August 14, 2026 at 8 PM | Frautschi Hall at Caltech Campus

Ever wonder why a phrase feels right in one performance and flat in another? Musicologist Harlow Robinson joins us to dig into everything that shapes an interpretation: the composer’s life, the politics swirling around when a piece was written, nationalism, style, even how the instruments themselves have changed over time. He’ll also tackle the question we couldn’t resist asking — how can you, as a listener, tell when a performer has really gotten inside all of that?

This started as a session for our adult amateur workshop, but it was too good to keep to ourselves.

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