Library of Congress Announces Spring 2024 Concert Series
Season Includes World Premieres of 5 New Works Honor a Century of Library Commissions, Les Violons du Roy with Miloš, and “Rhapsody in Blue” at 100
Spring 2024 will see the inauguration of a landmark celebration for the 100th anniversary of the Concerts at the Library of Congress series, presenting a packed roster of 27 vibrant, exciting chamber music, jazz, dance and popular music events. Performances by the Goldmund String Quartet, the Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble and cellist Seth Parker Woods open the spring concert season beginning in January. On Feb. 12, centennial events will officially launch with a special project marking the centenary of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.”
The Library’s concert series was founded in 1925 by Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge after groundbreaking legislation enabled the Library to accept and administer private trust funds for cultural programming. Concerts and conversations, commissions, lectures, film screenings, and displays of treasures from the remarkable collections of the Library’s Music Division will reflect the history of the Library’s internationally recognized programs, acknowledging 100 years of leadership in performance, composition and broadcasting. Many special events will highlight major moments in the history of the series and bring to life manuscript treasures and works rediscovered in its archives.
“This season we are celebrating a major milestone in our history as a presenter of the performing arts,” said Susan H. Vita, Chief of the Library’s Music Division. “2024 will open a festive, richly diverse celebration of a century of extraordinary concerts at the Library. From spring 2024 through December 2025, special centennial projects will honor our distinguished legacy and look forward to an equally brilliant future.”
All events are presented free of charge to the public. Registration is required for each event. Events on Jan. 12, Jan. 26 and Feb. 1 will be available for registration on the Concerts from the Library of Congress website on Dec. 12 at 10 a.m. ET. All remaining events will be available for registration on Jan. 17 at 10 a.m. ET.
Honoring a tradition of strong support for contemporary music, which boasts a roster of commissions numbering over 650, five world premieres will be unveiled this spring, with more to follow in the 2024-2025 season. The Library will premiere new works commissioned from Vijay Iyer, Patrice Rushen, Marcos Balter, Marc-André Hamelin and Jeff Scott.
The centennial festivities kick off on Feb. 12 with a special performance of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” premiered on that date 100 years ago. Pianist Simone Dinnerstein and The United States Air Force Band pay tribute to an epoch-making moment in music history, performing the work in its original version for jazz orchestra,orchestrated by Ferde Grofé, in the presence of the manuscript score used during the first performance in 1924. Concertgoers will enjoy a display of manuscripts, sketches and artifacts from the George and Ira Gershwin Collection.
A splendid lineup of performers throughout the season includes violinist Christian Tetzlaff and pianist Kirill Gerstein, the Melnikov-Faust-Queyras Trio, violinist Regina Carter (a 2023 NEA Jazz Master), and early music legend Jordi Savall, appearing with members of Hespèrion XXI. The Kronos Quartet performs music celebrating a brilliant and influential 50-year career. Classical guitarist MILOŠ joins Les Violons du Roy for music by Baroque masters. Sō Percussion partners with composer and breath artist Shodekeh, and Cha Wa performs popular music from New Orleans in a special concert for the Juneteenth holiday.
The season’s jazz offerings are made possible through the generous support of the Revada Foundation of the Logan family. Concerts feature violinist Regina Carter and Xavier Davis, The Baylor Project, and composer and pianist Arturo O’Farrill Octet, who will introduce a screening of “Fandango at the Wall” before his concert on March 1. Two jazz documentaries will be screened in the Library’s Mary Pickford Theater. Part of PBS’s “American Masters” series, “Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes,” will be introduced by co-directors and co-producers Samuel D. Pollard and Ben Shapiro. Sam Stephenson, a Library of Congress Jazz Scholar, will introduce a screening of “The Jazz Loft According to W. Eugene Smith.”
Spring 2024 Programs
Friday, Jan. 12, 8 p.m.: Goldmund Quartet
Germany’s Goldmund Quartet performs music by Haydn, Borodin and Schumann on the remarkable matched set of Stradivari instruments once owned by the legendary violinist Niccolò Paganini. Join for a preconcert conversation with the artists at 6:30 p.m. in the Whittall Pavilion. Reserve tickets here.
Friday, Jan. 26, 7 p.m.: Anna Sokolow and the Reimagined Roots of Anti-Fascist Dance
Hear the remarkable story and experience the dances of Anna Sokolow reunited after 80 years with the music of Alex North in a special lecture-demonstration. Reserve tickets here.
Thursday, Feb. 1, 8 p.m.: Live! at the Library: Seth Parker Woods, Cello
Cellist Seth Parker Woods offers a special program for Black History Month; his riveting solo recital at the Library will bring together new compositions from Nathalie Joachim, Monty Adkins and others, an excerpt from Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson’s “Lamentations:Black/Folk Song Suite” and movements from cello suites by J.S. Bach. Join for a preconcert conversation with the artist at 6:30 p.m. in the Whittall Pavilion. Reserve tickets here.
Wednesday, Feb. 7, 7 p.m.: Screening of “Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes”
Enjoy an exclusive screening of “Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes,” part of the PBS “American Masters” series. The film paints an intimate portrait of the legendary drummer, composer, bandleader and social activist from the heady days of postwar modern jazz to his years as a bebop pioneer and a master experimentalist in hip-hop and the avant-garde. Presented through the generous support of the RevadaFoundation of the Logan family.
Monday, Feb. 12, 8 p.m.: “Rhapsody in Blue” at 100
Celebrate the 100th anniversary of “Rhapsody in Blue” with a performance of the original version of the piece by pianist Simone Dinnerstein and The U.S. Air Force Band. Treasures from the Library’s George and Ira Gershwin Collection will be on display. Join for a preconcert lecture by Gershwin scholar Ryan Bañagale at 6:30 p.m. in the Whittall Pavilion.
Friday, Feb. 16, 8 p.m.: Melnikov-Faust-Queyras Trio
A superstar trio of musicians — pianist Alexander Melnikov, violinist Isabelle Faust and cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras — performs music by Robert, Schumann, Brahms and Carter.
In a lecture co-presented with the American Musicological Society, Miranda Sousa engages with the Luiz Corrêa de Azevedo Collection in the Music Division of the Library of Congress, bringing to light the collection’s role in the establishment of interdisciplinary studies for Latin American music at the Library of Congress.
Thursday, Feb. 29, 8 p.m.: Live! at the Library: Le Consort
This brilliant foursome of young French musicians makes a whirlwind tour through Italy, England, Germany and France, performing works by Baroque masters alongside recently rediscovered gems from composers less well known today. Join for a preconcert conversation with the artists at 6:30 p.m. in the Whittall Pavilion.
Friday, March 1, 5 p.m.: Screening of “Fandango at the Wall”
In this documentary, Arturo O’Farrill and his Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra travel to Veracruz, Mexico, to jam with masters of “son jarocho,” a 300-year-old Mexican folk music with roots in African, Indigenous, and Spanish traditions. Presented through the generous support of the Revada Foundation of the Logan Family.
Friday, March 1, 8 p.m.: Arturo O’Farrill Octet
Multi-Grammy Award winner, pianist, composer, bandleader, and founder and artistic director of the Afro-Latin Jazz Alliance, Arturo O'Farrill performs with his octet in a captivating exploration that pushes the boundaries of jazz and Latin rhythms.
Wednesday, March 6, 7 p.m.: Screening of “The Jazz Loft According to W. Eugene Smith”
Library of Congress Jazz Scholar Sam Stephenson will introduce Fishko’s film about the remarkable archive of photographer W. Eugene Smith and his documentation of mid-century jazz life. A Q&A session will follow the screening. Presented through the generous support of the Revada Foundation of the Logan Family.
Friday, March 8, 8 p.m.: The Baylor Project
Step into a world of unparalleled soulful melodies and captivating rhythms. Six-time Grammy nominee, the Baylor Project, led by Jean Baylor and Marcus Baylor, effortlessly weaves blues, jazz, soul, and gospel influences, creating a rich and evocative musical tapestry. There will be no pre-concert conversation for this event.
Thursday, March 14, 8 p.m.: Live! at the Library: Sō Percussion with ShodekehTalifero
Sō Percussion partners with breath artist and composer Dominic “Shodekeh” Talifero for a performance of his piece “Vodalities: Paradigms of Consciousness for the Human Voice!” and music by Angelica Negrón, Nathalie Joachim, Eric Cha-Beach, Pauline Oliveros, and Jason Treuting. Join for a pre-concert conversation with the artists at 6:30 p.m. in the Whittall Pavilion.
Tuesday, April 2, 8 p.m.: Jordi Savall & Hespèrion XXI
World-renowned Spaniard Jordi Savall is a viol player, conductor and musical scholar who has devoted his career to reviving and interpreting the vast repertoire of early music. He directs an intimate group of virtuosic colleagues from Hespèrion XXI in music by Emilio de’ Cavalieri, Girolamo Frescobaldi, Bartolomé de Selma y Salaverde, Tobias Hume and others. Join for a preconcert conversation with the artists at 6:30 p.m. in the Whittall Pavilion. Presented with the support of the Departament de Cultura of the Generalitat de Catalunya and Institut Ramon Llull.
Friday, April 5, 8 p.m.: Christian Tetzlaff, Violin & Kirill Gerstein, Piano
Christian Tetzlaff and Kirill Gerstein join forces to perform sonatas by Janáček, Brahms and Bartók, with Kurtag’s “3 pezzi,” op. 14e, and a suite from Thomas Adès’s “The Tempest,” written for the duo.
Thursday, April 11, 8 p.m.: Live! at the Library: Regina Carter, Violin & Xavier Davis, Piano
2023 NEA Jazz Master and winner of the MacArthur Award and a Doris Duke Artist Award, violin virtuosa Regina Carter is joined by her longtime collaborator Xavier Davis. The artists premiere a Library of Congress McKim Fund commission by pianist, composer, and arranger Patrice Rushen. Join for a pre-concert conversation with the artists at 6:30 p.m. in the Whittall Pavilion.
Thursday, April 18, 8 p.m.: Live! at the Library: Kronos Quartet
Celebrating 50 years of extraordinary performances, the Kronos Quartet will offer a program by a huge range of composers, from Sun Ra and Terry Riley to Steve Reich, Charlton Singleton and Laurie Anderson. Join for a post-concert NightCap conversation with the artists following the concert.
Friday, April 26, 8 p.m.: Marc-André Hamelin, Piano
Canadian super-virtuoso Marc-André Hamelin performs masterworks of the piano literature by Ives and Ravel, alongside Schumann and a new work of his own, commissioned by the Library. Join for a pre-concert lecture at 6:30 p.m. in the Whittall Pavilion and a post-concert Nightcap conversation with the artist onstage.
Québec’s Les Violons du Roy ensemble joins forces in this concert with phenomenal classical guitarist MILOŠ to perform Baroque gems by Marcello, Locatelli, Purcell and others, including selections from Vivaldi’s “L’estro Armonico.” Join for a pre-concert conversation with the artists at 6:30 pm in the Whittall Pavilion.
Thursday, May 9, 8 p.m.: Live! at the Library: PUBLIQuartet with Vijay Iyer, Piano
Embark on a sonic adventure as the groundbreaking PUBLIQuartet and Vijay Iyer converge in a concert experience that defies convention, including the premiere of a new Library of Congress commission by Iyer. Join for a pre-concert conversation with the artists at 6:30 p.m. in the Whittall Pavilion.
Friday, May 17, 8 p.m.: Takt Trio, Program I
The Takt Trio performs two new horn trios (by Marcos Balter and Hilda Paredes) commissioned by the Library, alongside György Ligeti’s classic contribution to the genre. Join for a preconcert conversation with the artists at 6:30 p.m. in the Whittall Pavilion. This concert was made possible with the generous support of the Verna and Irving Fine Endowment in the Library of Congress.
Saturday, May 18, 2 p.m.: Takt Trio, Program II
The Takt Trio will perform the Brahms horn trio alongside the classic 20th-century work it inspired: Ligeti’s horn trio, itself an homage to Brahms. Join for a pre-concert lecture: “Is That Natural? A Closer Look at the Horn Trios of Brahms and Ligeti” by David Plylar, Music Division, at 12:30 p.m. in the Whittall Pavilion. This concert was made possible with the generous support of the Verna and Irving Fine Endowment in the Library of Congress.
Wednesday, May 22, 8 p.m.: Octets by Loeffler and Schubert
Until it was recently revived, the octet of Charles Loeffler is not known to have been played or recorded since the year it was composed: 1897. Graeme Steele Johnson assembled the score from the manuscript held in the Library’s Music Division and convened a host of top-tier players to bring about a series of live performances and a new recording. Loeffler’s octet is paired with Schubert’s octet, and Johnson’s transcription of Debussy’s beloved “Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune.” Join for a pre-concert conversation with the artists at 6:30 p.m. in the Whittall Pavilion.
In a lecture co-presented with the American Musicological Society, scholar Danielle Ward-Griffin examines television’s influence on opera casting practices during the early civil rights movement, focusing on Leontyne Price’s NBC Opera appearances.
Saturday, June 15, 8 p.m.: Zephyros Winds with Audrey Andrist, Piano
The Zephyros Winds are joined by pianist Audrey Andrist in this special program that includes a newly commissioned wind quintet transcription of an Irving Fine work, written by Jeff Scott. The program also includes Ruth Crawford Seeger’s Suite for wind Quintet and a transcription of Leonard Bernstein’s Overture to “Candide.” Join for a pre-concert conversation with the Artists at 6:30 p.m. in the Whittall Pavilion. This concert was made possible with the generous support of the Verna and Irving Fine Endowment in the Library of Congress.
Thursday, June 20, 5 p.m.: Screening of “TAKE ME TO THE RIVER: NEW ORLEANS”
"Take Me to the River New Orleans" celebrates the rich musical history, heritage, legacy, and influence of New Orleans and Louisiana. The film pairs legacy musicians with present-day stars, demonstrating the enduring legacy of New Orleans' music scene.
Thursday, June 20, 8 p.m.: Live! at the Library: Cha Wa
Cha Wa’s concert promises an unforgettable fusion of New Orleans brass band traditions, Mardi Gras Indian culture, and contemporary funk to honor Juneteenth.
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PR 23-102
12-12-2023
ISSN 0731-3527