Past Events

Saxophonist Greg Abate will close out GBH Music and JazzBoston’s 2026 JazzNOW series with a tribute to Ray Charles. Abate first met the legendary soul singer at age 23, and after hearing him play, Charles invited Abate to tour the world as the lead alto saxophonist in his orchestra. The program will feature some of Ray Charles’ most recognizable songs like “Georgia on My Mind” and “Hit the Road Jack” as well as some of the singer’s popular renditions of Beatles tunes like “The Long and Winding Road.” The performance will also feature some Greg Abate originals drawing from his deep BeBop roots. Abate will be joined by Tim Ray (piano), Marty Ballou (bass), and Gary Johnson (drums). The concert takes place at 8 pm in Fraser Performance Studio with a pre-concert reception at 7:15pm. Paris Alston, of GBH News Rooted, will host the performance, which will be filmed for broadcast on GBH2. This event is made possible by the Goldstein Family Fund.

7:15-7:50pm Pre-event reception
7:50pm Guest are seated in Fraser Performance Studio (general admission)
8:00-9:00pm Live performance in Fraser Performance Studio



This event is presented with support from our sponsor, Newport Mansions.



This event is presented with support from our sponsor, M. Steinert & Sons.

The Midnight Train is arriving at GBH, and you won’t want to miss it!

If you’re like Dolly Parton, Jodi Picoult, Emma Roberts, and the millions of other readers who loved The Midnight Library, be sure to join us for this special opportunity to hear from Matt Haig as he discusses his newest novel, writing process, and so much more. Matt Haig is an internationally bestselling author whose work has been translated into more than fifty languages.

His latest release, The Midnight Train, is his newest magical, time-travelling love story from the world of The Midnight Library.

If you are unable to attend in person, your book can be shipped following the event.
ABOUT THE MIDNIGHT TRAIN

When your life flashes before your eyes, where would you stop?

No one can change the past, but the Midnight Train can take you there. The chance to re-live the moments that meant most. To see what kind of person you really were.

For Wilbur his best days were with Maggie, the love of his life. On his honeymoon in Venice.

Before he gave it all away.

He wishes he could go back and live differently. But to do so risks everything...

A magical, time-travelling love story, from the world of The Midnight Library.

U.S. foreign policy is undergoing a period of recalibration, prompting renewed debate over how to balance domestic priorities with international engagement. As Washington redefines its global role, what are the implications for the future of transatlantic relations? How might shifting approaches to security, trade, and multilateral cooperation reshape ties between the United States and Europe—and where do opportunities for renewed alignment lie?

This program brings together Ambassador (ret.) Mark Libby, WorldBoston Ambassador-in-Residence, and Ruth Bajada, Deputy Chief of Mission of the European Union to the United States, for a timely and nuanced discussion. Bajada currently serves in Washington in a leading EU diplomatic role, while Libby previously held the parallel position as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Mission to the EU. This shared perspective—shaped from opposite sides of the same relationship—offers a rare combination of credibility, candor, and personal rapport as they explore how both sides of the Atlantic can navigate emerging challenges while sustaining one of the world’s most consequential partnerships.

Presented by GBH Music and JazzBoston, our final GBH Jazz Night of the season features jazz fusion trumpeter Tiger Okoshi for a Miles Davis tribute concert in honor of Davis’s 100th birthday on May 26th.

GBH Jazz Nights showcase the incredible range of jazz talent in the Greater Boston area. The series is co-hosted by JazzBoston and GBH Music, taking place on the second Thursday of every month from September through May. Tickets are free, but registration is encouraged. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis, so arrive early! By registering, you agree to receive email communications from GBH Music.

GBH Jazz Nights are made possible by the Goldstein Family Fund.

Join host Tracy Chang for a high-energy conversation with the team behind the Refugee Food Festival and Refugee Supper Club. We’re diving into the incredible story of Natalia Durnieva, a Ukrainian powerhouse who has reinvented herself as everything from a sushi chef to a licensed construction supervisor while building BloomBridge to help fellow refugees bypass low-skilled labor. It’s a conversation about grit, entrepreneurship, and the "magnifique" cakes Natalia bakes along the way. Plus, get the scoop on the upcoming Refugee Food Festival on June 20th, where you can taste authentic flavors from Somalia, Haiti, Ukraine, and beyond!
GBH Amplifies is a community conversation series focused on expanding the reach of local voices from Greater Boston and beyond!

Guests:

Natalia Durnieva, Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center



Jonny Zackman, Refugee Supper Club



David Lander, Refugee Supper Club


The series features community leaders hosting public conversations in the GBH Studio at the Boston Public Library in Copley Square, providing a platform for inclusive perspectives on the issues that matter most to New England communities. GBH Amplifies happens weekly on Thursdays from 12:30-1:30pm at the GBH BPL Studio. This event is free and open to the public.

GBH Amplifies is also being supported by the Barr Foundation.

Registration is encouraged for this free event.

Limited seating is available on a first come, first serve basis. If you require a seat, we encourage you to arrive before the start time of this event.

Everyone notices birds. But how many of us are birders?

There is a difference, and it comes with its own language. Lifers and listers. Twitchers and stringers. Spark birds and nemesis birds. Birding is a subculture with its own rules, its own ethics, and its own obsessions, and right now, it is one of the fastest-growing communities in America.

Something unexpected is fueling this growth. Technology. The same force often blamed for pulling us indoors has become an unlikely ally. Platforms that track sightings, map migrations, and connect birders across the world, are transforming a solitary pastime into a global community. And they are raising new questions about ethics, competition, and what it means to love birds responsibly.

Scientists are also paying attention. What birding does to the brain, who is joining the community and why, and what this ancient practice of patient attention offers a generation raised on overstimulation. These are open questions, and the answers are only beginning to emerge.

Join John W. Fitzpatrick, Director Emeritus of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and Erik Wing, neuroscientist at York University and Baycrest Hospital in Toronto, for a conversation about birds, brains, and a culture that is booming with young and old alike.

Join us at the GBH Studios at the Boston Public Library for NOVA science trivia! Get ready for creative categories that test your knowledge of science, from the depths of the universe to the history of science. This month, we will quiz you on the moms of nature, funky fossils, deepfake deceptions, and more!

Join host Alberto Vasallo III at the GBH Studio at the Boston Public Library for a special edition of GBH Amplifies celebrating the grand opening of La CASA: The Center for Arts, Self-Determination, and Activism. As the largest Latino cultural center in New England, this $33 million, 26,000-square-foot facility in Boston’s South End serves as a permanent anchor for Puerto Rican heritage, community building, and the arts. Vasallo sits down with a remarkable panel of guests to discuss how this state-of-the-art hub will empower the community and prevent displacement through activism and cultural expression.

Guests:

Mayra I. Negrón-Roche
IBA COO

Vanessa Calderón-Rosado
IBA CEO

Thomas Meléndez
La CASA Campaign Co-Chair

Natasha Espada
Founding Principal of STUDIO ENÉE

GBH Amplifies is a community conversation series focused on expanding the reach of local voices from Greater Boston and beyond. The series features community leaders hosting public conversations in the GBH Studio at the Boston Public Library in Copley Square, providing a platform for inclusive perspectives on the issues that matter most to New England communities. GBH Amplifies happens weekly on Thursdays from 12:30-1:30pm at the GBH BPL Studio. This event is free and open to the public.

GBH Amplifies is also being supported by the Barr Foundation.

Registration is encouraged for this free event.

Limited seating is available on a first come, first serve basis. If you require a seat, we encourage you to arrive before the start time of this event.

The Boston Symphony Chamber Players (BSCP), an ensemble comprised of the first-chair string and wind players of the Boston Symphony, will perform in Fraser Performance Studio. The program is hosted by Brian McCreath, host of CRB's Boston Symphony broadcasts. The performance will be recorded for future television broadcast on GBH 2 and as part of In Concert on CRB Classical 99.5. The program will feature Samuel Barber’s Summer Music for wind quintet, Carlos Simon’s Gardner Suite, and Antonín Dvořák’s String Quintet No. 2 in G. Carlos Simon, who was appointed to a three-year term as BSO Composer Chair in 2024, wrote Gardner Suite after visiting the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. The BSCP presented the world premiere of his work earlier this season and will make a commercial recording of the piece in Fraser Performance Studio during their visit. The Boston Symphony Chamber Players include Nathan Cole (violin), Lorna McGhee (flute), and Richard Sebring (horn), and Steven Ansell (viola), Blaise Déjardin (cello), John Ferrillo (oboe), William R. Hudgins (clarinet), Haldan Martinson (second violin), Caleb Quillen (double bass), and Richard Svoboda (bassoon). The program is funded by the Mattina R. Proctor Foundation.

Join GBH Education at the GBH Studio at the Boston Public Library for a powerful, timely exploration of how educators can teach the events and lasting consequences of September 11, 2001. This special event brings together teachers and community members for an evening of learning, conversation, and reflection.

During the event, we will screen brand‑new videos designed to help educators navigate the complexities of teaching 9/11 to students who were born long after the attacks. These videos plus an accompanying interactive lesson aim to support student understanding of the event and it’s impact on the world.

The conversation will also highlight Massachusetts’ central role in the story of 9/11. Two of the hijacked flights—American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175—departed from Boston Logan International Airport, making the events of that day deeply connected to our local communities and to many families across the Commonwealth.

Together, we will discuss why teaching this historical event matters, especially as the 25th anniversary approaches, strategies for teaching this difficult history, and ways to help young people understand both the human impact and the ongoing global consequences of that day.

This event is free and open to all. We invite you to join us as we reflect on the past and consider how best to teach it to the next generation. Refreshments will be provided.