The Art of Philip Guston

Philip Guston Now is on view through August 27 at the National Gallery of Art.

Inscapes: Words and Images, 1977 Poster | Retail: $35; Member: $20*

*Member pricing applies to Promoter level and above For membership levels visit SmithsonianAssociates.org/levels

What Does It Mean To Live a Good Life?

Philosophical Evenings

What better way to spend four March evenings than by pondering one of the central questions of the Western philosophical tradition: What does it mean to live a good life? Learn how some of the greatest philosophers of all time have approached this fundamental question and how the question lives on today.

Discussions are led by philosophy scholar Michael Gorman

MAR 7 Plato and Aristotle on the Life of Reason

MAR 14 Augustine and Aquinas on the Life of Reason...with Divine Help

MAR 21 Modern Approaches: Hume, Kant, Mill

MAR 28 Modern Moral Philosophy in Question

4 sessions: Tues., March 7–28, 6:30 p.m.; CODE 1M2-251; Members $80; Nonmembers $90

A Celebration of French Music

France is an immeasurable powerhouse of cultural achievement. Through French politics and history, philosophy, fine arts, and cuisine, our lives continue to be influenced by the Gallic vision of society. And in many ways, the history of French music is also the history of Western music. But what makes French music French?

Popular speaker and concert pianist Rachel Franklin combines lectures and piano demonstrations to explore the social, political, religious, and cultural influences that shaped the output of France’s great composers. She presents a selection of the greatest works in the literature from early 12th-century polyphony by Léonin and Pérotin; exquisite work by Guillaume de Machaut (14th century) and Josquin des Prez (15th century); the 19th-century massive scale and spectacle of Hector Berlioz and Georges Bizet; and modernity defined by Satie, Milhaud, Poulenc, and Messiaen.

MAR 21 700 Years in 2 Hours

MAR 28 Excess, Outrage, and Virtuosity

APR 4 Passing the Flame

APR 11 Modernism Smashes Old Idols

4 sessions: Tues., March 21–April 11, 12–2 p.m.; CODE 1K0-345; Members $95; Nonmembers $105

Barbra Streisand: She’s All That

She’s all-daring and all-voice, magnificent and maddening, improbable and irreplaceable. We might sometimes poke fun at her (she does) or say she’s “last year,” but when she starts to sing, she can still your heart or lift you over the moon. She’s a sorceress of song who covers pop tunes, show tunes, movie tunes, and Sondheim with ease. And then there are her movies— funny, tender, or over the top.

Documentary filmmaker and writer Sara Lukinson’s abundant clips make this a fun night to spend with La Streisand.

Tues., March 28, 6:45 p.m.; CODE 1K0-347; Members $20; Nonmembers $25

The Smithsonian Chamber Music Society: 2023 Season

In Person

All performances are in the Nicholas and Eugenia Taubman Hall of Music, American History Museum

The Axelrod String Quartet: Stradivarius and Amati

Join the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society for the unparalleled experience of hearing two magnificent quartets of instruments—one made by Antonio Stradivari, the other by his teacher Nicoló Amati. Axelrod String Quartet members Marc Destrubé, James Dunham, and Kenneth Slowik perform with guest violinists in programs that illustrate the breadth of the quartet repertoire while being unified through the inclusion of a Beethoven quartet in F Major on each program.

Sat., April 1 and Sun., April 2: Mozart: Quartet in G Major, K387 Bartók: Quartet No. 1, Op. 7; Beethoven: Quartet in F Major, Op. 59, No. 1; with guest violinist Mark Fewer

Sat., April 29 and Sun., April 30: Haydn: Quartet in D Minor, Op. 76, No. 2, “Fifths”; Britten: Quartet No. 2 in C Major, Op. 36; Beethoven: Quartet in F Major, Op. 135; with guest violinist Joseph Puglia

Sat., April 1 (CODE 1P0-770); Sun., April 2 (CODE 1P0-773); Sat., April 29 (CODE 1P0-771); Sun., April 30 (CODE 1P0-774); Members $27; Nonmembers $35

In Person

More Musical Delights in the 2023 Concert Season

A Celebration of Marin Marais

The Smithsonian Chamber Players

Marin Marais (1656–1728) was a preeminent French master of the bass viola da gamba. The program includes works for one, two, and three viols, with accompaniment provided by the colorful team of viol, theorbo, and harpsichord.

The players are Kenneth Slowik, Rebecca Landell-Reed, and Catherine Slowik, viol; Lucas Harris, theorbo; and Webb Wiggins, harpsichord.

Sat., March 18, 7:30 p.m.; CODE 1P0-777; Members $25; Nonmembers $35

Sun., March 19, 7 p.m.; CODE 1P0-778; Members $25; Nonmembers $35

Smithsonian Chamber Music Society concerts are held in the intimate Nicholas and Eugenia Taubman Hall of Music, American History Museum

Please visit SmithsonianAssociates.org to view the FAQ on Health & Safety guidelines

Read more about programs in this guide on our website. Search by code or date. Expanded program descriptions, presenters’ information, and more at SmithsonianAssociates.org.

Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra Concert Series

Under the artistic direction of maestro Charlie Young, Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra has celebrated some of the greatest jazz music throughout its 32-year history as one of the crown jewels of the National Museum of American History.

Jazzed About Art Jazz Appreciation Month

To kick off the annual worldwide celebration of jazz, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra offers a soundtrack filled with rhythm, texture, and color as it showcases the work of prominent 20th–century visual artists including William Sharp, John Fenton, and Romare Bearden. Be-Bop by Dizzy Gillespie, Crying and Sighing by McKinney’s Cotton Pickers, and Kingdom of Not by Sun Ra are among the musical selections.

Sat., April 1, 7 p.m.; Baird Auditorium, Natural History Museum; CODE 1P0-780; Members $20; Nonmembers $25

The Duke Ellington Orchestra: A Centennial Celebration

They’ve been called everything from the Washingtonians to Duke Ellington and His Kentucky Club Orchestra to Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra (and more). But the Duke Ellington Orchestra under any name maintains an unparalleled place in the history of American music. This year marks the 100th anniversary of this legendary ensemble, and the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra is ready to celebrate its vast musical legacy. Performance selections include Rainy Nights, Harlem Airshaft, Charpoy, and The Biggest and Busiest Intersection

Sat., June 10, 7 p.m; Baird Auditorium, Natural History Museum; CODE 1P0781; Members $20; Nonmembers $25

Literature’s Nobel Prize Who Won, Who Didn’t, and Why It Matters

Each year in October, the greatest award in the world of books— the Nobel Prize in Literature—is announced. Since 1901, the Swedish Academy has given the prize to an author from any country who has produced “the most outstanding work in an idealistic direction.” These subjective words have led to choices that have been alternately celebrated and criticized.

Join Joseph Luzzi, a professor of comparative literature at Bard College, as he delves into the history of the prize, including some of the Academy’s more controversial losers (Leo Tolstoy) and winners (Bob Dylan).

Thurs., April 13, 6:30 p.m.; CODE 1J0-253; Members $30; Nonmembers $35

Smithsonian Chorus: Legends of Song

If you’re looking for a choral program that celebrates memorable music across the decades, this is the one for you. Join fellow music lovers to sing timeless classics from the 1920s and ’30s such as I Got Rhythm all the way to ’70s and ’80s hits like I’ll Be There and Don’t Stop Believin.

Choral conductor and music educator Ernest Johnson leads the ensemble in arrangements of the hits you know and love. Songs may include favorites by the Gershwins, Duke Ellington, the Beatles, and others, selected by the conductor. (The final song list and musical arrangements are chosen to fit the specific vocal and musical abilities of the group.)

The experience is designed to entertain, challenge, and educate adult singers of all skill levels. Singers receive general instruction in vocal techniques that include exercises in healthy breath. Basic music reading instruction included as music is rehearsed. Rehearsals culminate in a free performance on June 8.

8 sessions plus performance: Thurs., April 13–May 4, Tues., May 9, Thurs., May 18–June 1, 6:30–8:30 p.m.; Thurs., June 8 performance, 7 p.m.; Ripley Center; CODE 1P0-782; Members $120; Nonmembers: $135

Celebrating Brahms

The Man, His Music, and His Legacy

Impassioned romanticism and classical principles are reconciled in the masterworks of Johannes Brahms. Opera and classical music expert Saul Lilienstein examines the breadth of Brahms’ extraordinary career, from his teenage years playing piano in the brothels of Hamburg to his sweeping triumphs in Vienna and international recognition as the greatest living symphonist. Explore the full range of his work in this series highlighted by film clips and music recordings.

APR 18 Music for Piano and Chamber Ensembles

APR 25 Choral Masterworks and Lieder

MAY 2 Concertos

MAY 9 Symphonic Music, Part I

MAY 16 Symphonic Music, Part 2

5 sessions: Tues., April 18–May 16, 12–1:30 p.m.; CODE 1M2-255; Members $85; Nonmembers $95

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How Culture Works

Driven by the Intersection of Peoples

What good are the arts? Two faculty members of Harvard University, Martin Puchner, a professor of English and comparative literature, and Maya Jasanoff, a professor of history, converse on how humanity has sought to understand and transmit to future generations not just the “know-how” of life but the “know-why”— the meaning and purpose of our existence, as expressed in art, architecture, religion, and philosophy. They also explore how contact among different peoples has driven artistic innovation in every era.

Mon., April 17, 12–1:15 p.m.; CODE 1J0-264; Members $20; Nonmembers $25

More Stories from the American Songbook

Here are more of those wonderful songs we love and the stories behind their long and unexpected lives. Each program takes up the work of one songwriter and a few of his familiar, forever songs, where daydreams, blue skies, and love lost and found still live. Combining a lively lecture with a wide variety of film clips, filmmaker and cultural historian Sara Lukinson traces how these favorite songs from the Great American Songbook came to be and how different artists, unexpected arrangements, and changing times transformed them into something new but still the same.

APR 19 Blue Skies: Songs by Irving Berlin

MAY 3 My Huckleberry Friend: Songs by Johnny Mercer

MAY 17 The Look of Love: Songs by Burt Bacharach

3 sessions: Wed., Apr. 19, May 3, May 17, 12–1:15 p.m.; CODE 1K0-357; Members $45; Nonmembers $55

Individual sessions: Wed., Apr. 19 (CODE 1K0-358); Wed., May 3 (CODE 1K0-359); Wed., May 17 (CODE 1K0-360); 12–1:15 p.m.; Members $20; Nonmembers $25

Gods and Mortals

A Modern Look at Ancient Greek Myths

Gripping tales that abound with fantastic characters and astonishing twists and turns, Greek myths confront what it means to be mortal in a world of powerful forces beyond human control. Gods transform themselves into animals, humans, and shimmering gold to visit the earth in disguise, and mortals use their wits and strength to conquer the forces unleashed by the gods.

Classicist Sarah Iles Johnston looks at some of the best-known tales as well as others that are seldom told; highlights rich connections among characters and stories; and draws attention to the often-overlooked perspectives of female characters.

Wed., April 26, 6:45 p.m.; CODE 1K0-361; Members $20; Nonmembers $25

Virgil’s Aeneid

Perusing Ancient Rome’s Greatest Epic Poem

Two millennia after it was composed, Virgil’s Aeneid remains one of the most influential and remarkable works in Western literature. Joseph Luzzi, a professor of comparative literature at Bard College, delves into what makes Virgil’s great work tick.

This ancient poem that recounts the myth of how the Roman empire was founded remains relevant today, Luzzi says. He explains why the Aeneid has unusual force and how it continues—as well as departs from—the storyline of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey.

Thurs., May 11, 6:30 p.m.; CODE 1J0-262; Members $30; Nonmembers $35

Dido, Queen of Carthage, and Aeneas from Virgil's Aeneid

Jazz and Blues on Film

While 20th-century jazz and blues artists have been well documented in books and documentaries, the cinematic achievements of these remarkable performers have either been downplayed or deeply undervalued. This is especially puzzling, says film historian Max Alvarez, because of the tremendous impact blues musicians and singers had on commercial films from the late 1920s to the early 1960s, where they easily stole any musical comedy, show business biopic, or edgy melodrama in which they had fleeting cameos.

Alvarez leads an electrifying two-part musical journey that begins in 1929 with Bessie Smith’s only screen appearance (Dudley Murphy’s St. Louis Blues) and culminates in Dave Brubeck’s work in the 1962 British drama All Night Long. As a bonus, Alvarez pays tribute to a 1986 French film many consider to be the greatest ever made about jazz and blues: Bertrand Tavernier’s ’Round Midnight starring brilliant tenor sax player Dexter Gordon.

2 sessions: Wed., May 17 and 24, 6:30 p.m.; CODE 1K0-367; Members $50; Nonmembers $60

Robinson Crusoe: The Classic Castaway

Robinson Crusoe (1719) is one of the first English novels and still one of the best. Everyone knows the basic story: Marooned alone on an island, Crusoe must create a new life of security and self-sufficiency from local resources and the items he’s able to rescue from the ship.

Daniel Defoe’s fascinating account of the survival—and the eventual triumph—of Robinson Crusoe represents a key field test of Enlightenment economics. Which is the climax of the novel: when Crusoe discovers the footprint of another man on the island or when he re-invents agriculture there with a few discarded seeds he finds in a small bag? Defoe’s prose style is entirely accessible to 21st-century readers. Join public humanities scholar Clay Jenkinson for an evening with this splendid and influential work of English fiction.

Tues., May 16, 6:30 p.m.; CODE 1K0-365; Members $30; Nonmembers $35

George Gershwin: Our Love Is Here to Stay

George Gershwin is one of the giants of American music, unique in that he was a brilliant composer of both popular songs (Swanee, I Got Rhythm, They Can’t Take That Away From Me) and more serious music, including Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris, and Porgy and Bess.

Pianist and Gershwin authority Robert Wyatt explores the composer’s life and legacy, sharing film clips, music recordings, and rare film footage, along with unpublished photographs. Archival recordings of his 1934 radio program, “Music by Gershwin,” are also featured. S’wonderful!

Tues., May 23, 6:30 p.m.; CODE 1M2-261; Members $30; Nonmembers $35

Music Inspired by the Natural World

A painter can create entire worlds on a flat piece of paper. But where is a composer to start when seeking to represent the natural universe through sound? Centuries of exquisite nature-inspired concert works show just how well it can be done through direct imitation, allegory, and symbolism. Over time, composers have fashioned powerful musical vocabularies that guide us to “see” harmonies as visual images.

In this 4-session course, popular speaker and concert pianist Rachel Franklin uses her unique live piano demonstrations and fascinating film clips to explore how such masters as Beethoven, Mahler, Wagner, Vivaldi, Holst, Vaughan Williams, Saint-Saëns, and countless others who composed beloved works that conjure our natural world.

MAY 24 Earth: Its Creation, Seasons, and Landscapes

MAY 31 Heavenly Marvels

JUNE 7 Creatures of the Earth, Sea, and Sky

JUNE 14 Water, Water Everywhere

4 sessions: Wed., May 24–June 14, 12–2 p.m.; CODE 1K0-366; Members $95; Nonmembers $105

Bob Dylan and American Memory

“’Twas a dark day in Dallas, November ’63,” begins Bob Dylan’s most recent magnum opus, the song Murder Most Foul. From his earliest days as a songwriter, he presented himself as a witness to American history in songs about dispossessed workers and racial injustice. As his musical output unfolded, Dylan increasingly focused on how our art forms construct a common American culture and memory—topics that have become more significant in his work since the beginning of the current century.

Timothy Hampton, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley, examines some of Dylan’s most famous songs to reveal his deep interest in historical themes and social change as well as how his music asks us to think about the way the past is remembered and shaped by art.

Thurs., May 25, 6:30 p.m.; CODE 1H0-768; Members $20; Nonmembers $25

Documentary film poster for Don’t Look Back, 1967

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Jane Austen: Forever Fascinating

Why do so many readers throughout the world still clamor for the books of Jane Austen? How did she help reinvent the novel with her powerfully original writing and unique artistic vision? And why is her life the subject of ongoing fascination—and Hollywood movies? English professor Joseph Luzzi explores the remarkable career and astonishing life of a woman who overcame countless obstacles to become one of the most revered authors in the literary tradition.

10 a.m. Jane Austen: Life and Work of an Unlikely Legend

11:15 a.m. Sense and Sensibility

12:15 p.m. Break

12:45 p.m. Pride and Prejudice

2 p.m. Persuasion and Concluding Thoughts

Sat., June 3, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.; CODE 1J0-267; Members $80; Nonmembers $90

How Disney Conquered the Entertainment Universe

Over the last nine decades, the Walt Disney Company has played a huge role in transforming every facet of the entertainment business, including feature-length cartoons, television, theme parks, film, Broadway musicals, and streaming services. Media historian Brian Rose examines a remarkable story of creativity and media growth as he traces how the company evolved from a small cartoon studio in 1923 to one of the most powerful forces in worldwide entertainment today.

Mon., June 12, 6:30 p.m.; CODE 1J0-269; Members $20; Nonmembers $25

Support what we do at Smithsonian Associates

For more than half a century, education has been at the very heart of what we do at Smithsonian Associates. We open the doors of the Smithsonian’s vast knowledge resources to people of all ages.

Please help us continue to carry out our educational mission by making a charitable contribution today. Your help is essential because, unlike the museums, Smithsonian Associates is not federally funded and relies entirely on donations and membership support to bridge the gap between program expenses and ticket revenue.

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Unless noted, all programs are presented on Zoom; listed times are Eastern Time. Online registration is required.

The Geology of Western National Parks

Join geologist Kirt Kempter as he explores the geology of Western National Parks over the course of 2023, with an in-depth look at one location every month. Each program’s content is enhanced by geologic maps, photos, and Google Earth imagery.

MAR 6 Grand Canyon, Arizona

APR 10 Zion and Bryce, Utah

MAY 1 Valles Caldera, New Mexico

JUN 5 Death Valley, California

I N SI DE S C I ENCE 3 sessions: Mon., April 10, Mon., May 1, and Mon., June 5, 7 p.m.; CODE 1NV-GE2; Members $60; Nonmembers $75

Individual programs: Mon., March 6 (CODE 1NV-019); Mon., Apr. 10 (CODE 1NV-029); Mon., May 1 (CODE 1NV-030); Mon., June 5 (CODE 1NV-031); Members $25; Nonmembers $30

“See You in Orbit?” A History of Space Tourism

Millions of dreamers have anticipated their chance to travel in space. However, since human space travel began, fewer than 650 earthlings have viewed our planet from a spaceship. What makes so many people think they have the slightest chance to fulfill the dream?

Alan Ladwig, former manager of NASA’s Space Flight Participant Program, has one answer: For the past 70-plus years, space visionaries, aerospace companies, government agencies, and the media have told us the countdown is coming. Ladwig draws on his book See You in Orbit? Our Dream of Spaceflight as he examines the expectations surrounding space tourism.

I N SI DE S C I ENCE Thurs., March 23, 7 p.m.; CODE 1NV-027; Members $25; Nonmembers $30

A Journey Through the Potomac Gorge

One of the most biologically diverse and ecologically significant landmarks in America, the Potomac Gorge, located near Washington, D.C., has held an important place in human history since the Ice Age.

Naturalist and author Melanie Choukas-Bradley has spent the past year exploring the gorge on foot, by bicycle, and by kayak. She leads a virtual journey along the most dramatic section of the 405-mile-long river: the 15-mile stretch from Great Falls in Maryland and Virginia to Theodore Roosevelt Island. It’s a perfect way to plan outdoor adventures for the coming seasons.

Wed., March 29, 12–1:30 p.m.; CODE 1NV-026; Members $25; Nonmembers $30

All Smithsonian Associates online programs are closed captioned

Assateague: A Natural History Primer

Garden educator and naturalist Keith Tomlinson leads a virtual tour of Assateague Island National Seashore and neighboring Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. The barrier islands have their own ecology, with ephemeral landscapes bound by the coastal plain and the restless Atlantic Ocean. Marine and continental biomes converge to create natural spaces that attract visitors seeking recreational opportunities including remote beach hiking, birding, biking, and camping. Appealing as well are glimpses of the managed free-ranging herds of horses.

Tomlinson also explores unique maritime forests, dune communities, and intertidal wetlands, as well as the island’s fascinating human history.

I N SI DE S C I ENCE Thurs., March 30, 7 p.m.; CODE 1NV-025; Members $25; Nonmembers $30

Black Holes 101

Black holes are bizarre cosmic objects whose gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape them. And although you might guess that Einstein came up with the concept of black holes, the idea can be traced back to the late 1700s. But Einstein did develop the notion that three-dimensional space and time are part of a single framework to describe the known universe and how black holes shape it.

Kelly Beatty, senior editor at Sky & Telescope magazine, discusses how cosmologists still grapple with how best to describe and study them.

I N SI DE S C I ENCE Wed., March 29, 6:45 p.m; CODE 1L0-505; Members $20; Nonmembers $25

Artist's concept of the most distant supermassive black hole ever discovered

Close-up on Warblers

Birding fans are familiar with year-round feathered friends such as northern cardinals and blue jays, but there’s a secret world of neotropical birds that temporarily make their home in North America. Many of these tiny colorful gems are warblers, beautiful insect-eating birds that migrate from as far as South America to breed. Migrating hundreds of miles overnight, these warblers look for any suitable habitat to drop into as dawn approaches. Join naturalist Matt Felperin to learn more about why warblers undertake such a dangerous journey and how to find them in the wild—and enjoy some fantastic warbler photographs.

I N SI DE S C I ENCE Wed., April 12, 7 p.m.; CODE 1NV-034; Members $25; Nonmembers $30

What time does the program end? Unless noted, Smithsonian Associates programs run 1 hour 15 min.–2 hours, including Q&A