George Washington Quartet
Ensemble

The historic George Washington Quartet instruments were a gift to the Glendale Symphony Orchestra Association.  Made by Italian born violinmaker, Michael Gozzo, in the 1930s, these instruments took more than 10 years to complete.  Each of them was carefully cut, seasoned, molded, and proudly sculpted with a Patriotic American theme.  The details of the sculptures on each instrument are extremely exquisite, including a carved head of George Washington in place of the usual scroll and the icons of the spread eagle, Statue of Liberty, Capital Building, and heads of Presidents at the back. 

Mr. Gozzo dedicated his "children" to the Glendale Symphony Orchestra before his death in 1968 because he believed that these instruments would be well-preserved and available for use by young mature artists.  His expectation is exactly the same as the mission of the Glendale Symphony, which is to enrich our community by greatest musical performances and to educate the young generation by our rich tradition of American Folk and classical music.

In 2006, the Glendale Symphony Orchestra will present a series of performances with the George Washington Quartet Ensemble.  Performing in our schools and community centers, the ensemble will continue to tour as many facilities as possible, as made possible by grants and corporate sponsors.  We would like to invite  communities in and around the LA County area to watch their newspapers for concert announcements and experience the values of both American music and art.

For more information about scheduling or sponsoring one of these unique performances, contact the office at 818-500-8720.

These beautiful instruments will be be on display throughout the year as part of Forest Lawn's new Centennial Exhibit: Celebrating Life through Art, Music & Literature.  Visit them at Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills-Hall of Liberty, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90068.  The Glendale Symphony Orchestra has a long history with Forest Lawn beginning with an Easter sunrise concert on Mt. Forest Lawn in 1924.