The spring programming from Swarthmore Music ranges from Afrofuturistic folk to Taiko drumming and includes performances, documentary film screenings, lectures, masterclasses and more. Broaden your musical horizons, take in old favorites, and witness the progression of our students at Music Department events this semester.

Smithsonian Folkways recording artist Jake Blount provides the curtain raiser at Lang Concert Hall with a lecture and performance on Saturday, February 3rd. Blount is an award winning musician and scholar who specializes in the early folk music of Black Americans. Also in February is a visit from filmmaker, musician, and songwriter Kishi Bashi. Kishi Bashi is a renowned violinist who has worked with the likes of Regina Spektor, Sondre Lerche, and the Athens, Georgia-based indie rock band, of Montreal. Last year he directed a feature-length documentary titled A Song Film By Kishi Bashi: “Omoiyari.” Part social justice documentary and part song-film experiment, Omoyiyari focuses on the artist’s six-year journey of discovery surrounding his research of the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans during WWII.

Other professional artists visiting Swarthmore for masterclasses and performances are cellist Amy Barston, violinist Cyrus Beroukhim, baritone Randall Scarlata, and Seraph Brass. Celebrating its tenth-anniversary season, Seraph Brass was founded by trumpet soloist Mary Elizabeth Bowden with a mission to showcase the excellence of female brass players and highlight musicians from marginalized groups, both in personnel and in programming. The quintet will hold a workshop, present a special lunch hour concert, and perform alongside the Swarthmore College Wind Ensemble at their concert in April.

Spring is often a sentimental time of year at the College as we prepare to say goodbye to our graduating seniors. Jorge Padilla, Lauren Park, Kai Williams, Finn Conaway, and Eric Trinh will each hold a senior recital in the concert hall this semester. Other soon-to-be graduates can be seen performing in Swarthmore’s many student ensembles, or at Lunch Hour Concerts held throughout the semester. 

All of the aforementioned events are free and open to the public. You can visit the concert and events page of our website to stay up to date on performance times and locations. For more information on all that the music program at Swarthmore has to offer, explore our new interactive digital brochure