Content Director John Clare recently met with students at McNeil High School's AP European History class to talk about classical music. KMFA hosts and programming staff are available to speak to groups of any size or age. Part of our goal as a community-supported station is to increase classical music education and engage with our community. To request a speaker for your community group or class, please email  programming@kmfa.org.

This particular invitation to McNeil High School came from teacher Craig Studer. His class of seniors have been studying European history and had listened to a few pieces of music in class. Many had even played an instrument in band or orchestra. Studer wanted a seasoned expert to provide an overview of European classical music. The idea was to discuss compositions that could be tied to events, or inspired by history, in order to give students context and inspire them to become enthusiastic listeners of classical music.

Here are a few of the works they discussed, some very familiar and others not so familiar, tied to historical events:

- Felix Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 5 Reformations”IV. Andante con moto [Martin Luther, 1530]

- Heinrich Biber: Battaglia [War of the Roses]

- Luigi Boccherini: Night Watch in Madrid [Spain in 1780] *see video below

- Ludwig Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 “Eroica” I. Allegro con brio [Originally dedicated to Napoleon]

- Peter Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture [Russia defending against Napoleon]

- Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No 11 “The Year 1905” I. Adagio (The Palace Square)[ Russian Revolution of 1905]

- Krzystof Penderecki: Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima [World War Two, Polish Cultural freeze]

The class focused on one work in particular that day, a contemporary look at Madrid in the 1780s:


After the class, Studer told John Clare, "The students...thoroughly enjoyed the music and your commentary. They unanimously agreed that I try to bring you back for next year's students. They were especially impressed with your enthusiasm for music."