Concerts from the Library of Congress continues to celebrate a century of landmark concerts in spring 2025, offering a rich and diverse kaleidoscope of classical music, jazz, pop, folk and dance events, with a major focus on contemporary American voices across genres. The season centerpiece includes the premiere of the Library of Congress commissions from three significant American composers; ania Léon, Chris Otto and Jlin will honor a distinguished tradition of support for contemporary composition established in 1925 by series founder Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge.
“This spring we continue the celebration of 100 years of excellence as a presenter of the performing arts,” said Susan H. Vita, Chief of the Library’s Music Division. Our 100-year-old concert series highlights the uniqueness of making music here; nowhere else will you find a series of concerts with such outstanding artists, presented completely free of charge. As the spring programs demonstrate, we provide listeners with the opportunity to come together for the extraordinary experience of hearing the Library’s collections come to life in our historic Coolidge Auditorium.”
Launching the season on January 24, the Grammy-winning American soprano Julia Bullock partners with Britain’s acclaimed Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Highlights will include several concerts designed to show off the Library’s renowned Stradivari and Guarneri instruments, including special appearances by Anne-Sophie Mutter, the Jupiter String Quartet and cellist Nicolas Altstaedt.
Pathbreaking jazz artists appear in an exciting lineup of concerts and film screenings made possible through the generous support of the Revada Foundation of the Logan family. Harpist Brandee Younger appears with her quartet and vocalist Tatiana “LadyMay” Mayfield. Edison Award winner José James will perform with his band. American composer, vocalist and writer Somi offers a unique blend of influences, rhythms and textures from her Rwandan and Ugandan heritage.
NEA Jazz Master violinist Regina Carter, winner of the MacArthur and Doris Duke awards, will premiere a new commission from the Library’s McKim Fund by Patrice Rushen with pianist Xavier Davis. Additionally, a special Juneteenth celebration brings the Grammy-winning saxophonist and 2024 NEA Jazz Master Gary Bartz for a concert launching the William I. Bandas Trust Fund, recently established to support classical music and jazz.
A broad spectrum of notable American composers will be featured, including Anthony Braxton, a visionary multi-instrumentalist and music theorist whose papers are held in the Library’s collections. Violinist Jennifer Koh and the Del Sol String Quartet celebrate the music of Pulitzer Prize winner, conductor and educator Tania Léon. A concert by the contemporary ensemble loadbang will see the premiere of the Library’s commission from the violinist and JACK Quartet member Chris Otto.
A special project will evoke the Library’s history in presenting important works for dance. “The (Effortless) Now” presents music and choreography by the Polish-American composer Lucia Dlugoszewski and choreographer Erick Hawkins, drawn from their collections in the Library’s Music Division.
Subscribe to the “In the Muse” Blog and our Emails to receive future announcements. All events are presented free of charge to the public. January and February events will be available December 11 at 10 a.m. ET. March and April events will be available for registration on January 15 at 10 a.m. ET. May and June events will be available on March 12 at 10 a.m. ET. Patrons are encouraged to sign up for the waitlist if an event is sold out, to be notified if tickets become available. The Library encourages walk-up patrons who do not have a ticket to come for a RUSH pass, anticipating being able to admit passholders based on no-shows and cancellations.
To register for an event, please visit Upcoming Concerts, select an event you wish to attend, and then select "Get Tickets" on the subsequent page to register.
