Queens Public Library Launches New Series Of Virtual Concerts And Social Events

Queens Public Library today announced the continued expansion of its online cultural programming, ranging from concerts to virtual community hangouts, in its ongoing effort to engage patrons with the Library online.

Starting today at 5 p.m. the Library will debut QPL@Night, a virtual nightlife hotspot for the arts, culture, civic engagement, entertainment, and more. Aimed at young adults and millennials ages 21 and up, QPL@Night is designed to offer a virtual venue for networking, learning and unwinding while in quarantine. QPL@Night is supported through a grant from the Queens Public Library Foundation's Innovation Fund and is presented to you by QPL's Government & Community Affairs, Volunteer Services, and Community Engagement & Outreach departments.

For today's premiere, QPL@Night, in conjunction with QPL's Job and Business Academy, will present "The Great Financial Reset: How to Manage Your Finances Before and After a Crisis." The workshop, held on WebEx, will offer tips and strategies for building or maintaining a strong financial position. (To participate, click here, and enter the password: QPLJBABusiness). On Friday, May 15 at 7 p.m. QPL@Night will host Quarantine Game Night, offering participants a fast-paced, interactive online trivia contest testing their knowledge of pop culture, history, and literature. Those interested can join here. Future events will be announced on the QPL@Night Facebook page.

On Monday, May 18, QPL will kick off "Beat the Blues Concerts," a series of online musical performances featuring a wide variety of genres, from hip hop to classical to pop (see schedule below), connecting people to cultures around the world. The one-hour concerts will be presented every Monday, at 7 p.m. on the QPL Facebook Live page.

The lineup includes:

May 18: Songs from Around the World - Bass vocalist Gennady Vysotsky presents an eclectic mix of classics in English, Spanish, Italian, French, Russian and Yiddish, including America the Beautiful, Danny Boy, Amapola, Bei Mir Bist Du Schon, and more.

June 1: Sounds from the Caribbean with Hip Hop Violinist Shayshahn Macpherson - Noted hip hop violinist Shayshahn Macpherson will blend Caribbean rhythms with the sounds of reggae and soca.

June 8: Nede Vic Jams Featuring Nedelka Sotelo and Víctor Murillo - Singer Nedelka Sotelo and guitarist Víctor Murillo jam together, exploring the sounds of funk, reggae, and folk. The duo will present their own mix of original songs with English and Spanish lyrics.

June 15: The Beauty of the Female Voice: Songs from Classical to Popular Music - Soprano Jennifer Allenby and conductor Stephan Fillare showcase the female voice in this performance of opera, operetta, musical theater, and popular songs.

June 22: Hip Hop Violinist Shayshahn Macpherson - Hip hop violinist and lyricist Shayshahn Macpherson performs a variety of hip hop songs, from classics to contemporary.

June 29: A Night at the Opera - Bass vocalist Gennadiy Vysotskiy performs a program of Italian and American classics, featuring operas from The Barber of Seville, The Marriage of Figaro, La Boheme, Faust, and Eugene Onegin.

The Library also has moved its Culture Connection program online, as well as numerous art history lectures, author talks and poetry programs.

The complete virtual programming calendar is available here.

QPL also provides virtual storytimes in English, Spanish, Chinese and Bengali, career help and resume assistance through its Job and Business Academy, resources for students through online learning platform Brainfuse, programs for the homebound and older adults, as well as unlimited access to its extensive online resources for library card holders. To sign up for a QPL eCard, go here.

QPL's virtual reference desk continues to field inquiries Monday through Friday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. via chat and email.