The Stephen Friedman Gallery and 21C Media Group will present tenor Nicholas Phan and lutenist Joshua Stauffer in a program inspired by Sarah Ball’s exhibition “Titled.”

The performance, scheduled for March 9, 2024 from 6:15-7 p.m., is free with tickets to the exhibitions. The program will feature music by women composers from the baroque era, including Barbara Strozzi.

In her exhibition, Ball explores dandyism in the 21st century, emphasizing facial features, hairstyles, clothing, jewelry, and makeup.

“Sarah’s focus on the ‘Dandy’ archetype in her work immediately spoke to me as a gay man who works in an art form that historically has been so dominated by toxic norms of masculinity,” Phan said in an official press statement. “When it comes to tenors, the world of opera can be very focused on volume and virility, whereas I find myself often seeking opportunities for emotional intimacy in the music I sing. Thinking about Sarah’s visual meditations on dandyism, and the theatricality and creativity that are associated with its challenges to gender norms, the first composer who came to mind was the Italian composer Barbara Strozzi. At a time in which the realm of composition was thought to be an exclusively masculine space, Strozzi managed to become the most published composer of the time – an astonishing feat that has resulted in a treasure trove of beautiful music. While we often think of ‘Dandies’ as male figures challenging notions of masculinity and embracing the feminine, Strozzi challenged notions of femininity and successfully managed to navigate exclusively masculine spaces through her creativity.”