Lecture Series
Discover a richer, more personal connection to the music of this season through a series of engaging conversations with Music Director David Hayes and distinguished guest experts. Together, they will explore the life, mind, health, and music of Beethoven, offering new perspectives on the men behind the masterpieces.
These conversations will take place at the Philadelphia Ethical Society, 1906 Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
$25/pp
Brandenburg and Bach
Sunday, December 6, 2026 2:30PM
Music Director David Hayes explores the brilliance and complexity of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos – six remarkably inventive works that showcase a different and often daring combination of instruments. Written during a period when Bach was deeply engaged with secular instrumental music, the Brandenburg Concertos reveal the composer at his most imaginative and adventurous. David will illuminate what makes these works so distinctive and why, more than 300 years later, they remain among the great achievements of the Baroque era.
The Heiligenstadt Letter: Beethoven and Mental Health
Sunday, February 21, 2027 2:30PM
Kenneth J. Weiss, M.D., is a psychiatrist and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry with expertise in forensic psychiatric assessment and consultation. Drawing on his understanding of human behavior and the complexities of the mind, Dr. Weiss will join Music Director David Hayes to explore the mind of Beethoven, tracing his psychological and creative evolution from his middle period through his final years.
An Autopsy of Beethoven
Sunday, April 18, 2027 2:30PM
Martin Heyworth, M.D., is a physician, medical researcher, and musician. A graduate of Cambridge University, he spent his career in academic medicine before retiring in 2017 to pursue his longstanding interest in music and composition. Drawing on his expertise in both medicine and music, Dr. Heyworth will explore Beethoven’s declining health and eventual death in light of new medical evidence.