Verso University: Behind the Notes: Classical Music from the Inside Out

Thursdays, December 3, 10 & 17 | 10:00 am - 11:00 am | December 3: Komansky Room; December 10 & 17: Brooks Place | Registration Fee: $25 (covers all three sessions) About This Course What does it feel like to truly hear a piece of music — not just listen, but understand what’s happening beneath the surface? This special Verso University listening and lecture series invites classical music lovers and the classical-curious alike to experience beloved works in a whole new way. Join classical soprano and lifelong violinist Sarah Hawkey as she guides listeners through the rich history, stories, and musical language behind treasured masterworks, tracing ideas and themes across composers and centuries. If you’ve ever felt that “lit-up” feeling hearing a favorite symphonic theme, a beloved aria, or even one unforgettable chord, you already know the joy of getting behind the notes. Along the way, you’ll hear favorite pieces with fresh ears, share in the kind of close-listening conversations musicians have with each other backstage, and come away noticing layers in music you’ve long loved but never quite heard this way before. No musical background required — just curiosity and an appreciation for great music. Week One: Requiem Across the Centuries (December 3): Explore how composers across five centuries have set the same sacred text to radically different music, from a 15th-century Requiem sung by voices alone to Verdi’s full orchestral fire. You’ll hear Ockeghem, Mozart, Brahms, Verdi, and Howells side by side and leave hearing this ancient form in a completely new way. Week Two: How to Hear Form (December 10): Learn to hear the architecture behind the music — how a baroque piece, a Mozart rondo, and a full symphony are all built from the same underlying structural ideas. You’ll leave able to actually track a piece’s shape as it unfolds. Week Three: J.S. Bach’s Musical Mastery (December 17): We close with all-time favorite composer Bach. Discover what makes his…