A salon is an intimate, intellectually vibrant gathering where people come together to exchange bold ideas, challenge conventions, and revel in culture. Unlike formal lectures or academic panels, salons are conversational by nature — blending performance, discussion, and debate in an atmosphere that’s both stimulating and social. Born in the living rooms of infamous women, salons thrive on curiosity, wit, and the joy of shared discovery. Whether sparked by a piece of music, a provocative question, or a historical scandal, the heart of the salon is dialogue — and the freedom to follow wherever it leads.
From Forbidden Affairs to Fistfights in the Pit — The truth behind classical music. Only at Salon BRAVISSIMO!.
Natalie Clifford Barney's salon at 20 Rue Jacob in Paris’s Left Bank was a meeting place for writers. Born in October 1876 in Dayton, Ohio, into a wealthy family, she attended Les Ruches, a boarding school in Fontainebleau founded by the lesbian feminist Marie Souvestre.
Winnaretta Singer’s salon was a haven for modernist composers. Born in Yonkers, New York, in January 1865, she was daughter of the famous sewing machine manufacturer and heiress to the Singer fortune. She used this to fund a wide range of causes, notably a musical salon where her protégés included Debussy and Ravel.
Sylivia (Nancy) Woodbridge Beach was the daughter of a Presbyterian minister. In late 1919 Beach opened Shakespeare & Co, a bookshop and lending library specializing in Anglo-American literature which soon became a meeting place for modernist authors. Beach was a loyal friend to many struggling writers, including James Joyce. In 1922, he trusted her as the first publisher of Ulysses where editors in London and New York, fearing prosecution, had refused to touch the novel.
Salon BRAVISSIMO!, is dedicated to uncovering the untold, dramatic, and often outrageous stories behind classical music’s most iconic figures — bringing history to life through curiosity, conversation, and a touch of irreverence.
Tickets: Suggested donation $15 at the door, cash or card accepted
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