Winter broadcasts continue with a talk exploring classical music and the human condition

The “Festival @ Home” series resumes Feb. 9 with an online conversation featuring insight by Music Director Alasdair Neale, with musical examples and Q & A.

Does art imitate life, or does life imitate art? Thinkers since Aristotle have passionately debated these questions, and it’s clear that art and the human condition are deeply intertwined. The Sun Valley Music Festival’s next installment of the “Festival @ Home” series of online broadcasts explores this connection with an “Upbeat with Alasdair” talk on Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 6:30 p.m. (MT). Titled The Big Picture, the admission-free event is presented in partnership with The Community Library and will offer viewers an engaging perspective on the role that classical music plays in our psyche and motivations, through unique insight and excerpts from classical music’s most profound works.

Music Director Alasdair Neale said:

“I’m looking forward to sharing some thoughts as to how classical music is particularly well-positioned to tackle the weighty issues of life, death, love, and other questions surrounding the human condition.”

The “Festival @ Home” series of online performances, which opened with a Dec. 8 concert from Pittsburgh to an estimated audience of over 5,000 people, was created to bring free, classical music performances into homes across the country throughout the winter months. The upcoming talk will be presented in a format familiar to those who’ve attended “Upbeat with Alasdair” in person at the Community Library in the past but will only be available online. The broadcast will be livestreamed from Maestro Neale’s home in San Francisco and will include the opportunity for audience members to ask questions at the end of the program.

The free, live broadcast will be about an hour long and will premiere Tuesday, Feb. 9, 6:30 p.m. (MT) on the on the Festival’s website (svmusicfestival.org) and YouTube Channel (youtube.com/c/SunValleyMusicFestival), or from The Community Library website at livestream.com/comlib. You must watch live to participate in the Q & A. Submit your questions for Maestro Neale on the broadcast page on either the Festival or Community Library website during the broadcast. If you’re unsure how to ask a question, the Festival has created a brief tutorial, located at svmusicfestival.org/news_posts/ask-questions. The broadcast will also be archived for those who want to watch at a later date or share it with others. Tips for accessing the presentation on your home theater system or for improving your online broadcast experience can be found on the Festival website at svmusicfestival.org/watch-online.

For the latest news and information on the Sun Valley Music Festival, including updates on in-person concerts this summer (health conditions permitting), visit the Festival website at svmusicfestival.org or sign up for e-news at svmusicfestival.org/subscribe.