Top of page

Category: Musicians

Woman with dark hair, fancy dress and pearls with eyes closed and mouth slightly open, singing

Nicolò Paganini: Virtuosic Rock Star of the 19th Century

Posted by: Paul Sommerfeld

The following post was written in collaboration with Senior Music Specialist Susan Clermont.  The label “rock star” tends to conjure images of modern-day bands like the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, the Go-Gos, Queen, or Led Zeppelin. But if we venture further back into the 19th century, virtuoso performing artists like pianist Franz Liszt, bassist Domenico …

Woman with dark hair, fancy dress and pearls with eyes closed and mouth slightly open, singing

Béla Bartók’s Early Works and His Student Etelka Freund

Posted by: Morgen Stevens-Garmon

The following is a guest post from Archives Processing Technician Dr. Rachel McNellis. In his essay, “The Influence of Peasant Music on Modern Music,” published in 1931, Hungarian composer Béla Bartók (1881–1945) describes the beauty of folk music and its significance to classical composers: “The right type of peasant music is most varied and perfect …

Woman with dark hair, fancy dress and pearls with eyes closed and mouth slightly open, singing

(Some of) The Outstanding Women of Arsis Press

Posted by: Morgen Stevens-Garmon

The following is a guest post by Music Division Archivist Dr. Stephanie Akau. Earlier this year Processing Technician Anthony Edwards and I had the privilege of processing the records of the Arsis Press. This music publishing company was founded in 1974 and run solely by intrepid school teacher, social activist, and composer Clara Lyle Boone …

Woman with dark hair, fancy dress and pearls with eyes closed and mouth slightly open, singing

Concerts from the Library of Congress to Present Kandace Springs Virtual Performance

Posted by: Claudia Morales

The Music Division is excited to welcome Nashville vocalist, pianist, and songwriter Kandace Springs to the Library of Congress. Springs and her all-women trio will present a virtual performance of her most recent album, “The Women Who Raised Me.” Her program pays tribute to legendary female singers, including Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Carmen McRae, and …