Top of page
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: Heather Darnell
The Library of Congress Music Division is excited to announce the release of Black Dancers and Choreographers: A Guide to Resources at the Library of Congress, a comprehensive research guide showcasing the Library’s unique resources on the rich history and cultural impact of Black artists in American dance. Since the 19th century, Black dancers and …
Posted in: Uncategorized
Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres
The Library of Congress recently published “Let the People Hear It: Concerts from the Library of Congress at 100” (Library of Congress, 2025). The book provides a visual journey through the history of the Library’s renowned concert series, which was established in 1925 by philanthropist Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge and Carl Engel, then-chief of the Library’s Music Division. Learn about this new book and where to catch the authors on book tour this coming winter and spring.
Posted in: American history, Commissions, Composers, Concerts and Events, Curators, Music Division history, Musicians, Staff
Posted by: Cait Miller
Learn about the Library's holdings related to members of the Damrosch family, including Leopold Damrosch (1832–1885), Frank Damrosch, (1859–1937), Clara Damrosch Mannes (1869–1948) and her husband David Mannes (1866–1959), and the conductor/composer Walter Damrosch (1862–1950). Senior Music Reference Specialist Dr. Paul Allen Sommerfeld shares highlights from a newly published research guide on the Damrosch family at the Library of Congress.
Posted in: Composers, Conductors, Research Guides
Posted by: Heather Darnell
The Library of Congress Music Division is excited to announce the release of Martha Graham: A Guide to Resources at the Library of Congress, a comprehensive research guide showcasing the Library’s unique resources documenting the life and work of the influential American choreographer. Martha Graham (1894—1991) revolutionized dance in the twentieth century with an emotionally …
Posted in: Uncategorized
Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres
María Peña of the Library's Office of Communications recounts the life and legacy of Latin jazz musician Eddie Palmieri who passed away in early August. Palmieri performed at the Library in October 2024 and participated in a wide-ranging oral history interview with Claudia Morales of the Music Division.
Posted in: Composers, Concerts and Events, In Memoriam, Instrumentalists, Jazz, Latin American History, Musicians, Staff Interviews
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: 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: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres
In commemoration of the Library's acquisition of the Stephen Sondheim Collection, Senior Music Specialist Mark Eden Horowitz reflects on the work and legacy of Stephen Sondheim.
Posted in: American history, Composers, Curators, LGBTQ+, Musical Theater, Musicians, New Acquisitions, Special Collections, Webcasts