Bach, Handel, Vivaldi: Masters of the Baroque

Dr. Robert Butts, conductor, composer, educator, and lecturer
5 Tuesday afternoons, 1:30 to 3:00 pm (1 ½ hours), June 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30, 2026.

Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, and Antonio Vivaldi – three of the most familiar names in the history of music and three of the most important composers of the Baroque period (1700-1750).  Although they were contemporaries, their lives were quite different.  Bach never strayed far, working for many years in Leipzig at the Thomaskirche.   Vivaldi traveled, but for a long time worked at the Ospedale della Pietà in Venice.  Handel was one of history’s most cosmopolitan composers, traveling across Europe many times. Bach was most famous for his keyboard and sacred choral music.  Handel was most famous for his operas and oratorios.  Vivaldi was most famous for his instrumental music.   For over 250 years, audiences have been thrilled by the music of all three masters of the Baroque.

Dr. Robert Butts has won acclaim as conductor, composer, and educator.  He is the founder and director of the Baroque Orchestra of NJ, now in its 30th season.  He teaches at Montclair State University, the Caspersen School of Graduate Studies at Drew University, the NJ Council for the Humanities, and Saint Elizabeth University.  He has conducted major orchestra and opera performances throughout NJ and the US, as well as guest appearances in Romania, the Czech Republic, Russia, Italy, and England. Dr. Butts received his M.A. in Musicology from the University of Iowa with a specialty in 17th and 18th century music and a D.M.A. in conducting from the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago.  He also studied conducting at Juilliard with Maestro La Selva. 
    The Friends honored Dr. Butts on March 21 for teaching in our minicourse program for 30 years.  His awards include the 2019 Artist of the Year Award by the New York Classical Music Society; the 2019 Exemplary Leader Award from the Morris County Chamber of Commerce, the 2016 Tourism Award from the Morris County Tourism Bureau, the 2015 Comcast Newsmaker Award from Comcast, and the 2015 Honored Artist Award.