Faculty Recital of Shannon Thomas, violin & Stijn De Cock, piano

Longmire Alumni Building

The Anonymous Lover (1780), known in French as L’Amant Anonyme, this charming two-act romantic comedy chamber opera by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges is adapted from a comedic play by Stéphanie Félicité de Genlis (Madame de Genlis). It centers on Léontine, a wealthy widow who begins receiving ardent letters and gifts from a secret admirer. Unbeknownst to her, the devoted suitor is actually her close friend Valcour, who conceals his identity out of fear of rejection. Through spirited misunderstandings and heartfelt revelations, Léontine learns the truth, culminating in a joyful resolution that celebrates the power of genuine devotion and trust. Will love win? Joseph Bologne’s stirring music is complemented by a fresh book adaptation from the pen of Obie Award-winning Boston playwright Kirsten Greenidge, mixing English dialogue with the original French singing. The third of Bologne’s six operas, The Anonymous Lover was his most successful opera, and the only one that has survived to this day. The work holds a significant place in the annals of music history, standing as one of the first known operas composed by a Black artist.

EPSG:4326

The Anonymous Lover

Palace Theatre 

"Mozart's music is omnipresent. This time, however, his words lead me to him. My cantata will be based on Mozart's letters, on the language of a man who communicates, doubts, mocks, hopes, and loves. I don't want to interpret, but rather listen—and create something of my own from it." (Karim Zech)

Havana Lyceum Orchestra / Hope / Peña / Méndez Padrón / Villazón: Final concert

Mozarteum Foundation

Continuing our Mozart Festival, enjoy works by two peers: Joseph Bologne’s jaunty Symphony No. 2 and Maria Theresia von Paradis’s Overture to The School Candidate, her sole surviving orchestral piece, in commedia dell’arte form. Mozart’s five violin concertos, composed in 1775, culminate in a Fifth that is imaginative and technically challenging. The fiery “Haffner” Symphony, honoring a former Salzburg patron, is bold and regal.

Mozart’s Violin

Kleinhans Music Hall

Born in Guadeloupe, Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, was not only an outstanding violin virtuoso and composer in late 18th century Paris. He also excelled as a successful fencer and was Marie-Antoinette's favorite musician. As a composer of operas, symphonies, concertos and string quartets, he celebrated successes that Mozart was denied in France during his lifetime. His symphony opens the concert evening, followed by Mozart's Sinfonia concertante, performed by the married couple Meesun Hong and William Coleman. Beethoven's Eroica brings the evening to a crowning conclusion.

Beethoven's Eroica & Mozart's Sinfonia concertante

A prince’s love breaks a sorcerer’s curse. A Vietnamese son writes letters to his mother, who cannot read, exploring their fraught family history and unfolding the relationship with his first love. A Finnish composer protests censorship of the press through what would become a second national anthem for his liberated nation. The MPO’s Pride concert shares stories about courageous love for person and country.

Love Letters

St. Catherine University

Valcour, who is in love with long-time friend Leontine, has been sending her anonymous love letters. The widowed Leontine isn't sure she believes in love anymore. Will she changer her tune? Don't miss this frothy love story that features tenor Jonathan Pierce Rhodes with FLO's 2025 Studio and Apprentice Artists!

Rochester Institute of Technology

The dazzling Sheku Kanneh-Mason, “technically superb and eloquent in his expressivity” (The Guardian), performs Shostakovich’s First Cello Concerto, renowned for its virtuoso fireworks.

The Grand Finale

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

Clarinetist Amer Hasan will bring Mozart’s lyrical and virtuosic concerto to life, showcasing the instrument’s rich tones and expressive range. The program will also feature the elegant and spirited sounds of Beethoven’s First Symphony, a work that marks the composer’s early genius. With the exquisite voice of soprano Sirgourney Cook adding depth to the evening, this concert promises to be a captivating celebration of classical music.

Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto & Beethoven’s First

The University of Akron

Sedona Symphony Concert 3

Sedona Symphony

Opera Philadelphia proudly presents the company premiere of "The Anonymous Lover," a captivating romantic comedy that stands as a testament to the genius of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges. This groundbreaking 18th-century composer, often overlooked due to his race, was a contemporary of Mozart and Haydn and shines through his only surviving opera. The music, composed by Joseph Bologne with a libretto by François-Georges Fouques Deshayes, Desfontaines, based on the play "L’amant anonyme" by Stéphanie Félicité, Madame de Genlis, and adapted by Kirsten Greenidge, will be performed in French with English supertitles, offering audiences a unique and immersive experience.

Set against the backdrop of a frothy romp filled with beautiful arias and charming music, "The Anonymous Lover" tells the story of the young widow Léontine, portrayed by soprano Symone Harcum, who receives a series of passionate letters from a secret admirer. As she grapples with the possibility of new love, it becomes clear that her friend Valcour, played by tenor Khanyiso Gwenxane, is the mysterious author. This opera invites audiences to root for true love in a tale that is both ahead of its time and timeless.

The production is co-produced with Boston Lyric Opera and features a talented cast including Johnathan McCullough as Ophémon, Ashley Marie Robillard as Jeanette, Joshua Blue as Colin, and Sun-Ly Pierce as Dorothée. The creative team is led by conductor Kalena Bovell and director Dennis Whitehead Darling, with scenic coordination by Baron E. Pugh, costumes by Leslie Travers, and lighting by Driscoll Otto. Elizabeth Braden serves as the chorus master, marking her Opera Philadelphia debut.

"The Anonymous Lover" will grace the stage of the Academy of Music with performances scheduled for January 31 at 8:00 p.m. and February 2 at 2:00 p.m., during the Jan - Feb 2025 season. The opera runs for approximately 90 minutes with no intermission, promising an evening of uninterrupted enchantment.

This production is part of Opera Philadelphia’s 2024-2025 Season, supported by the Artistry Now Matching Fund and Barbara Augusta Teichert, with additional support from Judy and Peter Leone for Academy of Music productions. Don't miss the opportunity to discover the work of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, and experience a romantic comedy that will leave you inspired and uplifted.

Academy of Music

Grand and dramatic, Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto has been winning the hearts of audiences for over 200 years. It’s understandable – anyone would get excited about this mighty masterpiece, especially when it’s played by the great pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja. Music Director Thomas Søndergård and the RSNO can’t wait to share the experience with you, alongside classical showstoppers by Beethoven’s mentor Haydn and the one and only Chevalier de Saint- Georges: swordsman, adventurer and composer extraordinaire.

RSNO Season 24-25: Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto

Usher Hall

The Knights with Emanuel Ax at Tanglewood

Tanglewood Music Center

**Event: Black Keys: The Evolution of the Black Classical Arts**

**Date:** Saturday, April 20, 2024  
**Time:** 7:30 PM  
**Venue:** Schrott Center for the Arts, Butler University, 610 W. 46th St., Indianapolis, IN 46208  
**Tickets:** Sold Out - Waitlist Available

Join the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra for a groundbreaking concert, "Black Keys: The Evolution of the Black Classical Arts," on April 20, 2024, at the prestigious Schrott Center for the Arts. This unique event, conducted by Matthew Kraemer and curated by Joshua Thompson, ICO's Creative Partner-in-Residence, promises an unforgettable evening celebrating the rich legacy of Black classical music.

**Featured Performers:**
- **Joshua Thompson:** Piano
- **Kenyetta Dance Company**
- **Jared Thompson:** Saxophone
- **Psywrn Simone:** Vocalist
- **Pamela Ajango:** English Horn

**About the Event:**
Curated by Joshua Thompson, "Black Keys" is an immersive experience that weaves together the power of dance, vocal prowess, and world-class artistry. The concert showcases masterpieces by Black composers and artists spanning over three centuries, including William Grant Still, Joseph Bologne, Nina Simone, Duke Ellington, Harry Burleigh, and Margaret Bonds. This event is a celebration of the contributions of Black artists to the classical music genre, presented with the support of Frost Brown Todd.

**Repertoire Highlights:**
- Coleridge-Taylor: Petite Suite de Concert
- Ulysses Kay: Pieta
- Still: Darker America, Out of Silence from Seven Traceries, Africa Land of Romance, Spiritual A Deserted Plantation
- Ellington: Spring from The River, Single Petal of a Rose, MLK, Movement III from Three Black Kings
- Burleigh: The Frolic from The Southland
- Simone: Four Women
- Bonds/Hughes: Dream Variations

**Additional Information:**
- **Tickets:** This concert is currently sold out. To join the waitlist, please visit the ICO website.
- **Student/Children Tickets:** Free with reserved ticket. Call or email the ICO office to reserve.
- **Young Professionals (40 and under) Tickets:** $20. Contact the ICO office for redemption.

For more information, contact the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra at 317-940-9607 or info@icomusic.org. Don't miss this extraordinary celebration of the Black classical arts at the heart of Indianapolis.

Black Keys: The Evolution of the Black Classical Arts

Butler University

IPO presents IPO principal horn Lee Shirer at the helm for this stunningly opulent program of classical giants alongside a world premiere of IPO Composer-in-Residence Oswald Huỳnh.

Bologne, Mozart & Haydn

Trinity Christian College

Spring Concert

Vert Auditorium

Fan favourite Edwin Huizinga returns to the Queen City with a king-sized line-up of music from Mozart and Haydn, as well as an overture from Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges. This concert will also kick off our new Classics at Darke Hall series.

Haydn & Mozart

Darke Hall

Guest conductor Craig Kier leads the University of Maryland Symphony Orchestra and School of Music alumni, current students, and faculty in a performance of selections that celebrate the breadth of operatic composers and the stories they tell.

Beginnings—Overtures to the New Year: UMD Symphony Orchestra • IN-PERSON

The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center

Celebration of Black History Month

St. John's Episcopal Church Barrington

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a comic love story for the ages! Written in 1780 by the virtuoso Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the chamber opera The Anonymous Lover tells the story of Léontine, a wealthy young widow disenchanted with the notion of love, who starts receiving letters from an anonymous admirer. In this joyful new co-production by Boston Lyric Opera and Opera Philadelphia, Bologne’s stirring music is complemented by a fresh book adaptation from the pen of Obie Award-winning Boston playwright Kirsten Greenidge, mixing English dialogue with the original French singing. Don’t miss an evening of lighthearted mishaps, heartfelt melodies, and endearing characters that will inspire you to root for true love! 

The Huntington Theatre

The Mozart Requiem is one of the iconic works of the Classical repertoire: a gripping, visceral exploration into human mortality. Mozart’s turbulent last work follows a first act of symphonic and operatic grace: from the depths of Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus and Antonio Salieri’s De Profundis to the lightness and humor of Mozart’s Regina Coeli and Chevalier de Saint-Georges’ The Anonymous Lover.  A selection of beloved operatic arias and choruses will round out the program, for full chorus, orchestra, and brilliant soloists to be announced.

Mozart Requiem

Church of the Ascension

Be swept away in a musical fantasy with Mozart and Mother Goose. You’ll hear Mozart’s most famous melody in Eine kleine Nachtmusik. The BSO welcomes pianist Sasha Kasman Laude for Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 – and we end on a high note with Ravel’s whimsical Mother Goose Suite.

Brevard Symphony Orchestra Signature Series: Mozart and Mother Goose

King Center for the Performing Arts

Hear Central New York’s most talented young musicians perform a wide variety of orchestral music in their first concert of the 2023-24 season.

Symphoria Youth Orchestras Fall Concert

Henninger High School

Reportedly a favourite of the soon-to-be-deposed Marie Antoinette, it was commissioned by the dazzling violinist, fencer and composer Joseph Bologne. Despite his close engagement with the highest aristocratic circles, Bologne - who had dual French/Caribbean heritage - was invigorated by the Revolution’s ethos of social reform, later leading a legion in support of the Republic.

Haydn, Bologne, Beethoven

University of Warwick

The Anvil

Southbank Centre

Join us for an enchanting evening of classical music with the CityMusic Cleveland Chamber Orchestra's presentation of "Symphonie Concertante" on Sunday, September 24, 2023. This captivating concert will take place from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the serene St. Noel Catholic Church, located at 35200 Chardon Road, Willoughby Hills, OH, 44094, United States.

The program for the evening features a selection of masterpieces that showcase the depth and diversity of classical music. The lineup includes George Walker's poignant "Lyric for Strings," Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's exhilarating "Concerto in C major for 2 Violins, K. 190," Toru Takemitsu's mesmerizing "Waltz," and Joseph Bologne's dynamic "Symphonie Concertante in B-flat major, Op. 6, No. 1."

Highlighting the event will be performances by the exceptionally talented soloists Jung-Min Amy Lee and Kyung Sun Lee on violins, bringing their virtuosity and passion to the stage.

This event promises to be a memorable experience for classical music enthusiasts and newcomers alike, set against the backdrop of the beautiful St. Noel Catholic Church. Don't miss this opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of classical music with the CityMusic Cleveland Chamber Orchestra.

Symphonie Concertante

St Noel Church

Classic Ride 2023

Place des Arts

Each summer, the Grant Park Music Festival brings music and fun to neighborhoods across Chicago featuring the Festival's String Fellows in an eclectic mix of music for string quartet. Bring a blanket or picnic chair and join us in your neighborhood park for a free, hour-long, family-friendly concert.

Grant Park Music Festival Concert 2023

Lake Shore Park

Marquette (Jacques) Park

Music Niagara Festival

Ironwood Cider House

Ottawa Chamberfest

Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre

Concert at Unity Park

Unity Park

Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of classical music with the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra's upcoming concert, "Singing Strings: Music of Respighi, Bologne, and Dvořák." This captivating performance is scheduled for Sunday, June 25, 2023, from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM at the prestigious Town Hall Seattle.

Under the baton of Geoffrey Larson and featuring the virtuosic talents of violinist Caitlin Kelley, the concert promises an afternoon of exquisite music-making. The program includes Ottorino Respighi's "Ancient Airs and Dances Suite No. 3," a piece that reimagines Renaissance lute songs for the modern string orchestra, enveloping the audience in the dramatic and lush sounds of the past. Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges' "Violin Concerto in G major, Op. 8 No. 2," showcases the brilliance of one of history's most remarkable Renaissance men, blending classical elegance with the spirited flair of the era. The concert will conclude with Antonín Dvořák's "Serenade for Strings in E major, Op. 22," a work celebrated for its rich Czech lyricism, lush textures, and dazzling virtuosity.

The event will take place in the Great Hall of Town Hall Seattle, located at 1119 8th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101. Directions and parking information can be found on the venue's website to ensure a seamless experience for all attendees.

Don't miss this opportunity to experience the beauty and power of string music performed by some of the most talented musicians in the Seattle area. Join us for an afternoon that promises to be a highlight of the cultural calendar.

Singing Strings: Music of Respighi, Bologne, and Dvořák

Town Hall Seattle

Concert at Ping Tom Park

Ping Tom Memorial Park

Proclaimed "a phenomenon" by the Los Angeles Times and "one of the best pianists of his generation" by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Stewart Goodyear is an accomplished concert pianist, improviser and composer. Mr. Goodyear has performed with, and has been commissioned by, many of the major orchestras and chamber music organizations around the world.

Stewart Goodyear: Piano Recital

Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo

Experience the sublime harmonies and masterful compositions at the Chamber Orchestra Renaud Capuçon concert, a prestigious event that took place on Sunday, 23rd October 2022, at 11:00 am in the historic Prinzregententheater, Munich. This exceptional performance featured the renowned violinist Renaud Capuçon, accompanied by the Kammerorchester des Symphonieorchesters under the artistic direction of Radoslaw Szulc.

The concert's program was a celebration of classical music, showcasing works by legendary composers. The audience was treated to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Major, K. 207, a piece that exemplifies Mozart's genius in composing for the violin. Following this, the concert featured the Violin Concerto in G Major, Op. 8 No. 2 by Joseph Bologne Chevalier de Saint-George, a composer whose works are celebrated for their elegance and virtuosity. The program concluded with Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 44 in E Minor, Hob.I:44 "Trauersinfonie", a profound work that showcases Haydn's mastery of symphonic form and emotional depth.

This concert was not just a performance but an immersive experience into the world of classical music, led by some of the most talented musicians of our time. It was a celebration of musical artistry, set against the backdrop of one of Munich's most beautiful venues.

Chamber Orchestra - Renaud Capuçon

Prinzregententheater

Tulsa Symphony Orchestra presents Chamber Orchestra Series: Haydn’s Symphony No. 83, featuring:

Chamber Orchestra Series: Haydn’s Symphony No. 83

 The University of Tulsa

 The Chevalier will tell his story – one of brilliance, revolution and then erasure. Composed and directed by jazz pianist Pete Letanka with Bologne’s music at its heart, this contemporary song cycle introduces you to Bologne’s story, from his Caribbean childhood to revolutionary 18th century France. Featuring new music created by young people in Leeds with Pete Letanka, you’ll be transported through the sounds of classical, jazz and calypso to the contemporary sound of Leeds.

New Connections: The Chevalier

Leeds Conservatoire

This spring program dances between elegance and vitality. Joseph Bologne's sparkling overture opens with Classical pose and charm, followed by Haydn's brilliant Trumpet Concerto— a work of wit and virtuosity. After intermission, Copland's beloved Appalachian Spring is a radiant portrait of hope, humility, and openhearted joy. Music that lifts and lingers with both refinement and spirit.

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges

Events

Upcoming events

Mar 26, 2026

New Connections: The Chevalier · Leeds Conservatoire

18 - 19 Apr, 2026

Elegance & Energy · Juneau Symphony

Past events

Mar 4, 2026

Faculty Recital of Shannon Thomas, violin & Stijn De Cock, piano · Florida State University College of Music

13 - 15 Feb, 2026

The Anonymous Lover · Opera Columbus

About

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges hasn't added a bio