The 2008-09 Concerts from the Library of Congress season presents 40 free events inspired by the resources of the world’s largest music archive. Celebration is a theme of the Library’s 83rd season, with special projects honoring the 100th birthday of Elliott Carter, the centennial anniversary of Olivier Messiaen, major anniversaries for Franz Joseph Haydn and George Frederic Handel, and a 16-event series marking the bicentennial of Felix Mendelssohn’s birth.
New music remains a strong focus, with the Library’s commissioning tradition continuing in premieres of new works by György Kurtág, Steve Antosca, Kevin Puts and Judith Shatin. To honor the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial, the Library’s Francis Scala Fund announces a trio of commissions for wind ensemble to Quincy C. Hilliard, Gay Holmes Spears and Paul W. Whear. Unless otherwise noted, all concerts will be held at 8 p.m. in the Coolidge Auditorium of the Thomas Jefferson Building.
The Library's concert season features composer Charles Wuorinen, Trio Con Brio Copenhagen, the Harlem Quartet and Bernard Woma.
Founded in 1925 by Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, the Library’s concert series is presented free of charge but requires tickets for admission. Tickets are distributed by TicketMaster (www.TicketMaster.com). Although all tickets may be spoken for, there are often empty seats at concert time. Staff and interested patrons are encouraged to arrive by 6:30 p.m. on concert nights to wait in the standby line for no-show tickets. For a complete schedule of the 2008-09 concert season, visit the Library's Web site.
