Inside Baroque: The Sound, Style, and Stories Behind the Music

A New 4-Part Adult Education Course in partnership with Philharmolnia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale

What makes Baroque music sound and feel the way it does? 

Join us for four evenings of listening and discovery as Philharmonia’s program notes annotator Scott Foglesong offers a practical introduction to the music, the composers, and the ideas and stories behind it. 

  • Part 1: What is Baroque? (Sept 16)
    Not just a set of dates, but a period of striking artistic invention. From Galileo and Newton to Monteverdi, Vivaldi, Bach, and Handel, discover the forces that shaped the era’s sound and style.
  • Part 2: Orchestral Music (Sept 23)
    The orchestra takes shape. Hear how early ensembles supported opera and evolved into something inventive, and at times spectacular.
  • Part 3: Choral and Vocal Music (Sept 30)
    A golden age of singing. From Bach’s sacred works to Handel’s operas and oratorios, music written for voices at their most agile and expressive.
  • Part 4: Baroque and the Now (Oct 7)
    How this music lives on—from Stravinsky to today’s composers, and through historically informed performance. Final session includes a live performance by Philharmonia musicians.

Clear, engaging, and designed for curious listeners—no prior study required.

Dates: Wednesdays, September 16, 23, 30, and October 7 | 6:30–8:00 PM
Location: Community Music Center Mission Campus, 544 Capp St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Price: $100 for the full course (four sessions). This includes a $20 voucher toward a Philharmonia Baroque concert in the 2026/27 season.*

REGISTER HERE

*May not be combined with other discounts or applied to the price of a subscription. Not valid for concerts at Stanford. Exclusions apply.

Date / Time

Wednesday, 
September 16, 2026
6:30 pm
 – 8:00 pm
Cost: $100 for full 4-part series

Type of Event

Workshops

Location

CMC Concert Hall
544 Capp Street, San Francisco, CA 94110