This course offers a survey of ten great composers who left an indelible mark on the development of classical music. We will look closely at composers who developed new musical styles, brought musical genres to their most refined form, contributed to the evolution of musical instruments and the expansion of orchestras, and sometimes rebelled against convention, creating important turning points in the development of classical music. Bach brought Baroque music to its highest level of complexity and sophistication; Beethoven’s demanding writing for the keyboard led to the development of the grand piano and contributed to the expansion of the symphonic orchestra; Wagner brought the art of orchestration and harmony to its peak. Thereafter classical music experienced a great turn in musical style and aesthetics with Debussy and Schoenberg. We will also explore Haydn, Mozart, Stravinsky, Gershwin, Schubert, and Cage. Each class session will focus on the signature work of a single composer to help students develop their “ear” for that composer and to better understand the work from the point of view of the artist. We will see how each composer’s musical aesthetics and stylistic qualities contributed to the long-term development of classical music from Baroque, classical, and romantic to the 20th century and the present day. MORE INFORMATION Duration: 10 weeks Length of each class: 2 hours Dates: TBD