Inside Baroque: The Sound, Style, and Stories Behind the Music
A New 4-Part Adult Education Course
What makes Baroque music sound and feel the way it does?
Join us for four evenings of listening and discovery as Philharmonia’s program notes annotator Scott Foglesong offers a practical introduction to the music, the composers, and the ideas and stories behind it.
- Part 1: What is Baroque?
Not just a set of dates, but a period of striking artistic invention. From Galileo and Newton to Monteverdi, Vivaldi, Bach, and Handel, discover the forces that shaped the era’s sound and style. - Part 2: Orchestral Music
The orchestra takes shape. Hear how early ensembles supported opera and evolved into something inventive, and at times spectacular. - Part 3: Choral and Vocal Music
A golden age of singing. From Bach’s sacred works to Handel’s operas and oratorios, music written for voices at their most agile and expressive. - Part 4: Baroque and the Now
How this music lives on—from Stravinsky to today’s composers, and through historically informed performance. Final session includes a live performance by Philharmonia musicians.
Clear, engaging, and designed for curious listeners—no prior study required.
Dates: Wednesdays, September 16, 23, 30, and October 7 | 6:30–8:00 PM
Location: Community Music Center Mission Campus, 544 Capp St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Price: $100 for the full course (four sessions). This includes a $20 voucher toward a Philharmonia Baroque concert in the 2026/27 season.*
*May not be combined with other discounts or applied to the price of a subscription. Not valid for concerts at Stanford. Exclusions apply.
