Boston Public Library Announces Composer-in-Residence Program

Boston Public Library announces its first Composer-in-Residence, Beau Kenyon, whose debut concert with the BPL takes place on Saturday, November 12, at 2:30 p.m. in Rabb Hall at the Central Library in Copley Square. Kenyon’s role in this pilot program includes enriching Library spaces and collections through public programs focused on music and performance throughout the library system.

The multi-platform, multidisciplinary event, “The Sound of,” is intended to connect various members of the Boston community in multiple ways all through the action of finding and creating stillness through sound. The concert features performances by Christina English (mezzo-soprano), Vanessa Holroyd (flute), Daniel Doña (viola), Franzisca Huhn (harp), and Beau Kenyon (piano) as they perform a collection of work by Toru Takemitsu, Marti Epstein, and Beau Kenyon.

“The Composer-in-Residence program at the Boston Public Library is one example of how the City of Boston supports local artists and incorporates them into civic life,” said Julie Burros, Chief of Arts & Culture for the City of Boston. “Artists play a critical role in ensuring Boston is a thriving and innovative city. They educate and inspire, helping all of us to realize the power of creativity.” 

“Boston Public Library is committed to engaging library users and visitors in a variety of ways, including through performance art; we are confident Beau Kenyon’s programs will thrill community members and further develop their appreciation of the arts,” said Michael Colford, Boston Public Library’s Director of Library Services.

The residency, running through June 2017, includes access to and use of the Boston Public Library’s circulating, research and special collections, creation of public music-related programs, and community outreach efforts to raise awareness of the Boston Public Library’s resources in the broader music community.

From June 3-10, 2017 Kenyon will also hold series of “And All the Men and Women Merely Players“ performances at the Central Library, celebrating the culmination of the Library’s Shakespeare initiative, All the City’s a Stage: A Season of Shakespeare at the Boston Public Library.

“I feel so fortunate to have this opportunity; this season, I'll be collaborating with incredible authors, musicians, choreographers, and librarians, and together, we'll create concert performances, sound and dance installations, and workshops - all free and open to the public,” said Beau Kenyon, Boston Public Library’s Composer-in-Residence. “Not only am I able to work with and celebrate Boston's creative talent, I am helping to create and pilot a residency for composers in the future,” he said.

An enthusiastic multi-disciplinarian, Beau Kenyon’s work is often inspired by the extra-musical, including dance, literature, visual arts, and even current events. Kenyon strives to collaborate with dancers, authors, artists, and filmmakers, with an aim towards redefining the performance landscape and widening the scope and accessibility of new music.

Kenyon is the director of extracurricular programs at Kingsley Montessori School; his programs include a music school for private study, academic enrichment courses, and an engineering and fine arts summer camp for elementary-aged students. Recent work includes collaboration with Urbanity Dance, Andrew Kelley (Boston Ballet) and Gino Di Marco (Boston Conservatory) through the North Atlantic Dance Theater, as well as a contributing composer role for Illuminus Boston’s project, Waking the Monster.

About BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY 
Boston Public Library has a Central Library, twenty-four branches, map center, business library, and a website filled with digital content and services. Established in 1848, the Boston Public Library has pioneered public library service in America. It was the first large free municipal library in the United States, the first public library to lend books, the first to have a branch library, and the first to have a children’s room. Each year, the Boston Public Library hosts thousands of programs and serves millions of people. All of its programs and exhibitions are free and open to the public. At the Boston Public Library, books are just the beginning. To learn more, visit bpl.org.