GRECCHINOIS

Two Divine Images
2026 Nicholas Phan 2026 Nicholas Phan

Two Divine Images

On Blake, Vaughan Williams, and Our Fractured Moment

But in such a bewildering moment, where the fractures that divide us seem increasingly impossible to heal, it makes me wonder: what does our “better angel” look like? As the chaos whips up more…

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Music, Medicine, and the Healing Power of Bach
2026 Nicholas Phan 2026 Nicholas Phan

Music, Medicine, and the Healing Power of Bach

…No matter what paths our lives take, they inevitably intersect with the likes of Lisa and her medical professional colleagues at some point, for better or for worse. Oftentimes, we are encountering the field of medicine on the worst days of our lives…

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Perception, Truth, & Returning Joy
2026 Nicholas Phan 2026 Nicholas Phan

Perception, Truth, & Returning Joy

…for the first time in many years, things feel slightly clearer. I feel shifts happening within that are helping me reconnect to a sense of renewed energy, especially around music, writing, and the other creative projects I've been working on. Music, especially,…

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On Being Perpetually Late: A Love Letter to Time and Presence
2026 Nicholas Phan 2026 Nicholas Phan

On Being Perpetually Late: A Love Letter to Time and Presence

…His arms crossed, he leaned over to me and whispered: “I never understand why people are late. All you have to do is leave five minutes earlier.” I looked at him and silently nodded, conceding he had a point. My concession was a guilty one: I am someone who is perpetually late for things…

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Bach, Faith, and the Future of Classical Music
2026 Nicholas Phan 2026 Nicholas Phan

Bach, Faith, and the Future of Classical Music

Last August, the Tanglewood Learning Institute hosted the first live-filmed conversations for BACH 52. The first of these features Chad Smith, President & CEO of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, in a wide-ranging conversation

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Bach, Multiplicity, and Interpretation
2026 Nicholas Phan 2026 Nicholas Phan

Bach, Multiplicity, and Interpretation

In Bach, multiplicity can be generous: the same melodic idea can turn inward or outward, penitential or theatrical, depending on tempo, ensemble, and context. In public life, that same multiplicity can feel bewildering or dangerous. But in both cases, we’re confronted with the fact that meaning is not simply a matter of taste or preference, nor is it singular and fixed…

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Theology, Music, and Modern Myths
2026 Nicholas Phan 2026 Nicholas Phan

Theology, Music, and Modern Myths

Who was Johann Sebastian Bach really?

When we talk about Bach, it’s so easy to slip into big claims — greatest composer ever, universal genius, before and after Bach. And while there’s truth in all of that, this conversation reminded me how…

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