Pitt Commemorates Stephen Foster Day Jan. 12 and 13

PITTSBURGH-The University of Pittsburgh will celebrate the life and accomplishments of Pittsburgh native Stephen Foster, the country's first professional songwriter, on Monday, Jan. 12, and Tuesday, Jan. 13, in two events that are free and open to the public. Jan. 13 marks the 145th anniversary of Foster's death.

The events will feature the following:

Jan. 12

2 p.m.

Pittsburgh CAPA High School

111 Ninth St., Downtown

o Multimedia presentation on Stephen Foster by Deane Root, professor of music

and director and Fletcher Hodges Jr. Curator of the Center for American Music; and

o Concert of Foster songs by CAPA choral and orchestral students.

Jan. 13

10 a.m.

Temple of Memories Mausoleum

Allegheny Cemetery

4715 Penn Ave., Lawrenceville

o Remarks by Tom Staresinic, superintendent of Allegheny Cemetery;

o Medley of Foster songs performed by the St. John Neumann School Choir;

o Remarks by Jacqueline Longmore, Lawrenceville Historical Society;

o Remarks by Kathryn Miller Haines, associate director, Pitt's Center for

American Music; and

o Placing of wreaths at the Foster gravesite

Foster was born in Lawrenceville on July 4, 1826, and became a world-renowned songwriter, portraying life in mid-19th century America through such legendary compositions as "Old Folks at Home," "Oh! Susanna," "Camptown Races," and "Beautiful Dreamer." He died at age 37.

Foster's music is still widely used in television and films. The CD "Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster" (American Roots Publishing, 2004) won the 2005 Grammy Award in the category Best Traditional Folk Album. It features 17 renditions of Foster songs by various artists. Pitt's Center for American Music provided the producers with copies of Foster's original sheet music as well as many images and documents that helped form the basis for the album notes.

"People all over the world see Foster as epitomizing American music," says Root. "He launched what we think of today as popular music, and his influence is still being felt."

Pitt is home to the Foster museum, located inside the Stephen Foster Memorial. It contains a wide assortment of the composer's papers, including manuscripts, photographs, first editions of sheet music, rare books, letters, and such personal possessions as his flute, sketchbook, and the change purse he was carrying when he died.

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