27 Jul Press Release: SalonEra Season 7
LES DÉLICES ANNOUNCES SEASON 7 OF SALONERA: A REIMAGINED FORMAT FOR THE 21ST-CENTURY SALON
The acclaimed webseries and podcast returns with shorter, tighter video spotlights and in-depth audio exclusives —All 100% Free
Les Délices is thrilled to announce Season 7 of SalonEra, its signature podcast and webseries blending virtuosic performances, historical deep-dives, and engaging artist conversations. Since launching in 2020, SalonEra has produced over 60 episodes featuring more than 90 guests, establishing itself as a cornerstone of Les Délices’ community engagement and adult education initiatives.
Driven by audience feedback and industry consultation, Season 7 introduces an exciting evolution designed to make SalonEra more accessible, engaging, and frequent than before.
A New Kind of SalonEra: Two Formats, Endless Discovery
Starting September 2026, SalonEra will transition to a flexible, dual-format model:
SalonEra Spotlights (8 Monthly Video Episodes | Oct–May): 10–15 minute video episodes (also available as audio) focusing on a single guest artist and a specific piece or topic. Bite-sized and easily searchable, these spotlights offer entry points into a wide range of early music history, from 18th-century Black London to sea shanties, astronomy, Colonial America, and much more. Debra Nagy will share hosting duties for these special video episodes with long-time SalonEra Associate Producer Shelby Yamin.
Says Host and Executive Producer Debra Nagy, “We recognize that our audience may be finding or accessing content from SalonEra long after its release date or that folks may not have time to sit and listen or watch an hour-long episode at their desktop computer. As a result, SalonEra spotlights are a great opportunity to create compact, content-rich episodes that highlight and contextualize a specific work or composer. Besides offering some new creative possibilities for our team, the focus of Spotlights (along with strong keywords and SEO) should also make it easier for new audiences to discover SalonEra and what it has to offer.”
SalonEra Audio Exclusives (5 Podcast Episodes | Sept–May): Hosted by Hannah De Priest, these hour-long audio podcasts offer additional context for live performance recordings from Les Délices. Featuring multiple guests, scholarship, and archival recordings, these episodes offer a rich, immersive listening experience.
Says podcast host Hannah De Priest, “I am excited about the innovative changes coming to SalonEra this season! Our team has an incredible season planned and I look forward to introducing our audiences to more fantastic repertoire and artists in accessible, appealing ways. As an avid podcast listener as well as host and editor, I feel passionate about this category of digital media and look forward to growing Les Délices and SalonEra’s position in the podcast space.”
Season Overview
Release Date | Format | Title / Subject | Featured Hosts & Guests |
Sept 14, 2026 | Audio Exclusive | Scottish Baroque | Hannah De Priest (Host), Debra Nagy, David McGuinness |
Oct 12, 2026 | Spotlight (7.1) | Yankee Doodle | Shelby Yamin (Host), Dominic Giardino |
Nov 9, 2026 | Spotlight (7.2) | J.S. Bach’s English Suite No. 1 | Debra Nagy (Host), Mark Edwards |
Nov 23, 2026 | Audio Exclusive | Bach’s Musical Offering | Hannah De Priest (Host), Reginald Sanders, Debra Nagy |
Dec 14, 2026 | Spotlight (7.3) | Dowland: Flow my Tears | Debra Nagy (Host), K. Dawn Grapes |
Jan 11, 2027 | Spotlight (7.4) | Bach: Liebster Jesu mein Verlangen | Debra Nagy (Host), Tekla Cunningham, Hannah De Priest |
Jan 25, 2027 | Audio Exclusive | Dowland @ 400 | Hannah De Priest (Host), Orí Harmelin, Elena Mullins Bailey, K. Dawn Grapes |
Feb 8, 2027 | Spotlight (7.5) | Sancho: Country Dances & Black London | Shelby Yamin (Host), Charles Ignatius Sancho feature |
Mar 8, 2027 | Spotlight (7.6) | Handel: Vedendo amor & Queer Themes | Debra Nagy (Host), Ellen T. Harris, Reginald Mobley |
Mar 22, 2027 | Audio Exclusive | Kiss + Tell: Queer Circles of Influence | Hannah De Priest (Host), Damien Geter, Reginald Mobley, Ellen T. Harris |
Apr 12, 2027 | Spotlight (7.7) | Stormalong & Sea Shanties | Debra Nagy (Host), Seán Dagher |
May 10, 2027 | Spotlight (7.8) | Musical Gravity: William Herschel | Shelby Yamin (Host), Sarah Waltz |
| May 24, 2027 | Audio Exclusive | Bach by Arrangement | Hannah De Priest (Host), Mark Edwards, Reginald Sanders, Debra Nagy |
How to Watch & Support
SalonEra Spotlights and Audio Exclusives will be available on all major podcast platforms, YouTube, and directly via the SalonEra website, where you can also find guest biographies and episode-specific resources, and make a tax-deductible donation to support production.
SalonEra remains 100% free to viewers and listeners worldwide, but to sustain this free public resource—and support the high-caliber research, artist fees, and production values behind every episode—SalonEra relies on direct community contributions. You can make a tax-deductible donation at salonera.org/support. To discuss other opportunities to support SalonEra, including artist and episode sponsorships, reach out to LD’s Executive Director Laura Potter at laura@lesdelices.org.
ABOUT SALONERA
Produced by Les Délices, SalonEra is an award-winning early music webseries and podcast that highlights the work of a diverse range of musicians and historians and serves a global audience of classical music enthusiasts. Produced under the aegis of Les Délices, SalonEra is free to enjoy and is made possible by support from individual donors and foundations.
Since September 2020, SalonEra has premiered over 60 original episodes. Free of geographic or conventional programming limitations, each episode is guided instead by the personalities, perspectives, and contributions of special guests. Guests share recent or upcoming work in alternating interview and performance segments that highlight personal stories, address inspiration and artistic process, and explore intersections between music and art through history. In the course of every show, audiences enjoy archival performances as well as brand-new musical collaborations created especially for SalonEra.