Featuring Roberto Capocchi, guitar, and Oliver Prezant

“What I found most distinctive about this program is that its primary purpose seems to be not simply to present a concert, but to deepen the audience’s appreciation and understanding of music. That made it a very unusual and valuable experience. Rather than listening passively to a complete work and perhaps learning something about it beforehand, we were taught, in a very accessible and engaging way, how to listen to it—how to recognize what the composer and performer were doing and to appreciate aspects of the music that we might otherwise have missed.

“Oliver accomplishes this with an effortlessness that is particularly impressive. I suspect, however, that what appears effortless to the audience is actually the product of decades of experience both as a musician and as an educator, as well as considerable preparation with the guest artist. The interaction between Oliver and Roberto felt natural and spontaneous, while at the same time the progression of the program seemed carefully designed.

“I especially appreciated the balance of the evening. Most of the 90 minutes was devoted to exploring and understanding the music through explanation, demonstration, excerpts, questions, and interaction with the guitarist, while the uninterrupted performance of the music occupied a relatively small portion of the program. Paradoxically, that made the eventual experience of simply listening to the music much richer. By the time we heard it as a whole, we were listening differently

“Whether one calls this a lecture-recital, guided listening, or an interactive musical exploration, opportunities to experience music in this way are uncommon. It felt less like attending a conventional concert and more like being invited inside the music before finally hearing it performed. I found that exceptionally rewarding.”

Carlos P.