Thursday, January 30, 2025
7:30 PM

We carry pocket change as currency. The idea for these coins or coinage came from the ancient Greek world. The earliest coins, made of electrum at Sardis, rapidly evolved into silver coins of different weights and values. One drachma (the Greek monetary unit at the time) equaled a day’s wage. Both the front and back of the coin displayed designs, resembling miniature relief sculptures. Artists sometimes added their signature to the coins. Cities and islands developed unique images, an early form of advertising and branding. Once in circulation, Greek coins traveled great distances throughout the Mediterranean region and beyond. Even today, many of these ancient coins are admired in museums and sought by collectors for their beauty and rarity.

Friday, January 31, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, January 31, 2025
4 PM

Free Art Classes for Teens (13–18 years old) 

Free Teen Art, the Athenaeum’s free program for teens offers a rotation of multidisciplinary art instructors and curricular activities involving the use of the Athenaeum library resources and art exhibitions as starting points for projects.

Sunday, February 2, 2025
9 AM–1 PM

We invite you to stop by the Athenaeum’s booth at the La Jolla Open Aire Market held on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.!  There you will find, in addition to Athenaeum publications and artists’ notecards for sale, friendly staff and volunteers ready to chat with you and to tell you about the Athenaeum’s latest news and upcoming events. The market is located at the La Jolla Elementary School, 7335 Girard Avenue. We look forward to seeing you there!

Monday, February 3, 2025
12 PM

Dmitry Kirichenko began his musical education under a Soviet system that selected only the best, most talented students for artistic study. At the age of 7, he was accepted into the Stolyarsky School of Music. Upon graduation he was accepted to the Moscow Conservatory for college level studies under Professor Zemliansky. One of the leading educational institutions in the world, the Moscow Conservatory is reserved for the most talented music students.

Wednesday, February 5, 2025
10:30 PM

The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library is thrilled to announce its newest offering for young families: Creative Storytime with Ms. Katia. This new program, held on the first Wednesday of each month at 10:30 AM, is designed to introduce children to the magic of storytelling while fostering an early love for music, art, and literature.

Wednesday, February 5, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Thursday, February 6, 2025
7:30 PM

Several customs, traditions, and events in today’s modern Olympics can be traced back to the ancient competitions held at Olympia. Today’s victors are celebrated for their athletic prowess, as they were in ancient Greece. This lecture will focus on the important role of athletics in ancient Greece, the four Panhellenic sites, and the unique Panathenaic Games celebrated in Athens. As they are today, athletics were popular in ancient Greece, where boys and young men devoted time to working out in the palaestra (gymnasium) to maintain fitness and ultimately to be ready for combat. Even the passage of time was organized around the four-year interval between Olympic Games known as the Olympiad, and specific Olympiads were numbered as markers of the events and political developments associated with those times.

Friday, February 7, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, February 7, 2025
4 PM

Free Art Classes for Teens (13–18 years old) 

Free Teen Art, the Athenaeum’s free program for teens offers a rotation of multidisciplinary art instructors and curricular activities involving the use of the Athenaeum library resources and art exhibitions as starting points for projects.

Monday, February 10, 2025
12 PM

Adam Wolff has been playing the piano for most of his life. Starting at the age of 8, he spent ten years studying classical piano performance, music theory, and creative music expression. Raised in New York and Chicago, he returned to New York City in the 80s and spent many years playing music full-time in Manhattan. While living in New York, Wolff studied with several great pianists: Barry Harris (Keeper of the Bebop Flame), Mike Longo (Musical Director for Dizzy Gillespie), and Kenny Werner (Author of Effortless Mastery and a global music legend).

Monday, February 10, 2025
7:30 PM

On Monday, February 10, the Grammy-nominated ensemble AGAVE returns to the Athenaeum with Reginald Mobley, a countertenor noted for his “shimmering voice” (BachTrack) and renowned for his interpretation of baroque, classical, and modern repertoire. AGAVE will present American Originals, a program based on their album of the same name that features music by brilliant yet underrepresented composers and explores how the blending of European, African, and indigenous styles created uniquely American sounds. The ensemble will include Mobley, Co-Director Aaron Westman on violin and viola, Anna Washburn on violin and viola, Kevin Cooper on guitar and theorbo, Katherine Kyme on violin and viola, William Skeen on viola da gamba and violoncello, and Co-Director Henry Lebedinsky on harpsichord and piano.

Wednesday, February 12, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Thursday, February 13, 2025
7:30 PM

Ancient Greek gold jewelry is renowned for its intricate designs and goldsmithing techniques, such as granulation. Adornment applied to both men and women, even to statues and other objects. Gold jewelry accompanied an individual throughout a lifetime to the grave. Statues could be adorned with wreaths or earrings, and vases could be adorned with painted gold necklaces. Women dedicated jewelry to a goddess in her temple. Royal families amassed extraordinary examples of goldwork, all of it ornate and substantial in size and weight. Numerous gold wreaths with leaves and acorns or berries have been discovered in royal tombs. Today some of the finest jewelers in Greece have found inspiration from these artifacts when developing their own jewelry for the public. In this lecture we will explore some of the finest examples of ancient Greek gold jewelry.

Friday, February 14, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Saturday, February 15, 2025
11 AM

New Member Tours are given by the librarian on the third Saturday of every month at 11 a.m. Members and nonmembers alike are welcome to attend. The librarian will give a tour of the library's space, collections, and a brief history. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Monday, February 17, 2025
12 PM

Fred Benedetti was born in Sasebo, Japan, and began playing the guitar at the age of 9. In 1986 he was one of the 12 guitarists chosen worldwide to perform in the Master Class of Andres Segovia at USC. Erica Erenyi completed a Master’s degree and Performance Residency Program in cello performance at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as a student of Anne Martindale Williams. She received her Bachelor of Music from Biola University in La Mirada, California, as a student of Marlin Owen. More recently, she undertook a course of intensive study with Peter Thiemann in Barcelona, Spain. Erica has performed with International Opera Theater in Italy, Academia Internacional de Música de Solsona, Spain, and the Henry Mancini Institute in Los Angeles. She is active as a freelance musician in San Diego, playing in a variety of genres including theatre productions (with The Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, and Broadway San Diego), California Chamber Orchestra, recording projects, and with jazz pianist Danny Green.

Wednesday, February 19, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, February 21, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, February 21, 2025
4 PM

Free Art Classes for Teens (13–18 years old) 

Free Teen Art, the Athenaeum’s free program for teens offers a rotation of multidisciplinary art instructors and curricular activities involving the use of the Athenaeum library resources and art exhibitions as starting points for projects.

Sunday, February 23, 2025
9 AM–1 PM

We invite you to stop by the Athenaeum’s booth at the La Jolla Open Aire Market held on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.!  There you will find, in addition to Athenaeum publications and artists’ notecards for sale, friendly staff and volunteers ready to chat with you and to tell you about the Athenaeum’s latest news and upcoming events. The market is located at the La Jolla Elementary School, 7335 Girard Avenue. We look forward to seeing you there!

Wednesday, February 26, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

NEW DATE: Wednesday, February 26, 2025
7:30 PM

As an example of experimental archaeology, in 2009, Dr. Schwab and six students collaborated with a professional hairstylist to test whether or not the six Caryatids’ hairstyles could be recreated with a positive result. Tools and hair products, just like today, were important in the domestic sphere. The arrangement of hair became a clear signal of rites of passage and status within the community. Locks of hair were often dedicated in temples or cut before warriors left for battle. Together we will explore a range of ancient Greek hairstyles and their meanings for both individual and society.

Thursday, February 27, 2025
6 PM Reception; 6:30 PM Lecture

Please join us for an artist talk with Julian Tan. He will share a special presentation on his Athenaeum show, End Trances, and how it connects to his career and process. The reception will take at 6:00 p.m., followed by a lecture at 6:30 p.m.

Friday, February 28, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, February 28, 2025
4 PM

Free Art Classes for Teens (13–18 years old) 

Free Teen Art, the Athenaeum’s free program for teens offers a rotation of multidisciplinary art instructors and curricular activities involving the use of the Athenaeum library resources and art exhibitions as starting points for projects.

Monday, March 3, 2025
12 PM

Classical guitarist Aaron Larget-Caplan has premiered over 110 compositions, directs the New Lullaby Project and Spanish classical music & flamenco dance ensemble ¡Con Fuego! His groundbreaking arrangements and recording of the music of John Cage are the first to be sanctioned by the estate and issued by Edition Peters and the UK label Stone Records. He has eight acclaimed solo albums and multiple publications with the American Composers Alliance. He has awards from the Société Académique Arts-Sciences-Lettres of Paris, France for his trailblazing work in music, and was Musician in Residence at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Canada. His first album of compositions ‘honey cadence’ was released in April 2022.

Wednesday, March 5, 2025
10:30 PM

The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library is thrilled to announce its newest offering for young families: Creative Storytime with Ms. Katia. This new program, held on the first Wednesday of each month at 10:30 AM, is designed to introduce children to the magic of storytelling while fostering an early love for music, art, and literature.

Wednesday, March 5, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, March 7, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, March 7, 2025
4 PM

Free Art Classes for Teens (13–18 years old) 

Free Teen Art, the Athenaeum’s free program for teens offers a rotation of multidisciplinary art instructors and curricular activities involving the use of the Athenaeum library resources and art exhibitions as starting points for projects.

Friday, March 7, 2025
7:30 PM

The series continues Friday, March 7, with a San Diego debut by Allison, Cardenas & Nash, a collective trio of top New York City–based artists bassist Ben Allison, guitarist Steve Cardenas, and saxophonist Ted Nash. The trio weave musical conversations that are full of subtlety and surprise. They have released four albums including their latest, Tell the Birds I Said Hello: The Music of Herbie Nichols, which features previously unknown music by Nichols, an underpraised pianist-composer often compared to Thelonious Monk.

Monday, March 10, 2025
12 PM

Colin McAllister is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Visual and Performing Arts at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, where he is a 2021–2022 Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative Fellow. His performances as a guitarist and conductor have been hailed as “sparkling…delivered superbly” (San Francisco Chronicle), “ravishing” (San Diego Union-Tribune) and “an amazing tour de force” (San Diego Story), and he has recorded on the Summit, Innova, Centaur, Naxos, Albany, Old King Cole, Vienna Modern Masters, Carrier and Tzadik labels. His research interests include contemporary music performance and pedagogy, musical modernism, and the apocalyptic paradigm as manifested in varying phenomena—literature, music, and art. Wayne Wilkinson is a headliner guitarist that performs and tours across the country and internationally. Throughout his over four decade career, Wayne has shared the stage with iconic jazz musicians, world class performers and a President of the United States.

Wednesday, March 12, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Wednesday, March 12, 2025
7:30 PM

Next up, on Wednesday, March 12, is a return visit by the remarkable Sullivan Fortner Trio, featuring Fortner on piano, Tyrone Allen on bass, and Kayvon Gordon on drums. New Orleans–native Sullivan Fortner has gained wide recognition as one of the most accomplished jazz musicians of his generation. His accolades include the 2015 Cole Porter Fellowship, the Leonore Annenberg Arts Fellowship, the 2016 Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists and, in 2020, the Shifting Foundation Grant for artistic career development. A Grammy Award–winner, he has earned recognition in multiple DownBeat Critics Polls, winning first place as both Rising Star Pianist and Rising Star Jazz Artist. His broad range of musical associations includes artists such as Roy Hargrove, Stefon Harris, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Ambrose Akinmusire, and Wynton Marsalis.

Friday, March 14, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Saturday, March 15, 2025
11 AM

New Member Tours are given by the librarian on the third Saturday of every month at 11 a.m. Members and nonmembers alike are welcome to attend. The librarian will give a tour of the library's space, collections, and a brief history. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Wednesday, March 19, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Wednesday, March 19, 2025
7:30 PM

The series concludes on Wednesday, March 19, with the local debut of the Avishai Cohen Quartet, featuring Cohen on trumpet, Yonathan Avishai on piano, Barak Mori on bass, and Ziv Ravitz on drums. Cohen is globally recognized as a player-composer open to multiple strains of jazz and active as a leader, co-leader, and sideman. Aside from the acclaimed work with his quartet, he has also recorded and toured as part of the Mark Turner Quartet, the SFJAZZ Collective, and the 3 Cohens Sextet—with his sister, clarinetist-saxophonist Anat, and brother, saxophonist Yuval.

Friday, March 21, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Saturday, March 22, 2025
10 AM–4 PM

Get a gift for a friend or yourself at the Athenaeum's quarterly book sale on our patio! As usual, we will have a large selection of gently used books, CDs, vinyl LPs, and sheet music. Hundreds of recordings of classical, jazz, and popular music are just $1 per disc, making this a music lover’s paradise.

Monday, March 24, 2025
12 PM

Mike Wofford has recorded and performed with a long list of major artists, including Sonny Stitt, Stan Getz, Joe Pass, Quincy Jones, Benny Carter, Ray Brown, Lee Konitz, Chet Baker, Art Pepper, Joe Henderson, Benny Golson, and James Moody. He was also conductor and pianist for both Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald. With this extraordinary career, it is no wonder that DownBeat recognized him as “one of the outstanding pianists of our time.” Joshua White is one of the music scene’s most creative and technically accomplished pianists. Praised by legendary musicians like Herbie Hancock as having “immense talent” and lauded for his “daring and courageous approach to improvisation … on the cutting edge of innovation,” Joshua has distinguished himself as a formidable leader of distinct voice among his peers.

Wednesday, March 26, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Wednesday, March 26, 2025
5:30 PM

Walking tours leave from the Athenaeum at 5:30 p.m. Tours are free and registration is required. Tours are limited to a maximum of 35 guests and last for approximately 90 minutes.

Friday, March 28, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Monday, March 31, 2025
12 PM

Violinst Kenneth Liao will perform with his San Diego Symphony violin colleague Igor Pandurski, who will join him on piano. Violinist Kenneth Liao joined the San Diego Symphony in 2019 after spending two seasons as a Fellow with the New World Symphony. Born in Maryland, Mr. Liao received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Southern California, where he studied with Midori Goto, and subsequently completed a Master of Music degree at The Juilliard School under the tutelage of David Chan.

Monday, March 31, 2025
7:30 PM

Meet Victor Horta, Paul Hankar, and Henri van de Velde who originated the Art Nouveau style in Brussels. The movement elevated “craft” to an “art” and unified all art forms. In using modern materials and construction techniques, it eliminated historicism while emphasizing nature and movement through use of the whiplash line. Open floor plans and expansive use of glass, mirrors, and electricity brought transparency and spatial fluidity to once dark and constricted interiors. 

Monday, March 31, April 7, 14 & 21, 2025
7:30 PM

The international art movement known as Art Nouveau flourished from the early 1890s to 1914. Rejecting historical references and traditional geometric forms, it featured florid vegetation, sinuous lines, and asymmetry. Although the design approach encompassed all visual art forms, it was most prevalent in architecture and the decorative arts. Furniture, mirrors, metalwork, art glass, carved plaster, and intricate paneling all featured the signature “whiplash” lines of Art Nouveau. Originating in Brussels, and highlighted in the Exposition Universelle of 1900 (better known in English as the 1900 Paris Exposition), the style is strongly associated with the wealthy and fashionable.

Wednesday, April 2, 2025
10:30 PM

The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library is thrilled to announce its newest offering for young families: Creative Storytime with Ms. Katia. This new program, held on the first Wednesday of each month at 10:30 AM, is designed to introduce children to the magic of storytelling while fostering an early love for music, art, and literature.

Wednesday, April 2, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, April 4, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Monday, April 7, 2025
7:30 PM

The style gained popularity through exposure at the Paris Exposition. French architects Hector Guimard, Jules Lavirotte, and Frantz Jourdain experimented with optics, transparency, motion, and point of view. Decorative artists, like Louis Majorelle, Emile Gallé, and Georges de Feure, contributed furniture, glass, and metalwork that integrated into the overall design, while jewelry, paintings, and poster design continued to use Art Nouveau techniques independent of architecture. 

Tuesday, April 8, 2025
7:30 PM

The series continues Tuesday, April 8, with the Great Wall String Quartet performing a program of Mendelssohn, Schulhoff, and Beethoven. Its members share a vision to connect with more immediacy to audiences and to give guidance to the next generation of chamber musicians. In his role at the Deutsches Symphony Orchester Berlin, violinist Wei Lu is one of the youngest concertmasters in a major orchestra. Violinist Qi Zhou is a member of the prestigious chamber orchestra Philharmonisches Kammerorchester Muenchen. Xu Wenbo is the current viola and chamber music instructor at the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra Academy in Hamburg. Hailed in New York Concert Review as “a superb cellist with intense and sensuous sound,” Yao Zhao performs with a dynamism that has secured him a successful career as the principal cello of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra.

Wednesday, April 9, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, April 11, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Monday, April 14, 2025
12 PM

Seaside Quartetis a virtuoso ensemble comprised of pianist Brenda Martin, violinist Philip Tyler, violinist/violist Päivikki Nykter and cellist Cecilia Kim. They are friends on and off stage, which is apparent in their seamless and graceful ensemble playing. Their deep love and desire to play chamber music was the main reason to form this quartet and take time from their busy schedules to make beautiful music together. Their collaboration and exquisite musical taste has produced highly acclaimed performances in San Diego area. Brenda and Phil serve as professors at the Point Loma University Music Department and Päivikki and Cecilia and freelance musicians.

Monday, April 14, 2025
7:30 PM

The waning days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire coincided with a flourishing of Belle Époque artistic expressions in Eastern Europe. By the mid-1890s, the experimental Vienna Secession advocated for integrated design, while the “Wagner School” (named after Otto Koloman Wagner) supported a modern architecture where form followed function. Rebuilding, due to modernization, of Vienna led to entire sections of the city built in the Art Nouveau style.  Artisans of the Wiener Werkstätte (Viennese Workshops) influenced the later Bauhaus, American Art Deco, Scandinavian Modernism, and Italian Craft and Design.

Wednesday, April 16, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, April 18, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Saturday, April 19, 2025
11 AM

New Member Tours are given by the librarian on the third Saturday of every month at 11 a.m. Members and nonmembers alike are welcome to attend. The librarian will give a tour of the library's space, collections, and a brief history. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Monday, April 21, 2025
7:30 PM

Architect Antonio Gaudí was the greatest exponent of Catalan modernism. Influenced by neo-Gothic techniques and orientalism, he forged a unique organic style inspired by the complex geometry of natural forms. Although his very long career predates and postdates Art Nouveau’s heyday, his most original works coincide with the 1890–1915 period of this lecture series. His experimental work with hyperboloid and paraboloid arches influenced mid-century modernism, High Tech, postmodernism, and Deconstructivism.

Wednesday, April 23, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, April 25, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Monday, April 28, 2025
12 PM

Yale Strom is a pioneer among revivalists in conducting extensive field research in Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans among the Jewish and Roma communities.  Initially, his work focused primarily on the use and performance of klezmer music among these two groups.  Gradually, his focus increased to examining all aspects of their culture, from post-World War II to the present.  From more than 3 decades and 75 such research expeditions, Strom has become the world’s leading ethnographer-artist of klezmer music and history. 

Wednesday, April 30, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Wednesday, April 30, 2025
5:30 PM

Walking tours leave from the Athenaeum at 5:30 p.m. Tours are free and registration is required. Tours are limited to a maximum of 35 guests and last for approximately 90 minutes.

Friday, May 2, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Monday, May 5, 2025
12 PM

Sheer passion for chamber music drives Aviara Trio. Comprised of pianist Ines Irawati, violinist Robert Schumitzky, and cellist Erin Breene, this exciting ensemble has been making an indelible impression on the musical landscape of Southern California for the past ten years. Most recently, the trio was invited to perform on Celebrate LA, Los Angeles Philharmonic's 100-year anniversary celebration, at the Hollywood Bowl. With performance degrees from the Juilliard School, Cleveland Institute of Music, Yale University, and Rice University, Ms. Irawati, Ms. Breene, and Mr. Schumitzky have studied and performed with some of the world’s finest musical pedagogues including Paul Katz, Claude Frank, Timothy Eddy, Fred Sherry, Joseph Silverstein, Jacques Israelievitch, Sally Thomas, Miriam Fried, Peter Oundjian, and the Juilliard, Miró, American, Tokyo, Cleveland, Borromeo, and Alexander Quartets.

Wednesday, May 7, 2025
10:30 PM

The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library is thrilled to announce its newest offering for young families: Creative Storytime with Ms. Katia. This new program, held on the first Wednesday of each month at 10:30 AM, is designed to introduce children to the magic of storytelling while fostering an early love for music, art, and literature.

Wednesday, May 7, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, May 9, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Saturday, May 10, 2025
VIP Hour: 5:30–6:30 PM
Main Event: 6:30–10 PM

Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, walk into the Athenaeum’s Talk of the Town: Casablanca, Annual Benefit Celebration.

Monday, May 12, 2025
7:30 PM

The series concludes Monday, May 12, with the New Orford String Quartet presenting works by Mozart, Dinuk Wijeratne, and Schubert (Death and the Maiden). Violinists Andrew Wan and Jonathan Crow, violist Sharon Wei, and cellist Brian Manke formed their ensemble with the goal of developing a new model for a touring string quartet: bringing four elite orchestral leaders and soloists together on a regular basis over many years to perform chamber music at the highest level. The Toronto Star has described this outcome as “nothing short of electrifying.” They have seen astonishing success, giving annual concerts for national CBC broadcast and receiving two Opus Awards for Concert of the Year and a 2017 JUNO Award for Best Classical Album. Recent seasons have featured return engagements in Chicago, Montreal, and Toronto, as well as their New York City debut on Lincoln Center’s Great Performers series.

Wednesday, May 14, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, May 16, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Saturday, May 17, 2025
11 AM

New Member Tours are given by the librarian on the third Saturday of every month at 11 a.m. Members and nonmembers alike are welcome to attend. The librarian will give a tour of the library's space, collections, and a brief history. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Monday, May 19, 2025
12 PM

Brightfeather is a dynamic and immersive violin-piano duo founded by violinist Benjamin Hoffman and pianist Irene Kim. Through deeply personal performances, Brightfeather is committed to bringing the light, hope, and strength of music to audiences across the globe. The duo has performed throughout the United States as well as in Europe, Asia, and Oceania, and presents repertoire spanning an extensive range of time periods and musical languages.

Wednesday, May 21, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, May 23, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Wednesday, May 28, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Wednesday, May 28, 2025
5:30 PM

Walking tours leave from the Athenaeum at 5:30 p.m. Tours are free and registration is required. Tours are limited to a maximum of 35 guests and last for approximately 90 minutes.

Friday, May 30, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Monday, June 2, 2025
12 PM

“Theirs is a music that transcends genre and that ultimately brands itself as Folias Duo music, full stop” (textura on the recording Heartdance, 2023). Folias Duo is a distinguished musical ensemble, renowned for its remarkable fusion of classical and contemporary influences. Comprising flutist Carmen Maret and guitarist Andrew Bergeron, this married duo has cultivated a unique and enduring performer-composer collaboration spanning two decades. Their exceptional artistry breathes fresh vitality into classical music, infusing it with the rich tapestry of jazz, world music, and improvisation, crafting meticulously curated and evocative compositions. As accomplished composers and performers, Folias Duo continually explores the technical and sonic possibilities inherent in their intimate flute and guitar combination.

Wednesday, June 4, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, June 6, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Wednesday, June 11, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, June 13, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Wednesday, June 18, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, June 20, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Saturday, June 21, 2025
11 AM

New Member Tours are given by the librarian on the third Saturday of every month at 11 a.m. Members and nonmembers alike are welcome to attend. The librarian will give a tour of the library's space, collections, and a brief history. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Wednesday, June 25, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.

Friday, June 27, 2025
3 & 3:30 PM

Bring your children or grandchildren to the Athenaeum's free Children's Storytime at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Fridays. Great for children ages 1 through 9. This is a free event. Reservations are not necessary.