Mission Statement
2011-12 Highlights Include the Franz Liszt Bicentenary Project, a 6-concert BachFest,
Babalu!--Celebrating the Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz Collection,
and the Inauguration of a New Fund for Contemporary Music
The 2011-2012 season of Concerts from the Library of Congress draws the listener deep into the treasure trove of the world's largest musical repository. Established in 1925 by Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, the concert series presents a 30-event roster of stellar classical, jazz, pop, country, folk and world music. Satellite events include film screenings, exhibits and displays of materials from the Library's collections, workshops and master classes for students of all ages. Informal, informative Talking About Music presentations--lectures, interviews, conversations with musicians, scholars, and curators--enrich and enhance the concert experience.
All events are presented free of charge in the Library's historic 500-seat Coolidge Auditorium. Tickets are available, for a nominal service charge only, through Ticketmaster. Visit the Concerts from the Library of Congress website for detailed program and ticket information, at www.loc.gov/concerts.
The season kicks off on October 15 with an exciting opening night show celebrating two great American entertainers, comedienne Lucille Ball and composer and bandleader Desi Arnaz. A Franz Liszt Bicentenary Project showcases the Library's substantial Liszt holdings. And a season-long BachFest brings exceptional artists for memorable performances and maste rclasses, including a marathon day of concerts, instrument demonstrations, and performance practice sessions with theJuilliardSchool's resident early music ensemble, Juilliard Baroque.
Continuing an eighty-six-year tradition of strong support for contemporary music, the Library announces a new endowment, the Dina Koston and Roger Shapiro Fund for New Music. Two special concerts inaugurate the fund: a theater-and-music evening incorporating a play by Samuel Beckett, and a chamber music evening featuring pianist Leon Fleisher. To mark the John Cage centennial, violinist Irvine Arditti and pianist Stephen Drury perform Cage's "Two 4 ", commissioned by the Library. A new Library of Congress McKim Fund commission by Harold Meltzer, founder of the Sequitur ensemble, will be premiered by the Cygnus Ensemble.
A few highlights of the season L'Arpeggiata--the first Washington appearance by Baroque harpist and lutenist Christina Pluhar's virtuosic ensemble
A pair of East Meets West evenings, one featuring classical violinist Daniel Hope, and a second with jazz guitarist Nguyên Lê and the Saiyuki ("Journey to the West") Trio, plus alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa
The Arditti Quartet performs music by Adès, Berg, and Bartók, with Beethoven's Grosse Fuge
Recitals by violist Roberto Díaz and cellist Narek Hahknazaryan, winner of the 2011 Tchaikovsky Competition
The Mozart Piano Quartet plays a work from Gustav Mahler at age 16
The Cygnus Ensemble programs Fritz Kreisler's string quartet
The Elias Quartet and Jonathan Biss play an all-Czech concert--music by Suk, Janáček, and Dvořák
Description
The Library of Congress is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution and serves as the research arm of Congress. It is also the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections.
The Library's mission is to support the Congress in fulfilling its constitutional duties and to further the progress of knowledge and creativity for the benefit of the American people. Established in 1925 by Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, the concert series presents a 30-event roster of classical, jazz, pop, country, folk and world music, plus film screenings, exhibits and displays of materials from the Library's collections, and workshops and master classes for students of all ages built on this mission. And we do it at no cost to the public. All of our events are free and programming . Volunteer KEEP IT FREE!
KEEP IT FREE! We invite you to volunteer for the series. We are seeking enthusiastic, dynamic, volunteers to work on concert nights and for other special events throughout the season! Volunteer call time is typically 7:00pm (depending on show time) and the dress code is Business Casual. Jobs are relatively easy and fun, but do require that you think on your feet. Did I mention that it's pretty fun!? Volunteers are provided with two (2) tickets for each performance they sign up for.
