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Performing Bach and considering his world
Hands playing a piano.

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Performing Bach and considering his world

Students in the Performance, Analysis, History class explore and perform on piano the work of Johann Sebastian Bach, regarded among history’s greatest composers. Taught by Jamuna Samuel and Yu Xi Wang, the class contextualizes and demystifies Bach through a historical and geographical lens.

Two 2025 project grants and a fellowship from the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage
A sculpture of a crocodile eatings its tail made in filament and resin.

“White Ouroboros II” by Allison Janae Hamilton. The Institute for Contemporary Art will feature the first museum survey of the artist in the spring of 2027.

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Two 2025 project grants and a fellowship from the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage

WXPN and the Institute for Contemporary Art each received creative project grants and filmmaker Sosena Solomon, who teaches in the Department of Cinema and Media Studies, was named a 2025 Pew Fellow.
The greatest cover songs, from Whitney Houston to Metallica
Three people standing in a WXPN radio studio holding framed certificates, with a large WXPN sign and station branding visible in the background.

WXPN's Mike Vasilikos, Midday host; Robert Drake, producer and Land of the Lost host; and Kristen Kurtis, Morning Show host, holding their results of the 885 Cover Songs Quiz, available at XPN.org as part of the 885 Greatest Cover Songs countdown.

Image: Page Walter

The greatest cover songs, from Whitney Houston to Metallica

Through Dec. 11, WXPN counts down the 885 greatest covers, as voted by listeners.

2 min. read

Teaching creative Philadelphia youth career and entrepreneurship skills
Meryl Krieger sits in a room of high school students.

Meryl Krieger mentors high school students as part of her volunteering with the Philadelphia nonprofit Project 440.

(Image: Courtesy of Meryl Krieger)

Teaching creative Philadelphia youth career and entrepreneurship skills

As a volunteer with the nonprofit after-school program Project 440, Meryl Krieger, a senior learning designer for the College of Liberal & Professional Studies, helps artistically minded high school students with life skills.

2 min. read

Yiddish lecturer Alexander Botwinik releases CD of Yiddish children’s songs

Yiddish lecturer Alexander Botwinik releases CD of Yiddish children’s songs

The tracks are sung by 22 children and adult singers, mostly native Yiddish speakers. The songs were originally published as part of the book “From Holocaust to Life,” a collection of Botwinik’s original solo and choral compositions.

Understanding how young children recognize emotions in music
Young child with headphones on.

Image: Uma Shankar sharma via Getty Images

Understanding how young children recognize emotions in music

Research from psychologists in the School of Arts & Sciences shows that children ages 3 to 5 can identify emotions in music, but that kids who show fewer signs of empathy or guilt demonstrate poorer emotion recognition. “We’re excited to continue to use music as a paradigm both to understand underlying mechanisms and as a treatment target,” Rebecca Waller says.

2 min. read

Brothers follow similar paths in music and medicine
David Zhang conducting the Penn Orchestra.

Image: Courtesy of Penn Medicine News

Brothers follow similar paths in music and medicine

Daniel Zhang co-founded the Penn Medicine Symphony Orchestra in 2016 and served as its founding conductor. When moved into residency training, his brother David stepped up; he is the orchestra’s current music director and conductor.

From Penn Medicine News

2 min. read

Finding the rhythm behind business fundamentals
Grace Gramins plays a guitar with a friend on keyboard on Penn’s campus.

Image: Courtesy of Grace Gramins

Finding the rhythm behind business fundamentals

Wharton undergraduate Grace Gramins finds harmony between music production and business.

From Wharton Stories