Events at the Library of Congress

Thursday, June 17, 8-9 p.m. ET

Watch the premiere with closed captions on Facebook and YouTube.

Accordionist Ksenija Sidorova dazzles with “breathtaking virtuosity” (The Observer, London) in this not-to-be-missed recital. Highlights in this wide-ranging hour are three scintillating tangos from her new Piazzolla recording, an homage to the composer’s centenary, which earned the coveted Editor’s Choice award from Gramophone magazine.

Click here to learn more. 

Pavel Haas Quartet with Boris Giltburg

Friday, June 18, 8-9 p.m. ET

Watch the premiere with closed captions on Facebook and YouTube.

Now firmly established as one of the great string quartets performing today, the Pavel Haas Quartet returns to the Library virtually with an exciting program of inimitable works. Offering one of the classic Bartók quartets alongside one of their signature works by Smetana, the Czech powerhouse is joined by pianist Boris Giltburg for Brahms’ piano quintet, the holograph manuscript of which is held at the Library of Congress.

Click here to learn more. 

Homegrown: Jody Stecher and Kate Brislin

Wednesday, June 16, noon-12:30 p.m. ET

Watch the premiere with closed captions on Facebook and YouTube.

Kate Brislin is a specialist in singing with others, a peerless blender. She was a founding member of the all female Any Old Time String Band in the 1970s. Tone and rhythm are paramount in the way she plays five-string banjo and guitar. Jody Stecher has been a soloist, a band member, an amateur folklorist, a record producer, an unusually enabling teacher, and an individualistic multi-instrumentalist and singer. Their craft is twofold: The creation of arrangements and versions of traditional songs, and the way they perform them, which includes a good deal of spontaneity. 

Click here to learn more. 

The Middle East in 2021

Thursday, June 17, 1-2 p.m. ET

Watch the premiere with closed captions on YouTube.

Join us for a panel discussion of current events in the Middle East led by moderator and Kluge Center Scholars Council Member Lisa Anderson and featuring Tamara Wittes, Rabab El Mahdi, and Mehran Kamrava. Participants will consider the complex interconnection between US foreign policy and ongoing diplomacy and conflict in the region.

Click here to learn more. 

Webinars from the Library of Congress

• Prints & Photographs Orientation: Commemorating Pride Month

  Wednesday, June 16, 3-4 p.m. ET

  This orientation session will include a brief introduction to photographs, posters and other pictures in the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division that relate to LGBTQ history and culture. Instruction will cover library search tools, online resources, and how to prepare for a future visit to the reading room. Register on Zoom. 

• New Laws of China and How to Find Them Online

  Thursday, June 17, 2-3 p.m. ET

  Foreign law specialist Laney Zhang will discuss the legal status and authority of various documents under China’s Law on Legislation. In particular, the webinar will discuss the evolving official online publication of Chinese laws, regulations, and court decisions. Specific new laws, such as the Civil Code and Amendment XI to the Criminal Law, both passed in 2020, will be highlighted. Register on Zoom.