Mezzo-Soprano Denyce Graves with Washington Performing Arts President & CEO Jenny Bilfield

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Memorial Recital and Award

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a lover of music and a strong supporter of Washington Performing Arts. Our tripartite mission, which resonated with the Justice, is to bring some of the world’s greatest artists to D.C. audiences, to lift emerging artists, and to support arts education in D.C. public schools. For that reason, Justice Ginsburg regularly attended Washington Performing Arts’ s performances and events, including our annual gala.

In summer 2021, Washington Performing Arts established the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Memorial Fund to celebrate the Justice’s life, legacy, and love of music with an annual award and recital in her memory. The Washington Performing Arts Ruth Bader Ginsburg Memorial Recital serves as a creative initiative connecting Justice Ginsburg’s love of music, the esteemed artists she championed and befriended, and the future of the vocal and instrumental arts in which she delighted.

“Music is the one time when my head isn’t filled with briefs and opinions…. All that is put on a high shelf, and I just enjoy the glorious music”

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg