Top of page
Posted by: Cait Miller
In honor of Maurice Ravel's 150th anniversary, learn more about his "Chansons madécasses," a set of three songs accompanied by flute, cello, and piano, commissioned by Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge after establishing her foundation at the Library of Congress in 1925.
Posted in: Commissions
Posted by: Claudia Morales
Learn about 2024-2025 Library of Congress Jazz Scholar Willard Jenkins' time exploring the Music Division's jazz collections. Jenkins, who is the artistic director of the DC Jazz Festival, conducted research in the archives this spring and presented a lecture on "The Enduring Importance of Jazz Archives" on June 18, 2025.
Posted in: African American History, American history, Composers, Copyright Deposits, Jazz, Musicians, Sheet Music, Women in Music
Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres
Music Reference Specialist Morgan Davis recaps a lecture delivered by Dr. I Augustus Durham at the Library on June 5, 2025. His lecture, entitled “Marvin Gaye: Melancholy and Genius in Black Culture and Media,” explored the influence of creators such as George and Ira Gershwin, Marian Anderson and Mahalia Jackson, on music from the crime thriller “Trouble Man” scored by Marvin Gaye. This blog includes the video of the lecture.
Posted in: African American History, American history, Concerts and Events, Musical Theater, Musicians
Posted by: Heather Darnell
On Wednesday, June 25, 2025, the Library of Congress Music Division had the honor of welcoming attendees of the Dance Studies Association’s Annual Conference to a special collection display. Held this year in Washington, D.C., the conference explored the theme “Indeterminate States: Bodies, Fields, Practice.” Inspired by the city’s complex symbolic and practical relationship to …
Posted in: Uncategorized
Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres
Former Stanford University Liljenquist Fellow Ben Limric discusses his experience creating two StoryMaps for the Music Division. The StoryMaps are interactive digital webpages that share the stories of several Civil War instruments and the soldiers they belonged too. The instruments were generously donated to the Library by James Madison Council member Tom Liljenquist and provide insights into the life of Union musicians during the Civil War.
Posted in: American history, Digital Collections, Instrumentalists, Musical Instruments, Special Collections
Posted by: Libby Smigel
A fitting blog post for the forthcoming Independence Day celebrations on July 4th, Morgen Stevens-Garmon, senior music archivist in the Library of Congress Music Division, reminisces about a favorite Broadway show, "1776," and other musicals set during the American Revolution.
Posted in: American history, Guest bloggers, Holidays, Musical Theater, New finding aid, Special Collections, Uncategorized