Triad of Osiris, Horus, and Isis. From Egypt, probably Thebes, Karnak Temple. Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty 22, reign of Osorkon II (about 872–837 BCE). Gold inlaid with lapis lazuli. Acquired in 1872. Paris, Louvre Museum, Department of Egyptian Antiquities (E 6204).
The Orchestra Now Presents
Sight & Sound: Egypt in Music and Art
Presented by The Orchestra Now (TŌN) at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC
Sunday, December 7, 2025
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm EST/GMT-5
Johann Strauss II Egyptian March2:00 pm – 4:00 pm EST/GMT-5
Mozart The Magic Flute Overture
Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No. 5, “Egyptian”
Artwork from the exhibition Divine Egypt
Leon Botstein conductor
Terrence Wilson piano
In the popular series Sight & Sound, TŌN explores the parallels between orchestral music and visual art. Each performance includes a discussion with conductor and music historian Leon Botstein accompanied by on-screen exhibition images and live musical excerpts, followed by a full performance of the works and an audience Q&A.
In ancient Egypt, images of gods weren’t just images—they brought the gods to life. Egyptians believed that it was through their depictions in tombs, temples, and shrines that the deities could enter sacred spaces and become active participants in rituals, offering a vital connection between the human and divine worlds. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, European composers like Mozart and Johann Strauss II incorporated influences from the Middle East into some of their music. Saint-Saëns’s Fifth Piano Concerto was written in Egypt, where the composer included in his work the melody of a Nubian love song he had heard along the Nile. Grammy-nominated pianist Terrence Wilson, winner of the SONY ES Award for Musical Excellence, an Avery Fisher Career Grant, and the Juilliard Petschek Award, will perform the concerto with TŌN.
The exhibition Divine Egypt will be on view at The Met Fifth Avenue from October 12, 2025–January 19, 2026 in gallery 899.
For more information, call 212-570-3949, e-mail [email protected],
or visit https://ton.bard.edu/events/egypt/.
Time: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm EST/GMT-5
Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC
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