All upcoming Music & Theater programs

The longtime kings of jazz—Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie—were born within a few years of one another and overcame racial boundaries to become some of the most popular entertainers on the planet. Author Larry Tye follows the story of how these revolutionary musicians opened America’s eyes and souls to the magnificence of their music, and in the process wrote the soundtrack for the civil rights.

Billy Wilder, the Polish-born and German-raised genius behind The Apartment and Some Like It Hot, captured the outrageous quirkiness of the United States better than most of his Hollywood contemporaries His caustic and brutal observations manifested themselves in charming and sometimes-outrageous comedies, as well as forceful dramas. Film historian Max Alvarez salutes the laughter and intensity of the great Wilder and his unforgettable film achievements.

The more than 40 concertos of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are among the greatest bodies of work that exist in the Western concert music canon. From vivacious early experiments to the magisterial later masterworks, the composer’s sublime invention never dimmed. Pianist and scholar Rachel Franklin explores how Mozart  built the modern concerto form with inexhaustible creativity and shaped our contemporary expectations of virtuosity allied with expressive power.

Blues music goes back over 100 years and remains a vital genre of music today—and women blues musicians have been there since the start. Learn about that rich history through conversation and performances as Krystal Klingenberg, curator of music at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, is joined by blues and soul vocal legend Bettye LaVette and a sparkling newcomer, singer/songwriter Adia Victoria, for a discussion of their work in the field and the legacy that they share. (Free program; registration required.)

Dancing has provided some of the most ecstatic moments in film history—whether it’s Fred Astaire gliding on the ceiling in Royal Wedding, Moira Shearer pirouetting through the dreamscape of The Red Shoes, or John Travolta burning up the dance floor in Saturday Night Fever. Sharing more than 75 video clips, media historian Brian Rose surveys 130 years of thrilling movie dance performances.

Burt Bacharach composed for countless important artists during his storied 80-year career—which began in his teens­—but he and his lyricist Hal David reserved some of their most visionary work for the magnificent Dionne Warwick. Concert pianist and Bacharach and Warwick fan Rachel Franklin explores the power and depth of their creative relationship and the extraordinary songbook masterpieces these great artists have left us.

Film historian Max Alvarez surveys the turbulent film history of China via the brilliant and beautiful collaborations of Fifth Generation filmmaker Zhang Yimou­, whose career emerged in the wake of the Cultural Revolution­, and the stunning actress Gong Li, whose stardom instantly began with their first powerful alliance in Red Sorghum. Her remarkable versatility reinforced Zhang’s themes of resilience in the face of hardship and helped make the director’s later works—arguably compromised by the political pressure he faced—both intoxicating and mesmerizing.

Throughout the centuries composers have been drawn to the perfect simplicity of shorter musical forms—from preludes, bagatelles, and overtures to art songs, impromptus, and nocturnes. But creating these exquisite musical jewels is a demanding art. Pianist and scholar Rachel Franklin shows how it’s done using miniature marvels by Bach, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Grieg, Bartok, Brahms, Faure, Webern, Debussy, and others.

Filmmaker Céline Cousteau recounts the making of her documentary Tribes on the Edge, which examines the human and ecological threats faced by the Indigenous peoples of the Javari Valley reservation, located along Brazil’s Amazon border with Peru. She examines those aggressive forces—from deforestation to health crises, illegal mining to the dismantling of protections of land and human rights—and why the struggle for survival that played out in the Amazon has implications that reach across the globe.

Music is one of humanity’s oldest medicines, reflected in cultures across the globe that have rich traditions in using sound and rhythm to ease suffering, promote healing, and calm the mind. Neuroscientist, author, and musician Daniel J. Levitin explores the critical role music has played in human biology; why he finds it one of the most potent therapies today; and how it can contribute to the treatment of ailments from neurodegenerative diseases to cognitive injury, depression, and pain.