Stay Cool This Summer with Free Concerts at Boston Public Library

By: Becca Manning

From blues to Broadway, jazz to classical music, there is surely something to please every musical taste this summer at the Central Library in Copley Square during the library's free Concerts in the Courtyard.

Below is a list of upcoming performances, with descriptions provided by BPL:

• Lance Houston Jazz Quartet—Friday, July 19 at 12:30 p.m. Lance Houston and his quartet produce imaginative interpretations of jazz standards, blending vibrant harmonics with innovative and originally written jazz tunes.
• Aisling Peartree and Lucia Marie Rife—Wednesday, July 24 at 12:30 p.m. Singer-songwriters Aisling Peartree and Lucia Marie Rife, both releasing albums this year, perform songs influenced by soul R&B and pop soul.
• Revolutionary Snake Ensemble—Thursday, July 25 at 6 p.m. Revolutionary Snake Ensemble, performing in Mardi Gras-style costumes and masks, is an improvisational second-line brass band that plays a unique blend of original and traditional music.
• Amaryllis Chamber Ensemble—Friday, July 26 at 12:30 p.m. Amaryllis Chamber Ensemble presents music from the standard repertoire as well as works from lesser-known composers of the past and emerging contemporary composers.
• Fernando Holz Band—Friday, Aug. 2 at 12:30 p.m. The Fernando Holz band is comprised of veterans of the Boston jazz and world music scene, featuring keyboards and piano, trombone, drums, bass and vocals.
• Boston Lyric Opera—Friday, Aug. 9 at 12:30 p.m. Boston Lyric Opera presents a concert of opera favorites with selections from Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” and Verdi’s “Rigoletto.”
• Sarah Borrello—Friday, Aug. 16 at 12:30 p.m. A blues alternative singer-songwriter, Sarah Borrello plays guitar and piano.
• American Century Music Wind Quintet—Friday, Aug. 23 at 12:30 p.m.  American Century Music is dedicated to performing the orchestral, chamber, and solo repertoire of 20th-century American composers.

For the complete Concerts in the Courtyard schedule, visitbpl.org/concerts.

In case of rain, concerts will be moved indoors to the Rabb Lecture Hall, located on the lower level of the Johnson Building. 

The Central Library is located at 700 Boylston St. and is easily accessible by the MBTA Green Line, via Copley Station.