In the Stacks: African American Art Song

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Experience an evening of powerful music as singers from the Peabody Institute’s Vocal Studies department, led by Associate Professor Carl DuPont, present a curated recital of art songs by African American composers. 

Blending live performance with fresh scholarly perspective, the program will explore how race, gender, sexuality, and class have shaped these works and their reception. Through brief contextual insights, the student performers will connect each piece to its historical moment, revealing how these songs respond to political realities while expanding and challenging the art song tradition. 

Join us for a thought-provoking performance that offers a layered exploration of music rooted in the Black experience and affirms the ongoing relevance of this repertoire in shaping our understanding of the United States’ complex past.

Registration

  • Registration will open three weeks prior to the performance at 10 a.m.
  • Capacity is limited. Up to two tickets per person may be reserved prior to the program.
  • Registration is confirmed by email. Please cancel your registration if your plans change so that others may register.
  • Doors open at 6pm. Unclaimed tickets (regardless of registration) will be released to standby 10 minutes prior to the start of the program. Preregistered guests should arrive early to secure their seats.
  • If the program is sold out, walk-ins will be able to join a standby list on a first-come-first-served basis.
  • Most standby patrons are able to be accommodated.
  • If you require a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this event, please email inthestacks@jhu.edu with as much advance notice as possible.

About In the Stacks

The In the Stacks Concert Series at the Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries and University Museums offers an informal, dynamic way for audiences to engage with music and performance art. Throughout the year, this concert series activates Baltimore’s iconic George Peabody Library—a glorious space with five tiers of cast-iron balconies that soar up to a latticed spotlight—with art, music, dance, film, drama, and more. Join us for up-close, unforgettable experiences with musicians and performance artists who are thinking outside the box.

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 Event Date
Tuesday, March 31, 2026
Start Time: 6:30pm EDT
End Time: 7:30pm EDT

 Location
George Peabody Library

17 E Mt Vernon Pl
Baltimore, MD 21202

 Contact
Sheridan Libraries and University Museums
Sam Bessen
Artistic Director of In the Stacks and Levy Family Curator of Sheet Music and Popular Culture
667-208-6715
inthestacks@jhu.edu

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Thank you for supporting the In the Stacks concert series, a cultural outreach program of the Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries. Your investment will enable us to continue this free community music and performance art series that "Baltimore" magazine says makes classical music “accessible—and relevant—in the 21st century.” When you make a gift, you join the Friends of the Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries community, which provides support for acquisitions and conservation, public exhibitions and programming, and resources to help Hopkins scholars stay ahead in a research landscape that is constantly changing.

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