Benjamin Zander's Interpretations of Music Lessons for Life

After nearly a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic, Boston Philharmonic founder and conductor Benjamin Zander resumes his world-renowned, free music interpretation classes, “Interpretations of Music: Lessons for Life,”

In each class, Zander employs his legendary communication skills and his lifetime experience in all aspects of musical performance to coach, inspire, and transform several highly accomplished young musicians who live or study in the Boston area. During each session Zander guides each musician, helping to create a deeper understanding of what the music is asking of the performer and how to communicate it with the greatest intensity and authenticity to the audience. The classes, which feature a range of classical masterworks and usually anywhere from two to four musicians—playing any instrument, including classical guitar–provide a window into how music can and should be performed in order to engage, stimulate, and inspire the audience at the deepest level.

Other than choosing the musical work in advance, each lesson is completely spontaneous, often inspiring surprising, new insights. Recordings of previous classes are available for viewing on the Benjamin Zander Center website. 

“My classes are an exploration, rather than a master class,” says Zander. “We need to be able to communicate the feelings about life that are portrayed in music because music is not separate from life—it is life itself. Music helps us express our humanity.”Classes are free and open to the public; advance tickets are not required. For more information, visit the class web page on the Boston Philharmonic we site.