02 Jul Press Release: SalonEra Season 2
July 2, 2021 ÔÇô In 2020-2021, Les Délices takes SalonEra to new heights with twelve episodes set to premiere between September and April. Now in its second season, SalonEra is an early music variety show that serves a global audience of classical music enthusiasts. With trademark style, SalonEra pairs enlightening conversation and the highest possible quality recordings of rarely-heard early music from a diverse slate of emerging and established musicians from across North America and beyond.
Acclaimed for its inaugural season’s innovative programming, SalonEra Season 2 will take on an eclectic range of themes and repertoire that includes insights from living composers who take cues from their Baroque Era forebears, an homage to 17th-cent. Mexican nun Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a deep-dive into the technological shifts of the turn of the 16th century, and much more. SalonEra 
Associate Producer and violinist Shelby Yamin looks forward to a further expansion of the series’ diverse roster of artists: “With the introduction of guest curators and artists like Joyce Lindorff and Enrico Lagasca (Early Music in Asia), we will explore some fascinating and otherwise overlooked subjects during this season of SalonEra!”
Two of this season’s episodes have been devised by outside curators: in January, multi-instrumentalist Daphna Mor leads an exploration of Ottoman Influences on Western classical music in the 17th and 18th centuries. In April, noted fortepianist and musicologist Dr. Francesca Brittan guides viewers through an episode marrying early-Romantic Lieder and the History of Science.
With a goal of uplifting diverse voices and highlighting remarkable repertoire, SalonEra Host Debra Nagy is confident that the appeal of original programming like SalonEra will outlast the pandemic. “Though it began as a project for artists to share their work in the pandemic, SalonEra proved itself to be a uniquely valuable and entertaining format for audiences. We can explore fascinating music that might not otherwise work in a concert program and audiences get a very human look at musicians beyond what is normally seen onstage. We strive for a 50:50 ratio of music to talking and the vibe is informal; it’s not a concert but truly an opportunity to share.”
Each episode in this accessible, interactive series is free to watch with a suggested donation of $10 per episode or a season subscription of $75-$125. Following the premiere of each episode, artists answer questions from viewers in a live Q&A. Episodes remain available for viewing for 48 hours following their premiere on Facebook, YouTube, and at salonera.org/watch-now.
SalonEra’s 2021-2022 Season includes:
SE 2.1 Bach and Beyond
Premieres: Sept 13, 2021: SalonEra’s Artists in Residence kick off a new season with music by Bach and preview an exciting year ahead together with a few surprise special guests!
SE 2.2: Performer-Composers
Premieres: Sept 27, 2021: Jonathan Woody, Nicola Canzano, and Doug Balliett are brilliant performers – and composers – who are expanding the canon of Baroque music. Nicola introduces the 18th-century compositional practice of Partimento, Doug follows Bach’s legacy in composing a full year’s worth of cantatas, and Jonathan previews his new commission for Les Délices.
SE 2.3: Phoenix of Mexico
Premieres: Oct 18, 2021: 17th Century Mexican nun Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz (the “Phoenix of Mexico”) was a visionary poet, intellectual, and protofeminist. Catalina Guevara V├¡quez Klein, Karin Cuell├ír, and Raquel Winnica Young explore her legacy in music by Jose Marin, Antonio Dur├ín de la Mota, Rafael de Castellanos, and others.
SE 2.4 Divine Love
Premieres: Nov 8, 2021: Scholar Susan McClary, cornettist Alexandra Opsahl, and other fabulous guests illuminate ecstatic music from the seventeenth century including new performances of works by Schutz, Cozzolani, and Charpentier.
SE 2.5 Machaut Man
Premieres: Nov 29, 2021: Blue Heron’s Scott Metcalfe and Les Délices director Debra Nagy celebrate the release of their new CD recording of Guillaume de Machaut’s Remede de Fortune with a deep dive into Machaut’s music and multimedia masterworks.
SE 2.6 Connoisseur’s Christmas
Premieres: Dec 13, 2021: Soprano Grace Srinivasan and keyboard maverick Patrick Merrill share a 17th-century treasure trove of music for the holiday season. Enjoy classic works by Praetorius and Biber and discover new favorites by B├Âddecker, Bassani, and others.
SE 2.7 Ottoman Influence
Premieres: Jan 31, 2022: Multi-instrumentalist Daphna Mor guest curates this episode exploring Ottoman cultural influences on western music in the 17th and 18th centuries and beyond. Guests include oud player Kane Matthis and Turkish violinist Ceren Turkmenoglu.
SE 2.8 Circa 1500
Premieres: Feb 21, 2022: Shifts in compositional styles and music printing around 1500 had a profound effect on instrument building and playing techniques. Early-string specialist Scott Metcalfe, lutenist Esteban La Rotta and others share music by Agricola, Isaac, and more.
SE 2.9 Women’s Herstory
Premieres: Mar 7, 2022: Explore music by women composers from across the centuries as we revisit works by Isabella Leonarda, Francesca Caccini, Leonora Duarte, and others in this special clip show episode featuring re-contextualized conversation and music from past episodes.
SE 2.10 Early Music in Asia
Premieres: Mar 28, 2022: Harpsichordist Joyce Lindorff and Filipino baritone Enrico Lagasca share their lived experiences in this fascinating episode exploring outlying histories and intersections between western classical music and Chinese and Filipino culture.
SE 2.11 The Secret Garden
Premieres: Apr 11, 2022: Francesca Brittan is our guide for this episode combining early Romantic Lieder with History of Science. From fairies and elves to fascination with the organic world under the lens of a microscope, we’ll enjoy songs by Schubert performed by soprano Hannah De Priest, fortepianists Michael Pecak and Gili Loftus, and additional guests to be announced.
SE 2.12 Where the Wild Things Are
Premieres: Apr 25, 2022: From frog croaks and cat mewls to cock crows and lion’s roars, we invite the animal kingdom into our living rooms for music by Biber, Couperin, and others. Special guests to be announced.
SalonEra runs concurrently with Les Délices’ Concert Series, which begins in October. More information about Les Délices’ virtual Concert Series is available on their website. Subscriptions for the Concert Series ($125-$200) are available via Les Délices’ website (www.lesdelices.org). Single tickets ($24.99) for online viewing of Concert Series programs will be available through Marquee TV. Single tickets ($40/$25/$5-$8) for in-person performances held in Spring 2022 will be sold by Les Délices.