Discover the ritual performance of Jewish texts at night as well as social change as they relate across Jewish history. This event focuses on three topics: the rise of Kabbalistic nocturnal rituals in the Italian ghettos since the 16th century; the performance of Hebrew poetry in North Africa and the Middle East in the modern era; and the renaissance of piyyut (Hebrew liturgical poetry and song) in Israel from the 1970s to the present. You’ll be treated to traditional Syrian and Moroccan songs, as well as works by familiar Baroque composers Rossi and Boccherini throughout the discussion.

Since its inception in 2015, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale’s Jews & Music initiative has taken audiences on journeys of discovery that deepen connections for Jews and non-Jews to historical, political and social contexts that inform the creation of music.

Jews & Music (JAM) is a continuous exploration that probes the rich legacies of Jewish composers and performers; non-Jews who worked with Jews or drew inspiration from them; the socio-political milieu they inhabited; and Jewish themes that have emerged across music and visual art over time. Programs illuminate the achievements of Jewish composers such as Felix Mendelssohn, as well as those who were obscured by time and persecution, such as Salamone Rossi and Ignaz Moscheles. Canonical oratorios by George Frideric Handel [...]