Electronic music pioneer Morton Subotnick visits the Library this Thursday, December 5 at 5:00 p.m. ET for a special event that will feature a live demonstration of his recently restored, historic Buchla 100 synthesizer. Subotnick, whose papers are held by the Library, will be joined by composer Steve Antosca and members of the Modular Electronic Music Systems (MEMS) team. Attend in person or via livestream (registration required).
In a guest blog, Andrew Northrop of the Slade School of Fine Art at University College London discusses a recent effort to restore the Library's Buchla 100 synthesizer. This early electronic music instrument belonged to composer Morton Subotnick (b.1933), who purchased it in 1966 for his studio on Bleecker Street in New York City. Hear a demo of the synthesizer, learn about its history, and experience the process of bringing a unique instrument back to life.
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 …
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 …
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 …
Here in Washington, D.C., we are lucky to have experienced approximately 87% of “lunar coverage” during the 2024 solar eclipse. You can keep the party going tonight. Trade out your eclipse glasses for a pair of rhinestone studded Elton John-style glasses for the broadcast premiere of “Elton John & Bernie Taupin: The Library of Congress Gershwin …
The Library of Congress Music Division is proud to be the new home of guitarist and bandleader Eddie Condon’s Gibson L-7 Plectrum guitar, which was custom made for him in 1965. The guitar (pictured below) features a carved spruce top with a sunburst finish. Donated in 2023 by Maggie Condon, Eddie’s daughter, the guitar is …
The Library of Congress is proud to offer free digital programming from its collections for the enjoyment of audiences that are not able to attend our live events in Washington, D.C. The Music Division works with colleagues throughout the Library to ensure that past events in the Concerts from the Library of Congress series, educational …