A Summer of Music at Roundtable

Summer is the season of lazy afternoons, dining al fresco, and conversations that linger long into the evening — pursuits that require the perfect soundtrack. Whether you prefer opera, symphonies, jazz, or rock and roll, we’ve curated a special music curriculum, designed to fill your summer with curiosity, beauty, and a bit of drama. Take a look at the classes below and find your next great summertime jam.

Stay curious!

The Roundtable Team

A Summer of Symphonies at Tanglewood: Brahms, Mahler, Mozart, and More

Tanglewood has been the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra since the 1930s, and the open air venue has been the site of some of the greatest music making in American symphonic history. Join Jeremy Yudkin, renowned music professor, to preview the weekend’s Tanglewood concerts — including symphonies by Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and others.

4 SESSIONS | STARTS FRI, JUL 10 | 12 PM ET | ONLINE | ENROLL

1956: Past, Present, & Future Collide — Sinatra, Ella, Louis, Elvis, & More

In 1956, Sinatra, Fitzgerald, and Armstrong hit their zeniths. Simultaneously, Elvis explodes on the national scene and Tito Puente ushers in the American mainstreaming of Latin Jazz. Join Louis Rosen — Roundtable’s resident Composer Laureate — for a deep dive into a year that changed American Popular music forever.

4 SESSIONS | STARTS MON, JUN 15 | 5:55 PM ET | ONLINE | ENROLL

Mozart’s Don Giovanni: Opera’s Darkest Masterpiece

Don Giovanni has captivated audiences for centuries and puzzled thinkers from Kierkegaard to Freud. How does the opera work, and why has it proven so endlessly perplexing? Join musicologist and conductor Dorian Bandy, author of Mozart the Performer, for an exploration of one of Mozart’s deepest, darkest achievements.

4 SESSIONS | STARTS WED, JUL 8 | 2 PM ET | ONLINE | ENROLL

The Million Dollar Quartet: Elvis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry-Lee Lewis

On December 4, 1956, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash gathered at Sun Records in Memphis for a legendary jam session later known as the Million Dollar Quartet. This class, with Juilliard’s Edward Barnes, traces the musical roots and early careers of the four artists whose sounds helped ignite the rock ’n’ roll revolution.

4 SESSIONS | STARTS TUE, JUL 14 | 1 PM ET | ONLINE | ENROLL

Can Music be Universal? Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan’s Golden Record

In 1977, NASA launched two spacecraft, each carrying a gilded LP — the Voyager Golden Record, loaded with music from around the world — into the cosmos. It remains the most ambitious act of communication ever attempted. But what does it mean to represent all of humanity through music? Join Harvard’s Alex Rehding to consider this question.

3 SESSIONS | STARTS THU, JUL 30 | 11 AM ET | ONLINE | ENROLL

How America Found Its Sound

Join Grammy nominated David Adam Moore — a Cajun descendant, country music heir, and frequent collaborator with leading American composers — for a colorful journey through the sounds that built a nation. We’ll explore America’s eclectic musical makeup and uncover how artists, from Hank Williams to Missy Mazzoli, reflect America’s endless reinvention.

4 SESSIONS | STARTS MON, JUL 20 | 11 AM ET | ONLINE | ENROLL

Final Symphonies of Classical Composers: Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert

Join Scott Burnham to explore the final symphonies of the three greatest composers in the Western tradition. Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert represent the so-called Classical style at its finest — a musical style that bridged the 18th and 19th centuries and that has enjoyed a continuous presence in modern-day concert halls.

3 SESSIONS | STARTS WED, JUL 15 | 3 PM ET | ONLINE | ENROLL

We hope to see you in class soon!