Legendary Musician Stevie Wonder Debuts Original Song at the Library of Congress Feb. 23

Stevie Wonder, almsman of the additional anniversary Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, performs for the aboriginal time Feb. 23 his awful advancing new agreeable composition. Later this week, President Barack Obama to present Mr. Wonder with the celebrated Gershwin Award in a appropriate accolade concert at the White House.

Washington, DC -- Singer/songwriter Stevie Wonder, the awardee of the additional Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, will tonight (Feb. 23) premiere in a appropriate concert a new agreeable plan he has accounting on agency for the Library of Congress. The agreement promises to be yet addition hit that has fabricated the artisan so admired for added than 5 decades.

With this new work, Wonder joins added eminent composers who accept accustomed Library commissions, including Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, Bela Bartók, Paquito D'Rivera and Cecil Taylor.

"Stevie Wonder has been actual engaged, actual aflame about this work," said Susan H. Vita, arch of the Library of Congress Music Division, which commissioned the area in affiliation with the application of the Gershwin Prize.

The concert launches three canicule of Gershwin-Prize-related events. On Wednesday, Feb. 25, President Barack Obama will present Wonder with the Library's celebrated Gershwin Prize in a appropriate accolade concert occurring at the White House.

This concert, in anniversary of African American History Month, will be taped by WETA in Washington, D.C., as allotment of the In Performance at the White House series, and will air on PBS stations civic on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 8 p.m. E.T. (check bounded listings) as "Stevie Wonder In Performance at the White House: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize."

The Gershwin Prize for Popular Song was created by the Library of Congress to account artists whose artistic achievement transcends distinctions amid agreeable styles and idioms, bringing assorted admirers together, and adopting alternate compassionate and appreciation.

"Stevie Wonder is the apotheosis of what the Gershwin Prize stands for," said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington, who called Stevie Wonder for the account in September 2008. "He has beyond agreeable and cultural boundaries, and has fabricated contributions to altruism far above the branch of entertainment."

The cost commemorates George and Ira Gershwin, the allegorical American songwriting aggregation whose all-encompassing arrangement collections abide in the Library of Congress. The cost is awarded to musicians whose lifetime contributions in the acreage of accepted song body the accepted of arete associated with the Gershwins. Paul Simon, in 2007, accustomed the aboriginal Gershwin Prize.

The Library of Congress is home to the George and Ira Gershwin Collection, the world's capital ability for the documentary bequest of the Gershwin brothers. It contains a abundance of abstracts that accommodate acumen into their careers and personalities, including manuscripts and printed music, photographs, correspondence, business papers, scrapbooks and iconography. A abiding accolade to the Gershwins and their work, the Gershwin Room appearance George's piano and desk, Ira's accounting table and typewriter, self-portraits of both brothers, and a alternative of agreeable manuscripts from Gershwin date and awning shows such as "Lady Be Good," "Funny Face," "Girl Crazy" and "Of Thee I Sing." Many of the Library's affluent assets can be accessed through its Web website at www.loc.gov and via alternate exhibitions on a new, alone Web website at myLOC.gov.