Lizzo plays 209-year-old presidential flute from Library of Congress: ‘Nobody has ever heard this crystal flute before’

A special guest was showcased at Lizzo’s Washington, D.C., tour stop Tuesday.

Guarded by Capitol Police, a crystal flute that was once owned by former President James Madison made its way into the singer’s arms for a once-in-a-lifetime performance. Lizzo is the only person to ever play the instrument, according to the Library of Congress, which arranged the loan.

On stage for the third night of the Grammy-winning artist’s “The Special Tour,” Lizzo revered the flute, disclosing to the audience, “I’m scared,” and comparing it to “playing a wine glass” before holding out a sustained note and a short trill while lightly twerking.

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The loan was seemingly sparked by a tweet sent by Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, this week. Hayden suggested that Lizzo visit the library and see — “or even play” — flutes from its extensive collection, including Madison’s, when her tour hit D.C. She stopped by on Monday. The Library of Congress followed up with a tweet teasing that something was in the works.

Hayden didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Lizzo is slated to perform in Philadelphia Thursday at the Wells Fargo Center.

On social media, performance viewers — both in the crowd and via circulating videos — noted the historic importance and symbolism the loan represented. Hayden is the first woman and first African American to lead the national library. Lizzo is a Black trailblazer in contemporary music, often singing and speaking out about racial issues and size representation.

The crowd roared as Lizzo carefully delivered the flute back to Library of Congress personnel before taking back the mic.

“I just twerked and played James Madison’s crystal flute from the 1800s. We just made history tonight,” she said. “Thank you to the Library of Congress for preserving history and making history freaking cool.”

Hours later, the library tweeted that the flute had made it back safely.

Lizzo has been playing the flute since she was in elementary school and has featured her love for the instrument throughout her career — including at this year’s Met Gala on the red carpet.

According to the Library of Congress, Hayden and the music division staff showed Lizzo the flute vault, comprised of more than 1,800 different flutes, on Monday. The bulk of the collection was donated by physicist and astronomer Dayton C. Miller.

The crystal flute Lizzo got to play was made for Madison by Claude Laurent, a French craftsman and clockmaker. Typically flutes in that time were made of wood or ivory, making Laurent’s glass and crystal flutes a rarity even in the 1800s. Library of Congress personnel say it holds 17 Laurent flutes, “by far the largest collection in the world.”

Lizzo was able to practice playing the crystal flute that day in the library. She played for researchers and employees who happened to be there, notably breaking the “quiet rule.”