Music and the Human Spirit

media release: The Mineral Point Opera House is pleased to present Opera House Sessions – a lecture series focused on gaining a better understanding of how music shapes our lives. Each lecture has been organized through Badger Talks, the speakers bureau for UW-Madison, which aims to spark conversations on important topics, engage residents on critical issues, and share the latest UW research. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students, plus taxes and fees. Seating is general admission.

Dan Cavanagh will talk about his experiences as a composer and pianist, paired alongside recent advances in neuroscience and aesthetics that illuminate why music is uniquely important to our varied experiences as human beings. He will discuss how composers, performers, and conductors partner with listeners in the moment to create an environment conducive to considering the human spirit, our place in this universe, and our relationships with each other and the world.

Dan Cavanagh is a composer and pianist with numerous awards in both areas. He has performed extensively in North America and Europe, and his music continues to be performed across the globe by classical and jazz artists alike. His music can be heard on a wide variety of recordings, and he has released five recordings as a leader. In addition to composing and performing, he is interested in how music and the arts shed light on what it means to be human.

Join us for more Opera House Sessions on Sunday, January 24, for So you don’t like opera… with David Ronis, and Sunday, April 18, for Tune Up Your Ears! with Jamie Henke.