Date/Time: December 17, 2018, at 6 pm

Venue: Kennedy Center Millennium Stage
2700 F Street, NW
Washington, DC 20566

Admission is free. Tickets are not required.

This performance is featured as part of the Kennedy Center's free daily performance series on its Millennium Stage in the Grand Foyer: http://www.kennedy-center.org/video/upcoming

We regret that as the theater reaches capacity, seats cannot be saved for patrons who have not arrived or are not next in line.

No free parking is provided for this event.

DIRECTIONS: http://www.kennedy-center.org/pages/visitor/directions

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Saxophonist and composer Karel Ruzicka has developed a creative voice that arose from the many pivotal experiences of his life as a jazz artist. In the early nineties, he developed a successful career as a jazz saxophonist and composer in Prague, Czech Republic. He quickly became an in-demand sideman and studio musician. He relocated to NYC in the spring of 1997. Later that year, his debut album "You Know What I Mean" was nominated for a Czech Grammy. His second album “Spring Rolls Quartet” (1999) was awarded the Czech Jazz Recording of the Decade. In 2004, Ruzicka released his third album “Brooklyn Moods” with Bruce Barth (piano), George Mraz (bass), and Brandon Lewis (drums), which was also nominated for a Czech Grammy. In 2010, he teamed up with Ondrej Pivec (organ) and Russell Carter (drums) to form the CPR Electrio. Their debut album (2013) revealed a deeply creative exploration of groove-based modern jazz and was also nominated for the Jazz Album of the Year. In October 2018, Ruzicka released his new quartet recording "Grace and Gratitude" with Jon Cowherd (piano), John Patitucci (bass) and Nate Smith (drums).

New York based pianist/composer George Dulin grew up in Kansas City, Kansas. He began playing professionally after high school in small ensembles and was the piano player in two major Kansas City big bands: The New Vintage Big Band and The Boulevard Big Band. He later received a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston. Solo, duo, trio, chamber group, and big band performances followed throughout the U.S. After graduating from Berklee, George moved to New York and received his Master’s Degree from New York University, while teaching there as an adjunct professor. He also earned recognition by placing in major piano competitions such as the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition and a composition prize for his piano concerto, “Scene from a Living Dream.” In 2007, he was a winner of a ASCAP Young Jazz Composers Award. In March 2008, his debut album, “Ride of Your Life” was released on Cadence Jazz Records, receiving rave reviews. Dulin’s music is heavily influenced by free jazz, classical, rock and film music. He has written compositions for countless instrumentations; from trio to big band, and from concertos to full orchestral works. His music has been heard as far away as Spain, Switzerland, Italy and Japan, and as close as Miami, Boston, New Orleans, Kansas City and Washington D.C.