Lowell Liebermann’s New Sonata to Receive World Premiere by Lorna McGhee at the Library of Congress Honoring Sir James Galway
A New Voice for the Solo Flute: Lowell Liebermann’s New Sonata to Receive World Premiere at the Library of Congress
The flute repertoire is about to welcome a significant new work.
On September 12, 2026, the Library of Congress will present the world premiere of a newly commissioned Sonata for Solo Flute by Lowell Liebermann, performed by Lorna McGhee, principal flute of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The premiere, taking place in the Library’s historic Coolidge Auditorium in Washington, D.C., will mark a major moment for the flute community—and a landmark addition to the solo flute repertoire.
The commission is being presented in celebration of legendary flutist Sir James Galway, whose extraordinary career has been closely intertwined with Liebermann’s music for nearly four decades. Yet the significance of this new work extends far beyond the occasion of its premiere. It represents Liebermann’s first sonata for solo flute and offers the instrument a new work from one of the most frequently performed and recorded American composers of our time.
A New Chapter in Liebermann’s Flute Legacy
Lowell Liebermann’s relationship with the flute began with one of the instrument’s most influential artists. In 1987, Sir James Galway commissioned and premiered Liebermann’s Concerto for Flute and Orchestra with the St. Louis Symphony. That collaboration marked the beginning of a lasting artistic friendship between Liebermann, Galway, and Lady Jeanne Galway.
Over the years, Galway commissioned additional works from Liebermann, including a Concerto for Flute, Harp and Orchestra and Trio No. 1 for Flute, Cello, and Piano. In 1998, Galway recorded three of Liebermann’s concertos for RCA Red Seal with the composer conducting the London Mozart Players.
Liebermann’s Sonata for Flute and Piano, Op. 23, composed in 1987, has become one of the most widely performed American works in the flute repertoire and has been recorded more than twenty-five times. The new Sonata for Solo Flute now opens an entirely new chapter in Liebermann’s contribution to the instrument.
“I am honored to be a part of this celebration of such a musical icon,” Liebermann said. “Getting to know and work with both Sir James and Lady Galway over these many years has been one of the most important parts of my life and career, and I am proud to consider both of them very dear friends, mentors, and colleagues.”
He added that he looks forward to celebrating them through the event and “through the life of this new Sonata.”
Lorna McGhee to Give the World Premiere
The new Sonata will receive its first performance from Lorna McGhee, a celebrated soloist, chamber musician, educator, and principal flutist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
McGhee was appointed principal flute of the BSO by Music Director Andris Nelsons in 2024, following an distinguished career that included serving as principal flute of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and co-principal flute of the BBC Symphony Orchestra in London.
Her extensive solo career has taken her to concert halls and orchestras throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. She has performed concertos by composers ranging from Mozart and Ibert to Penderecki, Rautavaara, Saariaho, and Allison Loggins-Hull, and has developed a particularly strong reputation for her commitment to both the established repertoire and new music.
Her artistry makes her an especially compelling choice to introduce a major new work for solo flute. The premiere will bring Liebermann’s new musical voice for the instrument directly into the hands of one of today’s most distinguished and versatile flutists.
Following the performance, McGhee will join Lady Jeanne Galway, Lowell Liebermann, and Carol Lynn Ward Bamford, Curator of Musical Instruments at the Library of Congress, for a moderated panel discussion.
A Commission from the World’s Greatest Flute Collection
The commission originates from the Library of Congress, home to the extraordinary Dayton C. Miller Collection—the largest and most extensive collection of flutes in the world.
The collection contains nearly 1,700 flutes and other wind instruments, along with books, music, trade catalogs, tutors, patents, iconography, and other materials documenting the history and development of the instrument from the sixteenth through the twentieth centuries.
For Carol Lynn Ward Bamford, the collection’s curator, the institution’s connection to the flute made it a natural place to honor Sir James Galway and his extraordinary impact on the instrument and its repertoire.
“The Library of Congress is grateful for this opportunity to recognize Sir James Galway’s prolific impact on the world of music along with his longtime collaborator Lowell Liebermann,” said Nicholas Brown-Cáceres, chief of the Music Division. “This new commission continues the Library’s track record of supporting important living composers and contributing to the expansion of the repertoire, made all the more meaningful as a tribute to Sir James.”
The commission also reflects an important role that major cultural institutions can play in the evolution of the flute: not only preserving its history, but actively shaping its future by supporting new music.
The Importance of New Solo Flute Repertoire
For flutists, a new solo sonata by Lowell Liebermann is particularly significant.
The solo flute repertoire is a challenging and highly exposed medium. Without the harmonic support of a piano or orchestra, the composer must create an entire musical world through a single instrument—its colors, registers, articulations, breath, resonance, and silence.
Liebermann has already demonstrated a profound understanding of the flute’s expressive and technical possibilities. His Sonata for Flute and Piano, Op. 23, has become a cornerstone of the modern flute repertoire, performed by students and professionals around the world.
The new Sonata for Solo Flute promises to extend that exploration into an even more intimate and demanding musical landscape. Its premiere will offer audiences and flutists alike the opportunity to encounter a new work created specifically for the instrument by a composer whose music has already become an essential part of contemporary flute literature.
In an era when the continued expansion of the repertoire is vital to the future of the flute, commissions such as this one are especially meaningful. A new work is not simply performed once—it can become a point of departure for generations of musicians, inspiring new interpretations, recordings, performances, and further compositions.
Preserving the History of a Living Artistry
Following the premiere event, Sir James Galway will further strengthen the Library of Congress’s remarkable flute archives through the donation of a portion of his personal papers and materials, including his own working copies of Liebermann’s first Flute Concerto.
The gesture creates a remarkable connection between the past, present, and future of the flute. Galway’s career helped bring the instrument to audiences around the world, while Liebermann’s music has become part of the modern repertoire that today's flutists continue to explore and perform.
Now, with the creation of a new Sonata for Solo Flute, that artistic legacy continues to evolve.
The world premiere of Lowell Liebermann’s new Sonata for Solo Flute will take place on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. in the Coolidge Auditorium of the Thomas Jefferson Building at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
Attendance is free, although seating is limited. Tickets will be available beginning August 12, 2026.
For the flute world, the anticipation is already significant: a major composer, a distinguished interpreter, a historic institution, and a new work created for one of music’s most endlessly expressive instruments.
The journey of this new Sonata is about to begin.