Claude Debussy: Refracting His Music through Art

Date: March 23, 2023 - September 4, 2023
Release Date: March 17, 2023

The Norton Simon Museum Presents the Musical Audio Tour
Claude Debussy: Refracting His Music through Art
A Collaboration with the Los Angeles Opera

Pasadena, CA— The Norton Simon Museum is pleased to collaborate with the Los Angeles Opera on Claude Debussy: Refracting His Music through Art, a musical audio tour that explores the legacy of French composer Claude Debussy (1862–1918) and his relationship to the visual artists of his time. Maestro James Conlon, the Opera’s Richard Seaver Music Director, narrates the tour that pairs nine paintings on view in the Museum’s 19th-century galleries with selections from Debussy’s oeuvre. Artists featured include Edgar Degas, Claude Monet and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, among others.

Claude Debussy: Refracting His Music through Art is organized in conjunction with the Los Angeles Opera’s production of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande (March 25–April 16). The free, self-guided audio tour is available for streaming in the Museum’s galleries using your smartphone and headphones. A web-based version can be found online at nortonsimon.org. The tour debuts on Thursday, March 23 and is available through summer.

About the Norton Simon Museum

The Norton Simon Museum is known around the world as one of the most remarkable private art collections ever assembled. Over a 30-year period, industrialist Norton Simon (1907–1993) amassed an astonishing collection of European art from the Renaissance to the 20th century, and a stellar collection of South and Southeast Asian art spanning 2,000 years. Modern and Contemporary Art from Europe and the United States, acquired by the former Pasadena Art Museum, also occupies an important place in the Museum’s collections. The Museum houses more than 12,000 objects, roughly 1,000 of which are on view in the galleries and gardens.

Location: The Norton Simon Museum is located at 411 W. Colorado Blvd. at Orange Grove Boulevard in Pasadena, Calif., at the intersection of the Foothill (210) and Ventura (134) freeways. For general Museum information, please call (626) 449-6840 or visit nortonsimon.org. Hours: The Museum is open Thursday through Monday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. (Friday and Saturday to 7 p.m.). It is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Admission: General admission is $20 for adults and $15 for seniors. Members, students with I.D., and patrons age 18 and under are admitted free of charge. The first Friday of the month from 4 to 7 p.m. is free to all. The Museum is wheelchair accessible. Parking: Parking is free but limited, and no reservations are necessary. Public Transportation: Pasadena Transit stops directly in front of the Museum. Please visit http://pasadenatransit.net for schedules. The MTA bus line #180/181 stops in front of the Museum. The Memorial Park Station on the MTA Gold Line, the closest Metro Rail station to the Museum, is located at 125 E. Holly St. at Arroyo Parkway. Please visit www.metro.net for schedules. Planning your Visit: For up-to-date information on our guidelines and protocols, please visit nortonsimon.org/visit.

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