The Concerts Office Responds to Corona Virus

On Thursday, March 13, the Library of Congress closed all Library buildings to the public. Within a few days, all public events in March and April were canceled. These cancellations are a measure of caution to promote social distancing and to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The events affected include:

• March 17, Takács Quartet
• March 18, Tabea Zimmerman and Javier Perianes
• March 28, “Manuscript Music for Men’s Chorus”
• March 31, “Japanese American Influence in Appalachian Spring”
• April 4, Conrad Tao and Caleb Teicher
• April 9, Miles Davis: The Birth of the Cool
• April 16, The Ballad of Fred Hersch
• April 17, Bang On A Can All-Stars: Field Recordings
• April 23, The Jazz Loft According to W. Eugene Smith
• April 25, “The Beethoven Complex”
• May 1, Flux Quartet with Oliver Lake & Donal Fox
• May 2, Flux Quartet with Donal Fox
• May 8, International Contemporary Ensemble

The Concert Office will attempt to reschedule performances subject to artist and space availability.

We have received inquiries about presenting our concerts via webcast. We are unable to implement that option because many of our artists are restricted from traveling to our location. 

To promote social distancing within the Library, Concert Office staff, as well as many other Music Division staff, are teleworking; therefore, if you need to reach the office, please contact us by email at concerts@loc.gov.

Do you need ideas on how to cope with social distancing? We have a few suggestions for your consideration. This is the perfect time to visit our YouTube channel and revive some of your favorite performances of Concerts from the Library of Congress. You can visit our YouTube channel here. In addition, please visit and learn more about our online music collections. You can visit our online collections here Digital Music Collections. Lastly, on March 29, you can watch the PBS premiere of the 2020 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song Concert celebrating Garth Brooks. Here is the link 2020 Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.

We want to send a heartfelt thank you to all our fellow artists and patrons for their support and understanding of the current situation. We want to reassure you that Concerts from the Library of Congress cares for the safety of all its patrons, artists, and staff. We wish all of you health, and we hope that soon we will be able to go back to our normal operations.

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Gershwin Prize Concert: Garth Brooks

Watch Promo Clip Here

The concert will air this Sunday, March 29, 2020 at 9:00 ET, on PBS. Watch the performance of Garth Brooks here.

Early this month, The Library of Congress celebrated the 2020 Gershwin Prize for Popular Song honoring the mega country music star, Garth Brooks. Brooks is one of the significant changemakers in the history of country music. His music weaves the beauty of poetry, the universality of the human experience and the inclusiveness of other musical genres, making him one of the most influential performers in country music today. 

If you no longer wish to receive emails from the Music Division of the Library of Congress, feel free to update your subscription HERE.