2024 Pierce Performance: 150 Years of Koussevitzky — Night 3 Recap
The Associates of the Boston Public Library presented the third and final evening in the sixth annual Pierce Performance Series, 150 Years of Koussevitzky, on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, at the Boston Public Library. This annual event aims to highlight treasures in the BPL's Special Collections through free public performances. This year honored the legendary Boston Symphony Orchestra conductor, Serge Koussevitzky. Peruse the digital program here.
The evening drew a remarkable audience of about 280 attendees, including notable figures such as Eric Valliere, BSO's Artistic Administrator, Bridget Carr, BSO’s Blanche and George Jones Director of Archives/Digital Collections, Anita Lincoln, Chair of the Pierce Performance Series Committee; C. F. “Rick” Stone III, Associates Treasurer, and Peter R.V. Brown, Former Chair of the Associates Board, among many others.
The evening began with a warm welcome from the Associates' Executive Director, Louisa Bissett. Following her introduction, Associates Board Chair, Alyce Lee, outlined the Associates of the Boston Public Library's mission to preserve and promote the BPL's Special Collections. The audience then heard from Jared Rex, the Associates-funded BPL Curator of Music, who spoke about the significance of the BPL’s Serge Koussevitzky Collection. He noted that the collection, previously inaccessible online, has undergone extensive cataloging and digitization, with 541 musical scores now available in the BPL’s online catalog, Digital Commonwealth.
Jared then introduced the evening’s guests: Edwin Barker, Principal Bass of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Brian McCreath, Director of Production at Classical Radio Boston (CRB). Barker, a renowned performer across North America, Europe, and the Far East, also teaches at Boston University’s College of Fine Arts and chairs instrumental and orchestral studies at Tanglewood Music Center. McCreath produces and hosts BSO broadcasts from Symphony Hall and Tanglewood. Jared also noted that the performance would feature collaborative pianist Debbie Emery.
Brian McCreath introduced himself and introduced the night's program as a masterclass that combined spoken explanations and short pieces of live music as pathways to explore Serge Koussevitzky’s impressive career and accomplishments.
The evening was incredibly informative, entertaining, and fun. Watch the condensed version of the hour-long program on the BSO's YouTube channel below.
This Pierce Performance Series would not have been possible without the efforts of the Pierce Performance Series Committee: Anita Lincoln (Chair), Peter R. V. Brown, Peter Drummey, Margo Newman Levine, Joan Patton, Lisa Rafferty, and Tom Wolf. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to our organizational partners, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, including Amy Aldrich, Bridget Carr, Rena Cohen, Catherine Cooper, Jan Devereux, Christina Dioguardi, Matthew Erikson, Joseph Kamay, Robert Kirzinger, Mark Rulison, Emily Siders, Alex Speir, and Eric Valliere; the Boston Public Library, including President David Leonard, Athena Adams, Amanda Andrews, Robert Cunningham, Trish Dowdall, Mary French, Jay Hamilton, Christopher Letizia, Beth Prindle, Jared Rex, Calder Sell, Deandra Williams, Facilities, and Security; and The Catered Affair for their assistance with this series. We are also grateful for the generosity of the Harold Whitworth Pierce Charitable Trust for underwriting this program.
For those who missed it, we’re pleased to share a recording of the event.
About the Associates' Pierce Performance Series
The Associates' Pierce Performance Series seeks to raise the visibility of the Boston Public Library’s Special Collections through free public performances and lectures. Thanks to the generosity of the Harold Whitworth Pierce Charitable Trust, this series has commemorated the hundredth anniversary of the Peace Jubilee, explored abolitionists' vital messages, celebrated women's suffrage, and explored the life of Thomas Paine and Phillis Wheatley Peters.
All photos were taken by Nile Hawver.