Past Events



Daedalus Quartet

Feb 12, 2025 at - | Fisher Fine Arts Library - Arthur Ross Gallery, 220 S. 34th Street Philadelphia, PA 19104

Daedalus Quartet will perform Bartók's 'String Quartet No. 5' and "Deep Summer Folklore" by Andrew Davis (PhD, 2017) in the Arthur Ross Gallery(link is external), an intimate exhibition space housed in the historic Fisher Fine Arts Library.

This event is free and open to the public.



Music in the Pavilion: Music from Around the Globe

Featuring Sarah Le Van (violin) and Echezonachukwu Nduka (piano)
Feb 7, 2025 at - | Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center - Class of 1978 Orrery Pavilion, Kislak Center, 6th floor, 3420 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104

Penn doctoral students Sarah Le Van (violin) and Echezonachukwu Nduka (piano) will perform works from across time and space.

This event is free and open to the public, registration required.



Argentine Music Performance Workshop

for String Players with Guillermo Rubino
Feb 5, 2025 at - | Penn Music Building - Lerner 101, 201 S. 34th Street Philadelphia, PA 19104

A workshop for string players on unique techniques and stylistic approaches to Argentine music, both traditional tango and contemporary popular music. 



Argentine Popular Music with Guillermo Rubino

A lecture/demonstration
Feb 4, 2025 at - | Penn Music Building - Lerner 101, 201 S. 34th Street Philadelphia, PA 19104

A lecture/demonstration of Argentine popular music that is being written today, with a focus on string instruments, showing its mix between folk and contemporary music traditions.



A Review of Instrumental Tango

Guest Lecture by Guillermo Rubino
Feb 4, 2025 at - | Penn Music Building - Lerner 101, 201 S. 34th Street Philadelphia, PA 19104

Argentine violinist and tango specialist Guillermo Rubino joins Jim Sykes' World Music & Cultures class to give very intensive review of the evolution of instrumental tango from its 19th century beginnings to today's contemporary tango.



Benjamin Bagby and Sequentia: Storytelling and Music 800 Years Before Netflix

Jan 29, 2025 at - | Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center - Class of 1978 Orrery Pavilion, Kislak Center, 6th floor, 3420 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104

Free and open to the public with registration: register here. Medieval aristocrats enjoyed long, live storytelling performances about beautiful, wealthy, and tragic characters, often accompanied by music. Benjamin Bagby and his ensemble Sequentia explore how these stories were performed and appreciated by noble audiences long before widespread literacy and the printed word.



Songs and Female Names in Contemporary Nigeria: A Mother's Prayer or Men's Muse?

Colloquium Lecture by Ruth Opara
Jan 28, 2025 at - | Penn Music Building - Lerner 101, 201 S. 34th Street Philadelphia, PA 19104

This presentation explores how songs featuring female names shape identity and emotional resonance, focusing on Nigerian examples like Davido’s “Assurance” and Flavour’s “Chimamanda.” By examining their cultural, emotional, and artistic significance, it highlights the influence of music and naming on relationships, identity, and resistance within the dynamic Nigerian musical landscape.