Meet Markus Rathey

Markus Rathey is an internationally recognized scholar, speaker, and cultural historian whose work explores how music shapes belief, identity, and society. He is the Robert S. Tangeman Professor of Music History at Yale University, where he teaches in the Institute of Sacred Music, the School of Music, and the Divinity School.

Known for his engaging interpretations of Johann Sebastian Bach and the cultural power of music, Rathey’s talks connect music to questions of freedom, faith, modernity, and meaning. He speaks regularly to audiences at orchestras, festivals, universities, and cultural institutions, and is widely praised for making complex ideas accessible, vivid, and relevant.

He is the author of several influential books, including Bach in the World (Oxford University Press), Johann Sebastian Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, and Bach’s Major Vocal Works: Music, Drama, Liturgy (Yale University Press). His work has been featured in international media, and he frequently collaborates with musicians, conductors, and arts organizations.

Through clarity, warmth, and storytelling, Rathey invites audiences to listen more deeply—to music, to history, and to the world around them.

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