Performing Arts at the Library of Congress

02/26/2025

The cast and crew of Sarah Silverman's The Bedwetter--currently running at Arena Stage--visited the Library to see musical theater treasures on February 19, 2025. Did you know that Tony-winning performer Shoshana Bean, who is one of the leads in The Bedwetter, performed at the Library with Jason Robert Brown in 2016? Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7zJQpFjr10?loclr=

02/06/2025

In celebration of Black History Month, please check out our newest guide, Black Dancers and Choreographers: A Guide to Resources at the Library of Congress.

Here you can find resources in the Library related to Black presence in American concert and theatrical dance, including the collections of Katherine Dunham, Garth Fagan, and Alvin Ailey.

This research guide highlights resources in the Library of Congress related to prominent African American dancers and choreographers of concert dance.

02/04/2025

Congrats to composer Winifred Phillips for winning the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Videogames and Other Interactive Media. Phillips spoke at the Library in 2019 about "The Interface Between Music Composition and Game Design."

Composer and author Winifred Phillips speaks about her work as a composer for a wide variety of game systems and franchises. Her presentation outlines different techniques used in current and past video game music designs, such as horizontal resequencing and vertical layering.

01/28/2025

The Music Division was pleased to share Samuel Barber collection materials with several of the lead singers in the National Symphony Orchestra's production of Barber's opera "Vanessa." Nicole Heaston, J'Nai Bridges, Susan Graham, and Thomas Hampson spent some time examining the holograph manuscript of the opera, a draft libretto, and much more. Learn about the Library's Samuel Barber holdings: https://www.loc.gov/collections/samuel-barber-at-the-library-of-congress/about-this-collection/?loclr=blogmus

01/06/2025

In celebration of the 94th birthday of dancer and visionary Alvin Ailey (1931-1989), the Music Division is excited to announce that the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Collection has been processed and is available for research!

The archival materials in the Music Division's Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Collection are now discoverable through an online finding aid. Archivists Stephanie Akau and Maya Lerman provide a sneak peek into the vast contents of this intriguing collection by selecting some sample images.

12/20/2024

Thank you, WETA Classical, for the great article.

12/19/2024

Several Music Division staff were recently recognized for their distinguished tenures of federal service on behalf the American people: James Wolf (Digital Collection Specialist, 30 years), Carol Lynn Ward-Bamford (Curator of Musical Instruments, 30 years), Loras John Schissel (Senior Music Specialist, 35 years); Michael Turpin (Senior Recording Engineer, 45 years). Please join us in congratulating these fantastic colleagues.
Library of Congress/Shawn Miller

12/16/2024

Happy 88th birthday to the "Sun of Latin Music," Mr. Eddie Palmieri. To celebrate him, we're sharing highlights from our recent conversation before his performance at the historic Coolidge Auditorium on October 18, 2024. Enjoy it!

Happy 88th Birthday to the “Sun of Latin Music,” Mr. Eddie Palmieri On December 15, 2024, the music world celebrated the 88th birthday of “El Sonero Mayor,” the legendary ten-time Grammy winner, NEA Jazz Master, American pianist, composer, arranger, bandleader and social advocate, Eddie Palm...

12/11/2024

SPRING 2025 SEASON ALERT: tickets are available for January and February events only. Visit our website for a full calendar of events. https://www.loc.gov/concerts?loclr=fbmus

12/01/2024

This , we recognize the life and legacy of dancer, choreographer and cultural icon Alvin Ailey (1931-1989), whose papers are held by the Library's Music Division and who was one of the countless victims of the AIDS epidemic. His life and work have inspired generations of dancers and Americans. The Library's American Folklife Center is home to the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt Archive.

(1) Portrait of Alvin Ailey by Carl Van Vechten, March 22, 1955, Carl Van Vechten Collection, Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress, LOT 12735, no. 9. (2) Photo of Alvin Ailey's panel on the NAMES Project's AIDS Memorial Quilt, Edges of Ailey Exhibit, The Whitney, November 15, 2024, courtesy of N. Brown-Cáceres.

11/27/2024

Did you know that a former Chief of the Music Division at the Library of Congress played an important role in the negotiations, packing and shipping of one of the most precious treasures in our holdings? Read Carl Engel's account on acquiring the Gutenberg Bible in this post!

Senior Music Specialist Loras John Schissel shares the backstory of how composer Carl Engel, then-Chief of the Library of Congress Music Division, participated in the Library of Congress' acquisition of its Gutenberg Bible, one of the Library's most renowned treasures.

11/18/2024

View a nice video recap of last week's visit of the Berliner Philharmoniker at The Library of Congress. How fun!
https://fb.watch/vXc-HPV8kQ/?mibextid=WC7FNe?loclr=fbmus

11/16/2024

On this day in 1959, "The Sound of Music" premiered on Broadway. The Library's Music Division is home to Oscar Hammerstein’s lyric sheets, which show us how his first draft of "My Favorite Things" evolved to become the song we know and love today.

Learn more: https://blogs.loc.gov/music/2020/12/my-favorite-things-for-the-holidays/?loclr=fbloc

11/14/2024

Library of Congress Acquires Papers of Academy Award-Winning Songwriter Burt BacharachBacharach’s Papers are the Library’s First Collection from a...