Les Délices

Inspiring early music audiences through innovative programming and world class performances.

08/31/2026

The story goes like this: On May 7, 1747, J.S. Bach was visiting his son Carl Philipp in Potsdam, where he was invited to an audience with the Prussian King, Frederick the Great. Eager to impress the musical master, The King, (who loved music and himself played the flute), revealed a thorny, chromatic "Royal Theme" and requested Bach improvise upon it. Unfazed, Bach improvised a jaw-dropping three-voice fugue on the spot, went home, and later published a towering collection of puzzle canons, fugues, and a masterly Trio Sonata under the title Das Musikalische Opfer or “The Musical Offering”.

Instead of presenting the full Offering, Artistic Director Debra Nagy has crafted an imaginative program that begins with the 3-voice Ricercar on harpsichord, journeys through selected canons played by a varied chamber ensemble, closing with the full-ensemble 6-voice Ricercar. The concert also includes the expressive, melody-driven Sonata for Oboe and Continuo by Bach's son, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, who served as court musician to Frederick the Great.

Les Délices performs "Bach's Musical Offering" Oct. 1, 3, and 4 in Akron, Berea, and Cleveland, plus additional tour stops at Kenyon College and Michigan State University. Learn more and get your tickets: https://lesdelices.org/series/bach/

Painting: Adolph Menzel "Frederick the Great Playing the Flute at Sanssouci"

08/30/2026

Artist Spotlight: Meet our Founder and Artistic Director, oboist Debra Nagy! Debra founded Les Délices in 2009 and has created numerous innovative programs for the ensemble in the years since. Many have included original arrangements crafted by Debra herself.

If you've attended an LD concert in the past, you already know: Debra's musical talents, vision, creativity, and leadership are unmatched. This year's Les Délices season includes FIVE(!) subscription concerts, kicking off with Bach's Musical Offering. Alongside excerpts from Bach's brilliant "Offering", the concert will feature Debra performing C.P.E. Bach's Sonata for oboe and continuo!

08/26/2026

Help Les Délices kick off our 2026-2027 season with a fun, FREE concert at the Treelawn Music Hall! On September 19th at 7:30 pm, join our musicians for a show featuring music by Bach, Telemann, Couperin, and more. Also: there will be a cash bar and free parking! Register for your free/pay-what-you-can ticket and learn more: https://lesdelices.org/event/poet-prodigy-free/

08/24/2026

François Couperin rarely gets the recognition J.S. Bach does, but his elegant, expressive French Baroque music speaks an entirely different language. Hear it live at our FREE season kick-off performance of The Poet & the Prodigy this September 19th!

📅 Sept 19, 2026 | Treelawn Music Hall, Cleveland

This concert is FREE/pay-what-you-can. Visit LDmusic.org to reserve your spot!

08/20/2026

Artist Spotlight: Soprano Elena Mullins Bailey is an audience favorite! This season with Les Délices, you've got two chances to experience Elena's beautiful singing and "easy virtuosity." First in November, Elena sings classic English songs by John Dowland in "Time Stands Still". Then in the spring, Elena reprises her role in our acclaimed program "The Mermaid".

Tickets to these and ALL of Les Délices' 2026-2027 concerts are available now. You can also buy a classic or build-your-own subscription! More details at LDmusic.org

We can't wait to welcome Elena back to Les Délices! ✨

08/14/2026

⏰ IT'S TIME!! Season Subscriptions and Single Tickets for the full Les Délices 2026-27 Season are now on sale! Join us for MONTHS of fantastic programming, from Bach's Musical Offering to cheery Christmas concertos, a World Premiere sung by superstar countertenor Reginald Mobley, and the return of The Mermaid! Visit https://lesdelices.org/subscription-packages/ to learn more about your subscription options and the benefits(!) of subscribing.

Or get your single tickets: https://my.lesdelices.org/events

08/13/2026

The thrilling conclusion of Les Délices' 2026-2027 comes to port in April with the return of THE MERMAID! Audience favorites Seán Dagher and Elena Mullins Bailey return for an updated version of this popular program. Join us for a journey filled with tales of pirates, fearsome storms, raucous drinking songs, toe-tapping fiddle tunes, rousing sea shanties, and more!

Ticket sales go on sale soon! Visit https://lesdelices.org/events to learn more about all of the subscription concerts and special community events coming throughout the season!

08/11/2026

In February 2027, don't miss the thrilling conclusion of Les Délices' 3 year commissioning initiative The Mythology Project! For KISS AND TELL, star countertenor Reginald Mobley joins Les Délices to premiere a myth-inspired cantata co-commissioned by Les Délices and Boston’s Handel & Hayden Society. The new work by composer Damien Geter with a libretto by Tsitsi Jaji that draws from Classical Greek (Apollo), Norse (Loki), West African (Anansi), and Japanese traditions to celebrate love and belonging across time and space. Also on the program: we explore the coded language of love and desire in bucolic poetry from the late 17th & 18th centuries.

We're just 4️⃣ days away from the start of subscription and single ticket sales (Aug. 15th!) Learn more about LD's 2026-27 Season: https://lesdelices.org/2026-27-season-press-release/

KISS AND TELL MUSICIANS:
Reginald Mobley, countertenor
Debra Nagy, oboe & recorders
Kathryn Montoya, oboe & recorders
Shelby Yamin, violin
Maria Romero, violin
Rebecca Landell, cello
Mark Edwards, harpsichord

08/10/2026

Les Délices debuts a new holiday program this December 11-13th! Concertos for Christmas promises a fresh, festive experience for Baroque music lovers. An expanded roster of Les Délices instrumentalists perform a delightful and inventive instrumental program highlighting joyful music from France, Italy, and Germany.

Reminder: Subscriptions and Single Tickets for Les Délices 2026-27 Season go on sale August 15th!

Featuring:
Debra Nagy, oboe & recorders
Kathryn Montoya, oboe & recorders
Shelby Yamin, violin
Laura Lutzke, violin
Allison Monroe, viola
Rebecca Landell, cello
Sue Yelanjian, bass
Mark Edwards, harpsichord

08/07/2026

Exciting news! In November, Les Délices will host its 3rd Baroque Strings Workshop for Young String Players. This time around, we're focusing on the music of J.S. Bach! REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! Join us Sunday, Nov. 15th from 9 am to 4:30 pm at The Music Settlement.

The full-day format offers a stimulating, intensive, and rewarding experience in which each session explores a different aspect or element of dance in Baroque music. Along the way, we’ll introduce elements of Baroque style, experience the expressive potential of using baroque bows, and gain essential chamber music experience as we learn and rehearse Baroque music without a conductor.

Learn more: https://lesdelices.org/event/strings-bach/
Register today: https://tinyurl.com/bdzh5hpu

Address

Cleveland, OH

Telephone

(216) 302-8404

Website

http://www.lesdelices.org/

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