Description  For centuries, the violin has stood at the heart of musical innovation—not only as an expressive instrument, but also as a laboratory for composers who were themselves virtuoso performers. This course explores the fascinating legacy of the composer-violinist, tracing how artists from the Baroque through the Romantic eras used their technical mastery and creative imagination to expand the boundaries of violin playing and composition.

We will study key figures including Antonio Vivaldi, Giuseppe Tartini, and Niccolò Paganini, whose works redefined both virtuosity and musical storytelling. The course will also highlight later masters such as Henryk Wieniawski, Eugène Ysaÿe, and Fritz Kreisler, who built upon this tradition with their own distinctive voices. Through guided listening, discussion, and live violin demonstrations, participants will discover how these musician-composers shaped the repertoire and influenced broader currents in Western classical music.

By the end of the course, students will have gained not only a deeper knowledge of these iconic figures and their historical contexts, but also practical tools for listening that can enrich any concert-going or personal exploration of classical music. Whether you are a lifelong listener or new to this repertoire, this course offers an engaging opportunity to appreciate how performers as creators left a lasting mark on the violin’s artistic legacy.

Group Leadership Style  More lecture than facilitated discussion.
Course Materials Additional materials will be provided on a class website or by email links.

Preparation Time  60-90 mins per class (reading/listening)

Virtual weekly class (6 weeks)

Description  For centuries, the violin has stood at the heart of musical innovation—not only as an expressive instrument, but also as a laboratory for composers who were themselves virtuoso performers. This course explores the fascinating legacy of the composer-violinist, tracing how artists from the Baroque through the Romantic eras used their technical mastery and creative imagination to expand the boundaries of violin playing and composition.

We will study key figures including Antonio Vivaldi, Giuseppe Tartini, and Niccolò Paganini, whose works redefined both virtuosity and musical storytelling. The course will also highlight later masters such as Henryk Wieniawski, Eugène Ysaÿe, and Fritz Kreisler, who built upon this tradition with their own distinctive voices. Through guided listening, discussion, and live violin demonstrations, participants will discover how these musician-composers shaped the repertoire and influenced broader currents in Western classical music.

By the end of the course, students will have gained not only a deeper knowledge of these iconic figures and their historical contexts, but also practical tools for listening that can enrich any concert-going or personal exploration of classical music. Whether you are a lifelong listener or new to this repertoire, this course offers an engaging opportunity to appreciate how performers as creators left a lasting mark on the violin’s artistic legacy.

Group Leadership Style  More lecture than facilitated discussion.
Course Materials Additional materials will be provided on a class website or by email links.

Preparation Time  60-90 mins per class (reading/listening)

Virtual weekly class (6 weeks)

Description  For centuries, the violin has stood at the heart of musical innovation—not only as an expressive instrument, but also as a laboratory for composers who were themselves virtuoso performers. This course explores the fascinating legacy of the composer-violinist, tracing how artists from the Baroque through the Romantic eras used their technical mastery and creative imagination to expand the boundaries of violin playing and composition.

We will study key figures including Antonio Vivaldi, Giuseppe Tartini, and Niccolò Paganini, whose works redefined both virtuosity and musical storytelling. The course will also highlight later masters such as Henryk Wieniawski, Eugène Ysaÿe, and Fritz Kreisler, who built upon this tradition with their own distinctive voices. Through guided listening, discussion, and live violin demonstrations, participants will discover how these musician-composers shaped the repertoire and influenced broader currents in Western classical music.

By the end of the course, students will have gained not only a deeper knowledge of these iconic figures and their historical contexts, but also practical tools for listening that can enrich any concert-going or personal exploration of classical music. Whether you are a lifelong listener or new to this repertoire, this course offers an engaging opportunity to appreciate how performers as creators left a lasting mark on the violin’s artistic legacy.

Group Leadership Style  More lecture than facilitated discussion.
Course Materials Additional materials will be provided on a class website or by email links.

Preparation Time  60-90 mins per class (reading/listening)

Virtual weekly class (6 weeks)

Program:

Bach: Sonata in g minor

Prokofiev: Solo Sonata

Corigliano: Red Violin Caprices

Howdy Forrester: Wild Fiddler’s Rag (arr. Augustin Hadelich)

A concert–lecture collaboration with the Boris Lurie Art Foundation

Join us at the North Carolina Museum of Art, featuring music by Ilana Zaks Nederlander, a lecture by Stephanie Stebich, and a recorded testimony. The evening will shine a light on the life and legacy of Boris Lurie, who survived the Holocaust and went on to become an artist, activist, and founder of the NO!art movement. 

Featuring violinist Ilana Zaks-Nederlander, this emotionally charged program honors Lurie’s legacy with works by Jewish composers persecuted during the Holocaust, including Hans Krása, Szymon Laks, Dick Kattenburg, Erwin Schulhoff, and Ernest Bloch.

Opening remarks by Stephanie Stebich, Executive Director of the Boris Lurie Art Foundation, and excerpts from the Fortunoff Video Archive at Yale University provide a deeper historical and testimonial context.

Includes Q&A with Zaks-Nederlander and Stebich.

The Boris Lurie Art Foundation preserves and promotes the legacy of Boris Lurie, whose uncompromising art confronts memory, trauma, and injustice. The Foundation supports exhibitions, publications, and educational initiatives that reflect Lurie’s radical vision and commitment to social critique.

https://syosset.librarycalendar.com/events/month

Program TBD

Johann Sebastian Bach, Partita 3, Lauren Bernofsky, Chen Yi, Zwilich, Wieniawski, and Fritz Kreisler

Co-presented by the EMMA concert association and the Friends of the St. Augustine Library

Program TBD: Part of the Weston Library Music Committee Series