SalonEra partners with GRAMMY-nominated tenor Nicholas Phan to probe the question “Is Bach’s music for everyone?” Drawing on tenor arias and interviews captured for Phan’s BACH 52 project, Nicholas, Debra Nagy, and a range of community members reckon with the complex social history of Bach’s music as well as its enduring resonance in their lives.

Guest Curator Jean Bernard Cerin traces the history of the Haitian Creole song “Lisette quitté la plaine” and explores how its meaning is transformed by different musical communities as it travels around the globe, becoming a lens through which we can explore the dynamic, fraught history of Haiti and its occupiers.

SE highlights queer artists working in the realm of Baroque opera, delving into how issues of representation, community, and queer love are reflected in the plots and vocal writing of 17th and 18th century works for the stage.

In this special re-broadcast from SalonEra Season 2, Ottoman music enthusiast and multi-instrumentalist Daphna Mor guest curates an exploration of musical connections between east and west.