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Live Music Meditation:
Thomas Dunford, Lute
“When the first notes of [the music] threaded their way into my consciousness, they seemed to come from inside me…music wound its way through me as sound turned pure sensation.”
—The New York Times on PUC’s Live Music Meditation
About the Event
Breathe in sound and silence through guided meditation as you listen to music more viscerally than ever before, meditating to the playing of lutist Thomas Dunford, guided by Matthew Weiner, Associate Dean in the Princeton University Office of Religious Life. This is a FREE, unticketed opportunity to indulge in attentive, focused, and mindful listening.
No prior experience with meditation necessary. Capacity is limited, and we advise participants to arrive early—although the event officially begins at 12:30PM, doors to the hall will open and meditation instruction will begin at 12:00PM (noon). The event will conclude by 1:30PM. If desired, attendees may bring floor seating (mat/cushion/etc); seating will be on stage, with chairs provided. For more information about the Live Music Meditation experience, check out this New York Times feature and Performance Today segment.
About the Musician:
Born in Paris in 1988, Thomas Dunford discovered lute at the age of nine thanks to his professor Claire Antonini. Between 2003 and 2005, Thomas made his debut in the role of the lutenist in Twelfth Night by Shakespeare on the stage of La Comédie Française. Since then, he has performed on prestigious stages worldwide at Carnegie Hall and Frick Collection in New York City, Wigmore Hall in London, Washington Kennedy Center, Vancouver Recital Society, Palau de la Musica in Barcelona, Paris and Berlin Philharmonies, TAP Poitiers, WDR Köln, and Bozar Brussels, among others. In 2018, Thomas founded Jupiter Ensemble which gathers musicians such as Lea Desandre, Jean Rondeau, Sophie Gent, Théotime Langlois de Swarte, Bruno Philippe, and Peter Whelan to give new life to early music. Their first eponymous album dedicated to Vivaldi, which received several awards and much critical acclaim, was released by Alpha in 2019. Jupiter Ensemble has appeared in the greatest venues of Europe and the U.S., such as the Philharmonie de Paris, Berlin Philharmonie, Auditorium de Radio France, Elb Philharmonie Hamburg, Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, and Festival de Pâques Aix en Provence.
Additional Concerts:
Thomas Dunford will also perform the day before as part of the Performances Up Close series, with audience seated onstage. Concert info & tickets
This event is presented by Princeton University Concerts. For a full event listing and tickets, please visit this link.
