February 24, 2014 Library of Congress Announces 2014 Homegrown Concert Series

Series Launches “Homegrown in the Pavilion” with Turkish, Bulgarian Music March 5

Press Contact: Erin Allen (202) 707-7302
Public Contact: American Folklife Center (202) 707-5510
Contact: Request ADA accommodations five business days in advance at (202) 707-6362 or ada@loc.gov.
Request ADA accommodations five business days in advance at (202) 707-6362 or ADA@loc.gov

Traditional music and dance drawn from performers across the United States will be showcased at the Library of Congress throughout the spring and summer. Beginning in March, the Library launches a series of more intimate concerts in the Whittall Pavilion through May. In June, performances return to the historic Coolidge Auditorium, with musicians to be announced.

The popular "Homegrown: The Music of America" concert series is presented by the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress in cooperation with the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. The series brings the multicultural richness of American folk arts from around the country to the nation’s capital.

The spring concerts are at noon in the Whittall Pavilion, located on the ground floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C. Concerts are free and open to the public. No tickets are required.

Performances are recorded and most are later made available on the Library of Congress website. For more information on the Homegrown 2014 concert series, visit www.loc.gov/concerts/folklife/.

2014 Homegrown Concert Series: Homegrown in the Pavilion

Wednesday, March 5
Traditional Turkish and Bulgarian Music
Tzvety Dosseva Weiner, Valeri Georgiev and Varol Saatcioglu, members of Bulgarian folk music group Lyuti Chushki (“Hot Peppers”), play traditional Bulgarian instruments in modes and rhythms of ancient provenance with vocal stylings now world renowned.

Wednesday, March 26
Music of West Africa
Amadou Kouyate is the 150th generation of the Kouyate family of Manding Diali (oral historians/musicians of West Africa). Kouyate performs on the 21-string Kora, as well as Djembe and Koutiro drums. His repertoire ranges from traditional songs from the 13th century to original compositions incorporating blues and jazz riffs.

Wednesday, April 16
Persian Classical Music
Nader Majd and Farshid Mahjour began their musical education as children: Nader learned such instruments as the santur (hammered dulcimer), tar and setar (plucked instruments) and kamancheh (spiked fiddle); Mahjour studied the tombak (goblet drum). Both perform classical Persian music with local ensembles, including original compositions by Majd.

Wednesday, April 23
Flamenco Guitar Music
Accomplished flamenco guitarist Torcuato Zamora, from Almeria, Spain, joins dance company Furia Flamenco in presenting a feast for the eyes, melding flamenco, ballet, modern and tap.

Wednesday, May 7
Music from Greece and Asia
Spyros Koliavasilis teaches oud, bouzouki, saz, kemane, laouto and canto. He plays 18 instruments, and music is his true passion. Joining him is the Karpouzi Trio, playing music on traditional instruments from the Greek mainland and islands.

Thursday, May 22
World Music
Gerdan, which means “necklace” in Ukrainian, combines the inspired musicianship of Andrei Pidkivka (flutes of the world), Solomia Gorokhivska (violin) and Kalin Kiriliv to present musical traditions of Ukraine.

The Library of Congress, the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution, is the world’s preeminent reservoir of knowledge, providing unparalleled collections and integrated resources to Congress and the American people. Many of the Library’s rich resources and treasures may also be accessed through the Library’s website, www.loc.gov.

The American Folklife Center was created by Congress in 1976 and placed at the Library of Congress to "preserve and present American Folklife" through programs of research, documentation, archival preservation, reference service, live performance, exhibition, public programs and training. The center includes the American Folklife Center Archive of Folk Culture, which was established in 1928 and is now one of the largest collections of ethnographic material from the United States and around the world. For more information, visit www.loc.gov/folklife/.

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PR 14-033
2014-02-24
ISSN 0731-3527