MAY EVENTS
Grossman Ensemble
Saturday, May 9, 2026, 8:00 p.m.
Thomas Jefferson Building - Coolidge Auditorium
10 First Street SE. Washington DC 20540
Reserve Tickets Here
This concert marks the inaugural tour of Chicago’s Grossman Ensemble, one of the Windy City’s artistic treasures. Led by conductor Stefan Asbury, the group will perform music by prominent American and British composers, including Augusta Read Thomas, Sean Shepherd, and Sir George Benjamin. Known for their meticulous attention to detail and artistic investment in the music they perform, the Grossman Ensemble will paint with sound in a magical D.C. debut. Rescheduled from November 15, 2025. .
Pre-concert Conversation with the Artists, 6:30 pm, Whittall Pavilion.
Close to You: A Celebration of Burt Bacharach
Monday, May 11, 2026, 8:00 p.m.
Thomas Jefferson Building, Coolidge Auditorium
10 First Street SE. Washington DC 20540
Reserve Tickets Here
The Library of Congress celebrates the acquisition of the papers of legendary songwriter and composer Burt Bacharach. The 2012 Gershwin Prize honoree’s body of work, which includes celebrated film scores and award-winning popular music hits such as “Raindrops Keep Dropping on My Head” and “Close to You,” became a staple of American culture in the 1960s and ‘70s. Under the artistic direction of Broadway director and conductor Andy Einhorn, the evening concert features Tony and Grammy-nominated artist Liz Callaway, Jordan Tyson of Hadestown on Broadway, Cassondra James (The Queen of Versailles), Danny Kornfeld (Harmony), and Zachary Noah Piser (Dear Evan Hansen). Enjoy an unforgettable evening of signature songs as well as rare pieces from Bacharach’s collection housed at the Library.
Pre-concert Conversation with the Artists, 6:30 pm, Whittall Pavilion.
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FILM: “Let’s get Lost” [NR], 2h, (1988)
Friday, May 15, 2026, 5:00 p.m.
James Madison Building, Pickford Theater
101 Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20540
Reserve Tickets Here
Legendary jazz trumpeter Chet Baker’s virtuosity shines in this revealing documentary, made a year before his death, showing a man ravaged by decades of drug use.
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Christian McBride
Friday, May 15, 2026, 8:00 p.m.
Thomas Jefferson Building, Coolidge Auditorium
10 First Street SE. Washington DC 20540
Reserve Tickets Here
The multifaceted, award-winning bassist Christian McBride comes to the Library of Congress to mark the 20th anniversary of the release of “Live at Tonic.” The original quartet reunites to relive the live recording from the now-closed Tonic Club, once located on New York City’s Lower East Side. This upbeat, dynamic set, filled with striking solos and improvisations, showcases a group of virtuosic old friends and promises an unforgettable night of music.
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Simone Dinnerstein, Jennifer Johnson Cano, Katherine Needleman, and Baroklyn
Wednesday, May 27, 2026, 8:00 p.m.
Thomas Jefferson Building, Coolidge Auditorium
10 First Street SE. Washington DC 20540
Reserve Tickets Here
Simone Dinnerstein, Jennifer Johnson Cano, Katherine Needleman and the Baroklyn ensemble perform an evening of chamber works by J.S. Bach. Baroklyn’s arresting new arrangements and transcriptions of the chorales, concerto and cantata on the program were chosen by Dinnerstein, “a unique voice in the forest of Bach interpretation,” (New York Times). Created for the group’s recent Complicité project, they reveal an intimate and thoughtful reimagining of Bach’s music that allows us to experience his genius through contemporary ears. Rescheduled from November 6, 2025.
Pre-concert Conversation: Let the People Hear It: Concerts from the Library of Congress at 100.
Book Talk with co-authors Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres and David H. Plylar, PhD. Books will be available for purchase.
6:30 pm, Whittall Pavilion
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JUNE EVENTS
Live! At the Library: “The Disappearance of Miss Scott” [TV-14], 1h 27mins, (2025)
Thursday, June 4, 2026, 5:00 p.m.
James Madison Building, Pickford Theater
101 Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20540
Reserve Tickets Here
Introduced by Adam Clayton Powell III
The Disappearance of Miss Scott chronicles Hazel Scott’s meteoric rise as a jazz talent and major Hollywood star. The first African American to have her own television show, she was also an influential civil rights pioneer before being blacklisted during the Red Scare of the 1950’s. Produced by 4th Act Actual for the PBS American Masters series, this rich documentary tells the story of of Hazel Scott’s extraordinary life fully for the first time.
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Live! At the Library: Ekep Nkwelle
Thursday, June 4, 2026, 8:00 p.m.
Thomas Jefferson Building, Coolidge Auditorium
10 First Street SE. Washington DC 20540
Reserve Tickets Here
Rising jazz star Ekep Nkwelle, a graduate of Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Howard University and Juilliard, captivates audiences with her vocal exuberance, versatility, and charisma.
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Live! At the Library: 2026 Jazz Scholar: Playing with Fire: The Counterpoint of Hazel Scott's Virtuosity, Erasure and Emergence
Thursday, June 18, 2026, 6:00 p.m.
Thomas Jefferson Building, Whitthall Pavilion
10 First Street SE. Washington DC 20540
No Tickets Required
Karen Chilton is an author, cultural historian, and biographer whose work focuses on African American music, film, and performance history. She is the official biographer of Hazel Scott and the author of "Hazel Scott: The Pioneering Journey of a Jazz Pianist, from Café Society to Hollywood". Chilton returns to the Library as the 2026 Jazz Scholar to further expand her research on Scott’s enduring legacy.
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Live! At the Library: Stanley Clarke
Thursday, June 18, 2026, 8:00 p.m.
Thomas Jefferson Building, Whitthall Pavilion
10 First Street SE. Washington DC 20540
Reserve Tickets Here
Stanley Clarke, known for his jazz fusions, innovative bass techniques and role as a champion of the bass, performs with his quintet at the Library of Congress.
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Event Registration
Etix
Concertgoers will receive seat assignments when they register for events. Space available admission will continue to be available for each concert with the RUSH pass program.
RUSH Passes
Guests without assigned seats are welcome to attend, space permitting, and may register for a numbered RUSH pass upon arrival. Guests with RUSH passes will be seated five minutes before showtime, pending availability of unclaimed seats. Advance registrants who arrive after that time will be seated at the discretion of the House Manager space permitting. RUSH pass distribution starts two hours prior to the concert.
Music Division Blog: "In the Muse"
New Book Celebrates Concerts from the Library of Congress @ 100
Since 1925, the Library of Congress has presented one of the most prestigious and innovative concert series in the United States. Philanthropist Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge founded the series with the purpose of sharing music of the highest caliber with the American people. Her vision was clear: concerts would be free and open to all, the finest touring artists and ensembles would appear, and both traditional and new repertoire would be performed. Let the People Hear It: Concerts from the Library of Congress at 100 shares the history of this remarkable series through the people, music, and collections that have inspired countless listeners. Written by Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres and David H. Plylar.
Available now through the Library Store and from retailers everywhere.
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Happening at the Library
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