From November 2023 – May 2024, the Sigal Music Museum will present 12 lectures in their Distinguished Lecture Series to accompany their new exhibit Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred. The exhibit includes international instruments and looks at musical cultures, rites, and traditions from around the world. The series will start on November 5 with the lecture “A Spooky Dive Into Shubert” presented by composer and museum Board Member Jon Grier. SC Humanities supported this program series with a Major Grant.
The Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred exhibit aims to increase public access to historical instruments from around the world and improve visitors’ understanding of musical traditions at the global level. Expanding beyond the typical parameters of the Western musical canon, Worlds Apart seeks to expose audiences to musical instruments and customs that are often overlooked or exotified. The instruments and other exhibit materials will offer visitors new perspectives on global music and a chance to consider how music is used for prayer and leisure in cultures around the world.
The Distinguished Lecture Series will kick off with “A Spooky Dive into Schubert” on Sunday, November 5 at 3:00 p.m. The program, presented by Jon Grier, looks at how Franz Schubert makes Göthe’s dramatic poem even spookier in “Erlkonig” with his musical setting, subtly shifting mood with every phrase and turning it into a brief-but-gripping 4-minute opera. The event is free and open to the public. Reservations are requested. Learn more here.
Other upcoming events include
Sunday, November 19 | 3:00 p.m. – Iliana Rose (Cuban Music)
Iliana Rose leads a Cuban Jazz band in the Greenville area. She will be delivering a lecture/demonstration of various styles of Cuban music, including dance, rhythmic structure, sub-genres, and history. Her website provides more info http://ilianarose.com/ The lecture will begin at 3:00pm and last for approximately 90 minutes. Free to the public.
Sunday, December 3 | 3:00 p.m. – Xiao-Fen Min (Chinese Music)
Min Xiao Fen is a world-renowned player of the Pipa, a traditional Chinese instrument that dates back over 2,000 years. She has been lauded on NPR, the New York Times, and has been commissioned by the Smithsonian Institute. Her lecture will be on the Pipa and other traditional Chinese instruments and how they still contribute to music in the 21st century. http://minbluepipa.com/. The lecture will begin at 3:00pm and last for approximately 90 minutes. Free to the public.
Sunday, December 17 | 3:00 p.m. – Adam Maalouf (Eastern Percussion)
Adam Maalouf is a nationally-renowned percussionist who specializes in eastern percussion, including the handpan. https://www.adammaalouf.com/biography. The lecture will begin at 3:00pm and last for approximately 90 minutes. Free to the public.
More programs and dates will be announced soon.
The Sigal Music Museum celebrates music through the ages by entertaining and informing audiences through interactive exhibits, educational programs and intimate concert performances. Learn more: https://sigalmusicmuseum.org/.
The mission of SC Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. Established in 1973, this 501(c)3 organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprised of community leaders from throughout the state. It presents and supports literary initiatives, lectures, exhibits, festivals, publications, oral history projects, videos, and other humanities-based experiences that directly or indirectly reach more than 250,000 citizens annually. South Carolina Humanities receives funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities as well as corporate, foundation and individual donors. The National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.
