Concert conductor hands with baton
Concert conductor hands with baton on back background

“What’s in a Concert?”

Join the Siegal Lifelong Learning Program for an in-person lecture with Debra Nagy, artistic director of Les Delices and winner of the 2022 Cleveland Arts Prize. Nagy will present “What’s in a Concert?” Friday, Oct. 14, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Landmark Centre Building, Suite 100 (25700 Science Park Dr.).

The experience of live music—whether shared with hundreds of other people in a concert hall or enjoyed among close friends within the confines of a living room—is truly life-giving. But, forget dressing up, staying quiet and waiting to clap. Once upon a time, concert-going was a long and (sometimes) rowdy affair complete with food, drink, friends, and perhaps a few tomatoes thrown in for good measure. This lecture will examine the roots of concert etiquette in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. The following questions will be considered:

  • How were the first concert series different from those we know today? 
  • What role did individual patrons play? 
  • Who was in the audience and how did they behave?
  • When and how did traveling virtuosos become a phenomenon? 
  • And how do you think we can make concert-going inherently more fun today?

Learn more and register to attend.