play wind instruments at low temperatures. Eventually, the instruments freeze and stop working. This is not exactly something you can risk in front of a two million person live audience and even larger TV/radio broadcasting audience. I'm proud of McGill, the members of the quartet, and Mr. Williams' new work. It is a great addition to the clarinet repertoire. The Inaugural "Swearing-in" Ceremony ProgramThis is how the ceremony occurred. This program was announced by The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies for the 56th Presidential Inauguration, which took place on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. The program participants were based on requests from the President-elect and the Vice President-elect. The order of the program was as follows: Musical Selections The United States Marine Band Musical Selections The San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus Call to Order and Welcoming Remarks The Honorable Dianne Feinstein Invocation Dr. Rick Warren, Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, CA Musical Selection Aretha Franklin Oath of Office Administered to Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr. By Associate Justice of the Supreme Court The Honorable John Paul Stevens Air and Simple Gifts, John Williams, composer/arranger Yo-Yo Ma, Cello Anthony McGill, Clarinet Gabriela Montero, Piano Itzhak Perlman, Violin
Oath of Office Administered to President-elect Barack H. Obama By the Chief Justice of the United States The Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr. Inaugural Address The President of the United States, The Honorable Barack H. Obama Poem Elizabeth Alexander Benediction The Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery The National Anthem The United States Navy Band "Sea Chanters"
Biographies of those performing Air and Simple Gifts: Anthony McGill, winner of an Avery Fisher Career Grant, currently serves as principal clarinet of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Prior to this position he was associate principal clarinet of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, following studies at the Curtis Institute with Donald Montanaro and at the Interlochen Arts Academy with Richard Hawkins. An experienced chamber musician, he has participated at the Marlboro Music Festival, Sarasota Festival, Tanglewood, La Musica International Chamber Music Festival, and Music@Menlo. Since his solo debut in 1991, McGill has appeared with the Baltimore and New Jersey Symphonies, and with the Tokyo, Guarneri, and Avalon Quartets, and Opus One. He has been heard on Ravinia's Rising Star Series, toured with Musicians from Marlboro, performed at Carnegie Hall, and appeared at Lincoln Center as a member of its Chamber Music Society Two. Anthony McGill has also toured Japan with pianist Mitsuko Uchida and members of the Brentano Quartet, and has appeared in concert previously with cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Yo-Yo Ma is a world renowned cellist, educator, and ambassador for the arts. His recordings are among the most successful recordings in the classical field, and reflect his wide-ranging interest in many musical genres and traditions. He began studying the cello at age four. He studied at the Juilliard School, and is a graduate of Harvard University. His awards include the Avery Fisher Prize, the Glenn Gould Prize, and the National Medal of the Arts. Appointed a CultureConnect Ambassador by the United States Department of State in 2002, Yo-Yo Ma has met with, trained, and mentored thousands of students worldwide. In 2006, Secretary General Kofi Annan named him a U.N. Messenger of Peace, and in 2007 Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon extended his appointment. Gabriela Montero is a pianist known both for her impeccable classical playing and her improvisational gift. Montero gave her first public performance at the age of five. At age eight she made her concert debut with the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra, and was granted a scholarship to study in the United States. At twelve she won the Baldwin National Competition and AMSA Young Artist International Piano Competition. She won the Bronze Medal at the 13th International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1995, and since then has played at recital halls and festivals around the world. Her recordings include both performances of well known classical compositions, as well as improvisations on themes by Bach and other classical composers. Itzhak Perlman is one of the greatest violinists of our time. Following his training at the Academy of Music in Tel Aviv and the Julliard School, Perlman won the prestigious Leventritt Competition in 1964. Since then, Perlman has performed with every major orchestra throughout the world. He has also conducted orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, the London Philharmonic, the Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, and the New York Philharmonic. He has won 15 Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, and numerous other awards including the Kennedy Center Honors, the National Medal of Arts, and the Medal of Liberty, presented by President Reagan in 1986 to honor the nation's most distinguished naturalized citizens during the centennial celebration of the Statue of Liberty. Perlman is also an educator, teaching at the Perlman Music Program and the Juilliard School, where he holds the Dorothy Richard Starling Foundation Chair. John Williams is one of the most successful and best-known composers of our time. He studied at UCLA, Los Angeles City College, and the Juilliard School. Williams has composed the music and served as a music director for more than one hundred films, has received forty-five Academy Award nominations, and won five. He also has been awarded seven British Academy Awards (BAFTA), twenty Grammys, four Golden Globes, four Emmys, numerous gold and platinum records, and the Kennedy Center Honors. Williams has written many concert pieces, and special compositions for events including the Special Olympics, and the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. From1980-1993, Williams conducted the Boston Pops Orchestra, and assumed the title of Boston Pops Laureate Conductor after retiring in December 1993. Williams also holds the title of Artist-in-Residence at Tanglewood.
Also on the program was the United States Marine Band. The United States Marine Band, founded in 1798 by an Act of Congress, is America's oldest professional musical organization. Also called "The President's Own," the Marine Band is celebrated for its role at the White House and its dynamic public performances. The Marine Band performs a varied repertoire including new works for wind ensemble, traditional concert band literature, challenging orchestral transcriptions, and the patriotic marches that made it famous. The band frequently features its members in solo performances that highlight their virtuosity and artistry. More Armed Forces clarinetists were gainfully employed this day marching the Inaugural Parade. Several high school and college marching bands also marched the parade. Order of precedence for the parade was Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.
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