Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau dies at 86

The German baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau died on May 18, 2012. He was 86 years old. He was one of the most important and influential vocal artists of the 20th century.

Biography of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau

Recordings by Mr. Fischer-Dieskau in the Hamden Public Library collection

New York Times Obituary

Classical TV

Classical TV offers videos of the best classical performances from around the world. The site hosts an exclusive library of full-length videos of current and recent performing arts events, all available for streaming on your home computer. In addition, Classical TV offers a wealth of lively, informative, feature articles, topical playlists, insider columns, and cultural news.

Classical TV's core library contains more than 1100 hours of exclusive performances of opera, ballet, concerts, jazz, drama, musicals, and documentaries - many from the world's most prestigious cultural venues, including New York's Metropolitan Opera House, London's Royal Opera House, the Paris Opera, Milan's La Scala, Moscow's Bolshoi Theater, St. Petersburg's Mariinsky (Kirov) Theater, and many others. While some of the newest performances are pay-per-view, the site provides access to over 200 videos for FREE!

New Haven Symphony Comes to Hamden

The New Haven Symphony Orchestra will be performing their Holiday Extravaganza concert on Saturday, December 12 at 7:30 PM at Hamden Middle School. This NHSO Pops! perfomance will have you singing and tingling with anticipation for the season of good cheer!

Bring a donation of non-perishable food items to support The Junior League of Greater New Haven's Hunger Awareness Committee and Connecticut Food Bank and receive a voucher good for a discount toward the NHSO's Valentine's Pops Concert.

Visit the New Haven Symphony Orchestra web site for ticket information.

Les Paul 1915-2009

Musical innovator Les Paul passed away on Thursday, August 13 at the age of 94.

Paul is best known for his development of the solid-body electric guitar, an instrument that played a pivotal role in the evolution of rock music. He is also recognized for his experimentation in the recording studio, and was one of the first musicians to successfully employ "overdubbing" (adding additional tracks over a previously recorded performance) on his records.

He and his wife Mary Ford had numerous hit records in the 1950's, and his unique playing style influenced countless guitars players who followed him.


Stop by the library to check out some of Les Paul's recordings on CD.

Woodstock Music Festival 40 years ago

The Woodstock Music Festival took place 40 years ago, from Aug. 15 to Aug. 18, 1969. 32 acts performed in front of nearly half a million concert goers. The festival is considered as one of the most influential rock music festivals of all time. We have put together a display of various materials on Woodstock and the 1960s.