In advance of the January 22 all-Russian program presented by cellist Steven Isserlis and pianist Connie Shih, we will explore the cultural and political contexts that shaped the development of Russian musical style in the past two centuries.

Tues Jan 11 at 7:30PM: The first Zoom presentation in this two-part series will focus on the historical roots of a distinct Russian musical tradition with a consideration of the legacy of Mikhail Glinka and the generation of composers (including Rubinstein, Mussorgsky, Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov, and others) who followed him.

Tues Jan 18 at 7:30PM: The second Zoom presentation will take us into the 20th century, with a focus on music of Rachmaninov, Shostakovich, and the post-war composers (including Schnittke, Gubaidulina, and Ustvolskaya) whose work came to define a new Russian avant-garde in the second half of the 20th century.

Hosted by Richard Giarusso, PhD, Dean’s Fellow, Associate Professor and Chair of Musicology at the Johns Hopkins Peabody Institute.