Week of December 16, 2024: Invitation to the Dance, Part III – This third installment of our series on dance music will center on the charmed life of George Balanchine, the chief choreographer of Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. Born in St. Petersburg, Balanchine became a dancer and accomplished pianist, and we will listen to the music that inspired him to choreograph his iconic dance movements. This music will include works by JS Bach, Maurice Ravel, Peter Tchaikovsky, and Balanchine’s longtime friend, Igor Stravinsky.

Week of December 23, 2024: Vienna, Part I – A two-week exploration of the rich culture of Vienna, this great musical capital is commonly referred to as the City of Music. Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven all made their way to Vienna, where they developed and deepened their art. Then along came Franz Schubert, who was born in Vienna, and many other composers also found their way to Vienna, including Brahms from up north. And, of course, this is the city of the waltz with Johann Strauss Jr. and Joseph Lanner.

Week of December 23, 2024: Vienna, Part II – We continue our exploration of one of the world’s great musical capitals with the brilliant Romantic composers, the renegades of the last century and beyond. Bill starts us walking in the footsteps of Wolfgang Mozart in 1788 and continues with Ludwig van Beethoven, and then on to Johann Strauss II, Gustav Mahler, and Arnold Schoenberg. This music has a fierce beauty that evokes the history, architectural wonder, and intimate coffee houses of Vienna —our city of music.

Week of January 6, 2025: With a Little Bit of Pluck – This week’s title is a play on words inspired by the song “With a Little Bit of Luck” from the musical My Fair Lady. Bill replaces the word “luck” with “pluck” to refer to instruments where the strings are plucked, such as the guitar, lute, mandolin, and pipa. There are approximately 170 plucked instruments around the world that fit this description. Wouldn’t it be lovely to hear Bill explore the history of these instruments and listen to as many compositions and players as we can fit into this week of Exploring Music?