Serge Koussevitzky: upcoming events at Boston Public Library with the Boston Symphony Orchestra
Jared Rex
Dear BAML,
I hope everyone is having a decent start to the fall semester!
As you may know, 2024 is the 150th anniversary of conductor Serge Koussevitzky’s birth and the centennial of his appointment as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. To celebrate this important milestone in the history of music in our city, I am pleased to announce that the 2024 Pierce Performance Series at Boston Public Library will feature a special collaboration between the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Public Library, and The Associates of the Boston Public Library to celebrate Koussevitzky’s legacy. This free series of events will consist of 3 programs with guest speakers and performances by musicians of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, all held here at the Central Library at BPL.
Below is a press release outlining all of the upcoming events and containing more information. Although all 3 programs are free, tickets are required (links below) to reserve a free seat.
In particular, I want to invite you all to our Special Collections open house (no ticket required!) on Tuesday, October 15 from 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., which will feature additional items from BPL’s Serge Koussevitzky Collection (and will accompany a brand-new exhibit related to Koussevitzky’s legacy in the Special Collections Lobby on display through March 2024). Feel free to come to any part of the programming that interests you as well as share with anyone else who may have an interest in these events.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out, but I hope to see many of you at these programs soon!
All the best,
Jared
-------------
The Associates of the Boston Public Library (Associates) in collaboration with the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) and the Boston Public Library (BPL) are thrilled to announce the 2024 Pierce Performance Series. This year’s series celebrates the 150th anniversary of conductor Serge Koussevitzky’s birth and the centennial of his appointment as BSO music director. Three programs featuring speakers and musical performances will be held at the Boston Public Library’s Central Library in Copley Square on October 15, October 29, and November 19. Each program will start at 6 p.m.
Serge Koussevitzky was a transformative force in American music, elevating the Boston Symphony Orchestra to prominence, championing music education, and commissioning innovative works that significantly shaped 20th-century symphonic music.
The Associates fund the BPL’s Curator of Music, Conservation Officer, and the Metadata Catalogers who worked to preserve, digitize, and curate the BPL’s Serge Koussevitzky Collection which includes 2,500 annotated scores, photographs, and ephemera. Items from the Koussevitzky Collection will be on display in the BPL’s Special Collections Lobby from October 2024 through March 2025.
2024 Pierce Performance Series Schedule:
- Tuesday, October 15:
- 3:30-5:30 p.m. - BPL Special Collections Open House: Celebrating Serge Koussevitzky. The BPL’s Special Collections team will host an Open House in the Special Collections Reading Room featuring items from the Serge Koussevitzky Collection, curated by BPL Curator of Music Jared Rex.
- 6-7 p.m. - Koussevitzky, Innovator. In Rabb Hall, Jared Rex, along with the BSO’s Blanche and George Jones Director of Archives/Digital Collections, Bridget Carr, will discuss how the BPL’s Serge Koussevitzky Collection and the BSO archives document Koussevitzky’s impact on the music world. The program will include a short chamber music performance featuring BSO musicians. (Register for a free ticket here!)
- 7-8 p.m. - Wine and Cheese Reception. Hosted by the Associates of the Boston Public Library.
- Tuesday, October 29:
- 6–7 p.m. - Koussevitzky’s Legacy. A conversation in Rabb Hall centered on Serge Koussevitzky’s influence on the orchestra’s sound and the artistic trajectory of contemporary American symphonic
music, featuring Northeastern emeritus professor and Russian music scholar Harlow Robinson and PRX radio host Tom Godell. The program will include a performance of the final movement of Benjamin Britten’s String Quartet No. 2 in C, Op. 36, featuring BSO musicians.
(Register for a free ticket here!)
- Tuesday, November 19:
- 6–7 p.m. - Koussevitzky, Musician. A discussion in Rabb Hall on Koussevitzky’s origins as a double bass virtuoso and impresario, with WCRB’s Brian McCreath and BSO Principal Bass Edwin Barker.
The program will include a performance by Mr. Barker of selections from Koussevitzky’s legendary 1929 Boston recital.
(Register for a free ticket here!)
For more details or to register for free tickets, visit www.AssociatesBPL.org/Pierce.
ABOUT THE ASSOCIATES OF THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY AND THE PIERCE PERFORMANCE SERIES
The Associates is an independent non-profit that raises funds to preserve, digitize, and promote the Boston Public Library’s Special Collections and its historic, literary, and artistic treasures. Since its inception in 1972, the Associates has been the driving force and sponsor behind many programs, including the Writer-in-Residence program, the Hundred-Year Retroactive Book Award, and Literary Lights. Now in its sixth year, the Associates’ Pierce Performance Series seeks to raise awareness of the Boston Public Library’s Special Collections through free public performances. Thanks to the Harold Whitworth Pierce Charitable Trust, these performances have brought the BPL’s historical treasures to life for a broad audience. For more information, please visit www.AssociatesBPL.org or connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, or X.
ABOUT KOUSSEVITZKY 150 AND THE BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Special programming and yearlong activities continue to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Serge Koussevitzky’s birth and the 100th anniversary of his appointment as leader of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Earlier this year, the BSO created an online Koussevitzky 150 exhibit that includes an interactive timeline, videos focused on different aspects of Koussevitzky’s legacy, and rare archival recordings of Koussevitzky conducting the BSO. In addition, Koussevitzky’s legacy was explored throughout the Tanglewood season this past summer, including three Shed concerts in which BSO Music Director Andris Nelsons and the orchestra shared the stage with distinguished guest artists in works composed by or commissioned by the legendary Russian-born conductor, composer, and double-bassist.
ABOUT THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
Established in 1848, the Boston Public Library is a pioneer of public library service in America. It was the first large, free municipal library in the United States; the first public library to lend books; the first to have a branch library; and the first to have a children’s room. The Boston Public Library of today is a robust system that includes the Central Library in Copley Square, 25 neighborhood branches, the Norman B. Leventhal Map and Education Center, the Kirstein Business Library and Innovation Center, and an archival center, offering public access to world-class special collections of rare books, manuscripts, photographs, and prints, along with rich digital content and online services. The Boston Public Library serves nearly 4 million visitors per year and millions more online. All of its programs and exhibitions are free to all and open to the public. The Boston Public Library is a department of the City of Boston, under the leadership of Mayor Michelle Wu. To learn more, visit bpl.org.
--
Jared Rex (he/him/his)
Curator of Music
Boston Public Library
700 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116