Top of page

Category: Special Collections

Rockettes tap dancer Ann Murphy posing arms outstretched onstage and in costume

High Kicks for Days: Celebrating the Rockettes with Photographs and Memorabilia

Posted by: Libby Smigel

Rockettes dancer Ann Murphy (born in Lynn, Massachusetts, in 1942) danced with the precision tap dance company from the 1960s through the 1970s. Now her photographs, programs, and other Radio City Music Hall memorabilia are available to the public in the Library of Congress Performing Arts Reading Room, thanks to Murphy's generous gift of her legacy materials.

Musicians in air force uniforms performing with a conductor. Pianist in a yellow top seated at Steinway piano in front of the orchestra.

Now Streaming: Rhapsody in Blue, Jeremy Denk and Jazz Interviews

Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres

The 2023-2024 season of Concerts from the Library of Congress came to a rousing conclusion on June 20 with a performance by New Orleans-based band Cha Wa. As final preparations are made for the 2024-2025 season announcement, the Music Division is pleased to share a multitude of concert and event videos that have been released …

Michio Itō raising arms in gesture in loose long-sleeved top and flowing pants stepping forward on left foot, in an outdoor setting, photograph by Arnold Genthe

Celebrating Choreographer Michio Itō

Posted by: Libby Smigel

Choreographer Michio Itō had a profound impact on the development of modern dance in the United States, with collaborations and friendships with Martha Graham, Lester Horton, and Ted Shawn, among many others. Selected images from a recent gift of materials documenting Itō’s career in the United States are shown here alongside other images available in the Library of Congress to highlight the Japanese-born artist’s legacy during Asian American and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month.

Experiencing the World Premiere of Vijay Iyer’s McKim Fund Commission at the Library of Congress

Posted by: Claudia Morales

On May 9, 2024, composer/pianist Vijay Iyer and violinist Curtis Stewart of PUBLIQuartet performed the world premiere of Iyer’s What Isn’t Hard to See at the Library of Congress. The work was commissioned by the McKim Fund at the Library of Congress, which supports the performance and commissioning of works for violin and piano by …

Whoopi Goldberg’s Visit to the Library

Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres

The following is a guest blog by Music Reference Specialist Morgan Davis.  Actress, comedian, author and media personality Whoopi Goldberg visited the Library of Congress on Friday, May 10 to discuss her new autobiography, “Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me.” Prior to her public conversation with Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, …

Photograph of four young musicians playing French Horn during a rehearsal at Interlochen. Black and white photo.

Horn Trios for Spring Days

Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres

The Concerts from the Library of Congress series embarks on a two-day immersion into the horn trio repertoire this coming weekend. Per usual, we’re pulling out all the stops, with the help of the distinguished Takt Trio (Austin Wulliman, violin, David Byrd-Marrow, horn, and Conor Hanick, piano). Two Library of Congress commissions will receive their …

Celebrating International Jazz Day

Posted by: Claudia Morales

This season, Concerts from the Library of Congress has showcased the Library’s jazz collections for the esteemed performing artists who have appeared on the series. We are dedicated to fostering reflection and perspective by connecting these artists with our varied collection, ensuring that the work of major artists from the past century remains available to …

Fritz Kreisler in three piece suit holding up violin in left hand with bow in right hand. Standing in front of a fireplace and chari.

Queen Elizabeth, Liszt and Instrument Additions Arrive for the Fritz Kreisler Collection

Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres

The following is a guest post by Carol Lynn Ward-Bamford, Curator of Musical Instruments, and Dr. Frederic Kreisler. Over the past few years Dr. Frederic Kreisler, grandson of the cellist Hugo Kreisler (1884-1929) and grand-nephew of the violinist and composer Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), has generously donated Kreisler family materials and musical instruments to the Fritz …