Concert pianist Hyperion Knight’s fondest memories date back to when he was 4 years old. After his father came home from work, they often bonded over music. The recordings his father played turned Mr. Knight into a self-professed music lover. On his ninth birthday, his father gifted him a recording of Ludwig van Beethoven’s nine symphonies and “the rest,” he remarked, “is history.”
The inspiration he experienced while hearing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 acted as a catalyst for his career. From that point on, music was Hyperion’s purpose. He debuted professionally at 14, playing Beethoven’s impressive Fourth Piano Concerto to a captivated audience. After earning a bachelor’s degree in music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the California native headed to Ohio, where he earned a masters and a doctorate in music from the Cleveland Institute of Music.
A Chance Encounter
Though Mr. Knight graces concert hall stages, he also enjoys performing in laid-back environments where he can let loose and have some fun with the pieces he plays. His passion for performance opened doors for him to play on cruise ships. During one of these cruises, a chance encounter put him face to face with Dr. Larry P. Arnn, the president of Michigan-based Christian liberal arts institution, Hillsdale College.
An Invigorating Tour of Classical Music
“Classical music is my greatest passion, the one that for me ennobles the human soul,” Mr. Knight said n a phone interview. As a Distinguished Fellow at Hillsdale College, he is thrilled to share with his online students the stories that shaped classical music.
To drive home the importance of this monumental feat, he related it to one of history’s most treasured artistic achievements:
A Special Live Performance
“The History of Classical Music: Pythagoras Through Beethoven” consists of four lectures and culminates in a 45-minute piano performance by Mr. Knight. Students get to listen with fresh ears to compositions they just learned about, picking out new elements of the pieces they might have otherwise missed without Mr. Knight’s enlightening context.
Both music novices and aficionados are encouraged to sign up. There’s a little something for everyone to learn. A student can learn about Beethoven’s symphonies and how they play out like Shakespearean dramas. They can gain a better understanding of the virtues and the important role Mozart and the characters in his operas play in flourishing cultures. Or, listeners can be immersed in the stories of Bach and Handel and gain insight into how religion was an important part of their artistic direction.
When asked about the details of the course, Mr. Knight highlighted the lectures’ well-rounded nature and how classical music’s importance transcends artists and weaves its way into the fabric of society:
The Story of Civilization Itself
Hillsdale College invites its course students to rediscover the beauty of classical music. Like Mr. Knight, the college understands the key role music plays in each individual’s life. Their course page states that music “swells our hearts in love, fills us with awe of the Divine, drives us into battle, and comforts us in moments of despair.”
Those interested in brushing up on classical music knowledge or who want to dive into the subject for the very first time will find a worthy guide in Mr. Knight. The course is full of stories, history, and a special live performance.
When reflecting on how classical music is inextricably tied to the human experience, Mr. Knight says, “classical music is a very human story, the story of our civilization itself.”
