Events at the Library of Congress

  •
    Event | concerts and performances

    Stradivari Anniversary Concert: Dalí Quartet with Ricardo Morales, Clarinet

    Monday
    December 18, 2023
    6:30 pm - 10:00 pm EST
    Add to calendar     Coolidge Auditorium (LJ-G45A)     Embark on a harmonious celebration of musical excellence as the Dali Quartet joins forces with the illustrious clarinetist Ricardo Morales in a remarkable collaboration. In honor of the Stradivari anniversary, these exceptional artists unite their talents to weave a mesmerizing tapestry of sound that pays homage to the timeless craftsmanship of Stradivarius instruments.
  • Event | concerts and performances

    Cécile McLorin Salvant Quintet

    Friday
    December 15, 2023
    8:00 pm - 9:30 pm EST
    Add to calendar     Coolidge Auditorium (LJ-G45A)     Cécile the deal with a memorable night out with the incomparable vocal stylings of Cécile McLorin Salvant and her quintet, who will take us on an otherworldly journey with their “Ghost Song” program.
  • Event | concerts and performances

    Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah

    Friday
    December 1, 2023
    8:00 pm - 9:30 pm EST
    Add to calendar     Coolidge Auditorium (LJ-G45A)     Step into a world of unparalleled musical virtuosity as we proudly present an evening with Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah.
  • Event | concerts and performances

    Escher Quartet with Jason Vieaux, Guitar

    Wednesday
    November 29, 2023
    8:00 pm - 10:00 pm EST
    Add to calendar     Coolidge Auditorium (LJ-G45A)     Explore music for string quartet and guitar from a different perspective with the Escher Quartet and Jason Vieaux. From Bach to Boccherini, the program has something for everyone.
  • Event | concerts and performances

    Richard O'Neill, Viola and Jeremy Denk, Piano

    Monday
    November 20, 2023
    8:00 pm - 10:00 pm EST
    Add to calendar     Coolidge Auditorium (LJ-G45A)     Voila! Feel the magic as classics of the viola repertoire come to life in the hands of Richard O’Neill and Jeremy Denk, with a little help from the Library’s Tuscan-Medici Stradivari viola.
  • Event | concerts and performances

    Lakecia Benjamin

    Thursday
    November 2, 2023
    8:00 pm - 9:30 pm EDT
    Add to calendar     Coolidge Auditorium (LJ-G45A)     Transcend ordinary sounds with an electrifying night with Lakecia Benjamin in concert.
  • Event | concerts and performances

    Founder's Day: Piece Offerings - Focused Encounters with Recent Works by Reynolds and Soper

    Monday
    October 30, 2023
    7:00 pm - 10:00 pm EDT
    Add to calendar     Coolidge Auditorium (LJ-G45A)     In the spirit of Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge’s intrepid support of new music, the Library of Congress is pleased to celebrate the birthday of the founder of its historic concert series with a twist on the usual format.
  • Event | concerts and performances

    Meta4 Quartet

    Wednesday
    October 18, 2023
    8:00 pm - 9:30 pm EDT
    Add to calendar     Coolidge Auditorium (LJ-G45A)     Dive into the brimming sea of the Meta4 Quartet’s musicianship; rarely performing in the U.S., Meta4 offers performances of Saariaho and Sibelius that are analogous to none.
  • Event | concerts and performances

    Eliane Elias

    Friday
    October 13, 2023
    8:00 pm - 9:30 pm EDT
    Add to calendar     Coolidge Auditorium (LJ-G45A)     As the curtains rise on our season-opening concert, let the captivating artistry of Eliane Elias sweep you off your feet and into a realm of musical magic that you won't want to miss.
  • Event | concerts and performances

    Live! at the Library: Bachata Class with Julissa Cruz & DJ Hercules

    Thursday
    August 3, 2023
    6:30 pm - 7:40 pm EDT     Southeast Lawn     Join us on the Southeast lawn at the Thomas Jefferson Building for a bachata class with Julissa Cruz from Latin Vintage Dance Company and DJ Hercules. Learn some beginner steps of this popular Latin dance taking over the DMV. No partner is needed. Come and join the joy of dancing!
  • Event | concerts and performances

    Live! at the Library: Live Performance by Nen Daiko

    Thursday
    July 20, 2023
    7:00 pm - 8:00 pm EDT     Southeast Lawn     Join us on the Southeast lawn at the Thomas Jefferson Building for a performance of Nen Daiko. This agile and dynamic percussion ensemble showcases the Japanese tradition of taiko drumming combined with choreography, martial arts, and vocal expressions.
  • Event | concerts and performances

    Live! at the Library: Live Performance by Batalá Washington

    Thursday
    July 6, 2023
    7:00 pm - 8:00 pm EDT     Southeast Lawn     Join us on the Southeast lawn at the Thomas Jefferson Building for a performance of D.C.’s all-women Afro-Brazilian drumming troop Batalá Washington. Batalá Washington's mission is to empower women through drumming and expose people to Brazil’s dynamic Afro Bahian culture and Samba Reggae music.
  • Event | concerts and performances

    Big Band Evening with Russell Malone, Guitar

    Saturday
    June 10, 2023
    8:00 pm - 9:30 pm EDT     Coolidge Auditorium (LJ-G45A)     Saxophonist and conductor Loren Schoenberg, Senior Scholar at The National Jazz Museum in Harlem, has delved into the Library’s archives to design a standout big band evening bringing to life both great Strayhorn classics and a few rediscovered gems.
  • Event | film and video screenings

    Paris Blues

    Saturday
    June 10, 2023
    2:00 pm - 4:00 pm EDT     Pickford Theater (LM-302)     Paris Blues is a classic love story about American expatriate jazz musicians in Paris, with memorable performances by figures including Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Sidney Poitier and Louis Armstrong. Billy Strayhorn’s significant contributions to Paris Blues went uncredited, with an Oscar nomination going instead to Duke Ellington for Best Music and Scoring. Presented through the generous support of the Revada Foundation of the Logan...
  • Event | lectures and symposia

    Strayhorn Symposium: Known and Unknown

    Saturday
    June 10, 2023
    4:00 pm - 6:00 pm EDT     Kluge Center (LJ-119)     Join us to hear experts on Strayhorn and his legacy celebrate this important figure and his collection at the Library of Congress with a lecture and panel discussion.. Keynote Lecture: David Hajdu, author of Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn 4pm, Whittall Pavilion Panel Discussion: Strayhorn: Known and Unknown 5pm, Whittall Pavilion Presented through the generous support of the Revada Foundation of the...
  • Event | film and video screenings

    Anatomy of a Murder

    Friday
    June 9, 2023
    6:00 pm - 9:40 pm EDT     Pickford Theater (LM-302)     Otto Preminger’s epic courtroom drama featuring a stellar cast led by James Stewart, Lee Remick, George C. Scott and Ben Gazarra was nominated for seven Academy Awards. The music of Strayhorn and Ellington plays an important role in the film, which was one of the first blockbusters to highlight jazz and African American composers. Presented through the generous support of the Revada Foundation of...
  • Event | concerts and performances

    Live! At The Library: Bill Charlap Trio with Jon Faddis, Trumpet

    Thursday
    June 8, 2023
    8:00 pm - 9:30 pm EDT     Coolidge Auditorium (LJ-G45A)     Bill Charlap and his Trio appear with two terrific partners for a charming, close-focus encounter with Strayhorn’s unforgettable songs—and some scintillating piano solos. Trumpeter Jon Faddis is an artist known for “…making the practically impossible seem effortless” (Time Out New York).
  • Event | lectures and symposia

    How Do You Measure a Year? Jonathan Larson and the Creation of the Musical Rent, 1995–1996

    Wednesday
    May 24, 2023
    7:00 pm - 8:00 pm EDT     Montpelier Room (LM-619)     In a lecture co-presented with the American Musicological Society, Alex Bádue discusses his research on Jonathan Larson’s "Rent," based on lyric sketches, letters and scripts held in the Library’s Larson collection.
  • Event | concerts and performances

    Signum Quartet

    Tuesday
    May 16, 2023
    8:00 pm - 10:00 pm EDT     St. Mark's Episcopal Church     The Signum Quartet’s performance of Schubert’s Death and the Maiden has been called “as boldly imagined as a symphony” (The Times, London). The exciting German ensemble plays Schubert's emotional masterpiece, a robust Haydn quartet, the enchanting and rarely heard Quartet for Strings by South African–British composer Priaulx Rainier (“a revelation,” according to The Independent), and a striking contemplation on mortality by South African composer...
  • Event | lectures and symposia

    New Musical Discoveries from the Era of Madame de Pompadour (1745-1764)

    Friday
    May 5, 2023
    2:00 pm - 4:00 pm EDT     LJ 119     The Library hosts a symposium in collaboration with Opera Lafayette presenting distinguished French and American scholars involved with the rediscovery, completion and premieres of two significant 18th-century opéra-ballets: Jean-Philippe Rameau’s "Io" and Pierre de la Garde’s "Léandre et Héro."
  • Event | concerts and performances

    Orpheus Chamber Orchestra with Chad Hoopes, Violin

    Thursday
    May 4, 2023
    8:00 pm - 10:00 pm EDT     St. Mark's Episcopal Church     An exciting evening with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra honors the legacy of conductor Andre Kostelanetz, a champion for a remarkable range of American composers that included Aaron Copland, William Schuman and Jerome Kern.
  • Event | concerts and performances

    Harlem Quartet with Michael Brown, Piano

    Friday
    April 21, 2023
    8:00 pm - 10:00 pm EDT     St. Mark's Episcopal Church     The Grammy-winning New York-based Harlem Quartet and pianist-composer Michael Brown come to the Library with a fierce program that features the beauty and versatility of the string quartet and piano. Known for its concept of cross-pollination, the idea that there are common factors across different musical styles, the Harlem Quartet brings together a diverse program drawn from composers of different times and backgrounds.
  • Event | concerts and performances

    Mingus@100: Mingus Dynasty Quintet

    Friday
    April 14, 2023
    8:00 pm - 10:00 pm EDT     Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater     The Library of Congress joins forces with DC JazzFest to celebrate the 100th birth year and the legacy and contributions of the virtuoso bassist, bandleader and prolific composer Charles Mingus. On an evening filled with musical magic, the Mingus Dynasty Quintet and pianist Helen Sung will pay tribute to the icon, one of the most significant jazz composers of the twentieth century.
  • Event | concerts and performances

    Immanuel Wilkins Quartet

    Friday
    March 31, 2023
    8:00 pm - 10:00 pm EDT     Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater     Saxophonist, composer and arranger, Blue Note artist and Downbeat Rising Star, Immanuel Wilkins is a vital voice in a new generation of jazz thinkers. “His sound is most often silky and lush…with a gorgeous tone and phrasing… but he can shift into a grittier gospel feel or an airier whisper as the art requires.” (Pop Matters.com).
  • Event | concerts and performances

    Stephen Hough, Piano

    Tuesday
    March 21, 2023
    8:00 pm - 10:00 pm EDT     St. Mark's Episcopal Church     Sir Stephen Hough brings his eloquence and precision to a recital filled with music by composers close to his heart. From the mystical realms of Mompou and Scriabin to the evocative imagery of Debussy and his own Partita, Hough leaves a stamp on all of this repertoire. His recital closes with pieces selected from the second volume of Liszt’s Années de pèlerinage—the famous Petrarch...