Cadenza Conversations
Multi-Day Scholar Symposiums on Classical Music
We believe that music is both a microphone and a mirror. Composers and their works reflect history, amplify culture, and become a guide for how we can understand the world today. Art carries human experience, connecting our past, present and future.
Cadenza Conversations grow out of a simple love of music and a desire to talk about what it stirs in us. There’s no script, no pressure to arrive at answers. We listen closely, speak openly, and let the dialog take us where it will.
At heart, it’s about people who love music coming together.
We gather. We talk. We listen.
Unbounded Dialogue
Cadenza Conversations are small-group, multi-day gatherings designed for those who crave deep, unhurried discussions about classical music and its connections to history, philosophy, and the human experience. These sessions, inspired by Socratic Dialogues and historical salon gatherings, bring together musicians, scholars, authors, and curious thinkers for rich, thought-provoking exchanges.
Here, there is no singular authority - every voice is valued. Participants engage as both learners and contributors, exploring ideas freely in an atmosphere of intellectual openness and curiosity.
Our sessions are cozy and immersive, hosted in intimate home settings where discussion flows naturally over shared meals and carefully curated readings and listenings. Beyond conversation, we take the experience further - with excursions and special moments designed to deepen your connection to the music and its broader meaning.
Come with an open mind and a curious spirit, and leave with a richer understanding - not just of music, but of yourself and the world around you.
Student Participation
Through special partnerships with a few notable Chicago musical institutions, our symposiums proudly feature handpicked, talented students chosen for their passion and unique perspectives.
For students, this isn't just about expanding your musical horizons - it's about joining a community of seasoned musicians, leaders, and scholars. Get ready to immerse yourself in ethnomusicology, forge connections, and glimpse into the future of academic life.
Plus, it's not just about the experience - it's a valuable addition to your résumé! Ready to take your passion for music to the next level? Join us!
Noteworthy Guests
Our symposiums have given participants an opportunity to be in conversation and develop relationships with leaders from presitigious institutions, including:
March, 2026: Lux Æterna
Requiems as a Musical Expression for Life
The traditional Latin Requiem Mass has been a source of musical inspiration for centuries. From Ockeghem’s 15th century work through to Britten’s War Requiem and beyond, the idea of moving a soul from the living to the dead through music has captured composers for centuries.
By what is the meaning and purpose of the Requiem? How is it that the same liturgical text can be interpreted so differently musically across eras and cultures? How does this music elicit remembrance, grieving, and even celebration of life? And what is the modern relevance of this music?
In this symposium, co-led by prominent theological scholars, we will dive into these topics, with a deep focus on the Requiems of Mozart, Verdi, and Fauré.
LIMITED SPOTS REMAIN!!!
Beethoven’s String Quartets as Autobiography
Beethoven’s string quartets are as much musical triumphs as they are a glimpse into the soul. These quartets mirror a soul in evolution: from youthful elegance to heroic confrontation, and, ultimately to private meditation and transcendence.
We will explore select quartets as a human archive – a journey of the self across time, through memory, solitude, suffering, resolve, and grace. In parallel, we will engage with philosophical and spiritual texts that ask: How does a human being evolve? What can art reveal about the self over time? How does music become a form of autobiography?
December, 2025: “Echoes of the Self”
SEptember, 2025: Strauss The Hero
“The Hero, Journey, and Call to Adventure”
Richard Strauss’s music embodies the hero’s journey, through struggle, triumph, and transformation. From Ein Heldenleben to Death and Transfiguration, his compositions bring to life the archetypes, trials, and revelations that define the heroic path.
Guided by Nietzsche, Jung, and Campbell’s works, we explored Strauss’s musical storytelling, uncovering how his Tone Poems challenge and expand our understanding of heroism, identity, and the human experience. Through immersive discussions and shared inquiry, we reflected on how these journeys mirror our own.
Read a summary of the event here.
March, 2025: Shostakovich & Stalin
“Artistic Integrity in the Shadow of Power”
We continued our series with the music of Dmitri Shostakovich, who is explicitly connected to the story of Russia, its people, culture, and dynamic history. His music expresses the deepest of tragedy and suffering, and the peaks of triumph. It is visual and emotional. It is divisive amongst the community.
We examined select symphonies and quartets as pieces in the context of totalitarianism, war and struggle, Russian history, and the revolution, arriving at a better understanding of how this history and these historic experiences shape our own lives and community today.
August, 2024: Mahler’s 2nd Symphony
“I Shall Die So As To Live”, our first Cadenza Conversation took place in the late summer of 2024, and was an unforgettable exploration into the musical, philosophical, and spiritual dimensions of this grand symphony. Together - adults and students - we dissected the symphony’s profound themes: from the hero's journey, life and death, religious expressions like The Last Judgment and Resurrection, to the relevance of religious liberty in modern life.
Want to Be A Part Of These?
We're on the lookout for passionate music aficionados and scholars to be part of our exclusive events. If you're eager to join our community and potentially participate in a future Cadenza Conversation, reach out to us! Let your enthusiasm for music lead the way.