Engaging lectures that connect music, faith, politics, and culture—from Bach to today.

Markus Rathey is the Robert S. Tangeman Professor of Music History at Yale University and an internationally recognized authority on Johann Sebastian Bach and the cultural power of music. Renowned for his engaging and accessible speaking style, he brings music into conversation with big ideas—faith, freedom, politics, and meaning—showing why works from the past still matter today. Drawing on deep scholarship and vivid storytelling, Rathey speaks regularly at orchestras, festivals, universities, and cultural institutions, captivating audiences with talks that are intellectually rich, emotionally resonant, and designed for listeners well beyond the academy.

Testimonials

"I had he privilege of studying under Prof. Rathey during my graduate program at Yale. He is an incredible scholar on an assortment of topics, but primarily centered on Bach, Lutheranism, and societal contexts related thereto. I encourage you all to read this article, along with his handful of books on Bach’s choral and vocal works!" (Wyatt Smith, former student, in an address to the American Guild of Organists)

"... you have only to take one of Markus Rathey’s courses on the music of Bach. You don’t need to read music; you can simply surrender to his gentle insistence that the world would be a far better place if he could only share this beauty with as many people as possible. You will be lucky to be among them." (Mark Landers, participant in a course through the Yale Alumni College)

"Rathey achieves something that is rare in writing about Bach: a book that is fully informed by scholarship but also one that is relevant and understandable for virtually any interested reader, at any level of musical education. Rathey's particular contribution is to explain what initially appear to be arcane expressions in the texts of Bach’s major sacred works, bringing out the significance of the many references to love. This helps us to experience Bach’s music as far more sensual and emotional than many may hitherto have believed." (John Butt on Rathey's book "Bach's Major Vocal Works")

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