Original music honors memorial library’s 50th anniversary

The Memorial Library will premiere five original musical compositions with a theme of libraries and librarians this Monday, Sept. 27, at 4:30 p.m. in the Petrovich Reading Room, 212 Memorial Library. This original music has been commissioned by the Mills Music Library to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Memorial Library.

The event will feature new works by graduate students Pavel Polanco-Safadit, David Dies, Scott Gendel, Alex NoHai Seaman and Jerry Hui from the School of Music composition program.

“Memorial Library exists to make the creative and academic work of our scholars more successful. Commissioning the original music by graduate students is a great idea — a perfect way to celebrate,” says Ken Frazier, director of UW–Madison Libraries.

The pieces will include performances by Mimmi Fulmer, Les Thimmig and other musicians of the School of Music. ellsworth snyder, composer and music director emeritus of the First Unitarian Society of Madison, will introduce the compositions.

“I think the excitement with which the composers embraced the project is reflective of their support and love for libraries. The accompanying poetry is wonderful and thoughtfully chosen, and will be related to by all librarians,” says Geri Laudati, director of Mills Music Library.

Copies of the manuscript scores and recordings of the performances will be housed in the Music Library as 50th anniversary commemorative purchases. A reception will follow the performance.

UW–Madison’s Memorial Library was formally dedicated on February 1, 1954 with a capacity of 1.5 million volumes. It now holds more than twice that many volumes and is the largest library in Wisconsin.

Mills Music Library, a member library of the UW–Madison General Library System, is the primary resource for music materials and information on campus and in the state. During the course of its history, Mills Music Library has grown from a 2,500-item departmental collection to a research library of more than 236,000 titles, with special collections containing an additional 250,000 items in all formats. Collection strengths include Americana, musical theater and ethnomusicology