Night Music and Listening In! present “Italians in London: Songs, Solos, and Sonatas”
Three performances, November 20–22, 2026, in West Chester and Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA — Night Music, in collaboration with Listening In!, presents “Italians in London: Songs, Solos, and Sonatas” in three performances the weekend of November 20–22, 2026: Friday evening and a Saturday Family Concert at Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center in West Chester, and Sunday afternoon at the Philadelphia Ethical Society on Rittenhouse Square. The performers are soprano Paulina Francisco, violinist Karen Dekker, flutist Steven Zohn, bass viol (viola da gamba) player Heather Miller Lardin, and guitarist Richard Stone.
From Handel’s day to the Regency, London audiences couldn’t get enough of Italian music, and Italian musicians flocked there to supply it: opera arias, pleasure-garden songs, and pieces for the popular guitar. The program brings together music by Francesco Geminiani, Tommaso Giordani, Nicola Porpora, and their compatriots, whose melodies became the sound of a fashionable city.
On Saturday, much of the same music becomes a Family Concert, an interactive program for children ages 2–10 and their parents, with a pre-concert craft in the lobby beginning at 3:30 p.m.
Performances
Friday, November 20, 6:00 p.m.
Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center, 226 North High Street, West Chester, PA 19380
Pay what you will; limited seating
Saturday, November 21, 4:00 p.m. — Family Concert (craft at 3:30 p.m.)
Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center, 226 North High Street, West Chester, PA 19380
Pay what you will; limited seating
Sunday, November 22, 3:30 p.m.
Philadelphia Ethical Society, 1906 South Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Tickets: $50 supporter · $25 general · $15 industry/need-based · free for students of all ages (no ID required)
Purchase tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/italians-in-london-songs-solos-and-sonatas-tickets-2002538127446
Performers
Paulina Francisco, soprano · Karen Dekker, violin · Steven Zohn, flute · Heather Miller Lardin, bass viol · Richard Stone, guitar
About Night Music
Night Music is an ensemble based in Philadelphia under the joint direction of Heather Miller Lardin and Steven Zohn that explores music from the Revolutionary period using period instruments. The ensemble features several of the nation’s premier historical performance artists.
About Listening In!
Listening In! is an initiative by West Chester residents Karen Dekker and Heidi Lee. A violinist and music history professor, they are dedicated to bringing world-class musicians and diverse repertoire to special venues in the borough of West Chester. Their mission is to bring people together and connect the community, while providing a source of inspiration and enjoyment.
Media contact: Heather Miller Lardin, heathermillerlardin@gmail.com
Photo: Karen Dekker, Heather Miller Lardin, and Steven Zohn of Night Music. Photo by Becky Oehlers.
###
