A chronic illness can be life-changing, but it doesn’t mean life is over.
In “The Swan Song Can Wait,” soprano Mandy Brown will share her cancer journey through a moving performance about resilience, adaptation, and finding joy after a life-changing diagnosis. Joined by pianist Tatiana Loisha, Brown will blend poetry and music spanning a variety of styles and languages to explore the challenges of illness and the transformative power of creativity. Organized into four chapters—Life Before, Chaos of Diagnosis, Adapting, and New Perspective—the program will trace Brown’s path with honesty, humor, and hope.
Created to challenge assumptions about life and artistry after a serious diagnosis, this intimate recital will celebrate perseverance and the many ways music can sustain us through periods of profound change. A passionate advocate for singers affected by breast cancer, Brown hopes her story will encourage others facing illness to embrace their creativity and discover a path forward.
A Q&A with the artists will follow the performance.
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.
Event DateThursday, October 8, 2026Start Time: 6:30pm EDTEnd Time: 7:30pm EDT
17 E Mt Vernon PlBaltimore, MD 21202
ContactSheridan Libraries and University MuseumsSam BessenArtistic Director of In the Stacks and Levy Family Curator of Sheet Music and Popular Culture6672086715inthestacks@jhu.edu
Signing in with your Johns Hopkins Events (or Ecommerce, Alumni) account will automatically fill in your name and address information in the next step of event registration. If facing issues while logged in, try submitting the form without login. Selecting Continue as Guest will allow you to register for an event without signing in to an existing Johns Hopkins account.
No items entered. Please add items below.
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.
