Sunday Baroque Conversations

Musician and drag queen Thorgy Thor reflects on her time as a young violist growing up on Long Island. The Ronkonkoma native would eventually take her talents to Connecticut, studying music at the University of Hartford.

Violinist Kristin Lee was 7 when her family moved from Seoul, Korea to the United States. The once-chatty little girl suddenly felt isolated in a new country, and music became her way to connect and make friends.

Debra Nagy plays baroque oboe, and the historical performance expert is also founding director of the chamber group Les Délices. The award-winning Cleveland-based group has a reputation for performing less well-known music of the baroque era.

The Grammy-nominated Neave Trio consists of violinist Anna Williams, cellist Mikhail Veselov, and pianist Eri Nakamura. They state their goal simply: To Engage. To Exchange. To Connect.

GRAMMY Award-winning musician Will Liverman has been praised for his versatility and skill as a singer. The American operatic baritone has performed in several roles at the Metropolitan Opera, and Lyric Opera Chicago, where he premiered an opera he co-created -- The Factotum – with his longtime friend, DJ King Rico.

ChamberQUEER operates as a collective of performers, composers, and creators, hosting events like Open Mic Nights and Sight Reading Parties to networking opportunities, performances and workshops. Suzanne Bona speaks with 3 of ChamberQUEER's founding members - Jules Biber (cello), Danielle Buonaiuto (soprano), Brian Mummert (baritone).

Byron Schenkman is an American harpsichordist, pianist, and music scholar who specializes in baroque and early music.

The Connecticut Early Music Festival takes place each June, and with the 2024 Festival set to begin Suzanne chatted with the Festival’s Artistic Director about what’s on the agenda.

This June, join us in celebrating the vibrant voices and powerful stories of LGBTQIA musicians. Throughout Pride Month, we're revisiting conversations with some of the most influential and inspiring artists in classical music today.

The Connecticut Early Music Festival will feature a variety of performances on instruments for which the original music was written. Ian Watson, the festival's artistic director, spoke with Suzanne about the process of recreating musical history.