Librarian of Congress James Billington announced last week a new program called “Creativity Across America” that will launch in November with a nationwide concert tour.

The Library will sponsor “Song Across America,” a 12-city, seven-month-long concert tour across the country as the first of a series of programs meant to celebrate “Creativity Across America.” Thomas Hampson, an internationally acclaimed baritone singer and longtime collaborator with the Library, will perform songs by American poets and composers as the featured performer on the tour.

“The ‘Song of America’ tour with Tom Hampson is part of an unprecedented national program that the Library of Congress is initiating to celebrate creativity across America,” Billington said in a statement.

“We want to celebrate the energy and inventive spirit that is such an integral part of our cultural history, and I cannot think of a more qualified and accomplished ambassador for the first part of our initiative than Tom.”

One of the goals of “Creativity Across America” is to show young people the depth and variety of American music, so each concert on “Song Across America” will include an educational component. In addition, the Library’s educational outreach staff will travel to every city on the tour and conduct daylong workshops for local teachers.

The concert tour will begin Nov. 12 at the Carlsen Center in Overland Park, Kan., and will conclude June 3 at the Fox California in Theatre, San Jose, Calif. For a complete list of cities and more information on the project, visit https://www.loc.gov/creativity/ hampson.

— Amy Carlile