Handel’s The Power of Music (Berkeley)
First Congregational Church (Berkeley) | 2345 Channing Way, Berkeley, CA
Event Details
Submitted by the Event Organizer
Can Music Change the Course of History?
Three centuries ago, George Frideric Handel explored a bold idea: that music can change how people think, feel, and act.
Music Director Peter Whelan and Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale open the 2026/27 season with Handel’s The Power of Music, featuring Alexander’s Feast, a vocal and choral masterpiece inspired by a legendary banquet marking Alexander the Great’s victory over Persia. As the feast unfolds, poet-musician Timotheus uses music to influence the conqueror and change the course of history.
Bay Area audiences will be first in the U.S. to hear Handel’s 1742 Dublin version, performed on period instruments and in the style of the time.
Performances
Stanford: Wednesday, November 11 at 7:30 PM (Bing Hall)
San Francisco: Friday, November 13 at 7:30 PM (Herbst Theatre)
Berkeley: Saturday, November 14 at 2:30 PM (First Congregational Church)
Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.
Cost: $40*
