"Lillian Gordis: J. S. Bach – The World of the Harpsichord"

Deutsches Haus at NYU and present the album release tour of the Franco-American harpsichordist Lillian Gordis. Following her critically acclaimed first Bach album (Diapason d’Or 2022), Gordis continues her solo recording journey into the heart of Johann Sebastian Bach’s keyboard works, now for the French label Artalinna. The number 3 and its multiples guide this new, intensely personal journey. The Partita No. 6 and the English Suite No. 6—together constituting Bach’s supreme achievements in the genre of the French suite—frame six Preludes and Fugues from Book II of The Well-Tempered Clavier, where J. S. Bach imagined some of the most innovative contrapuntal forms of the 18th century. The album appears worldwide on digital and physical platforms on January 16, 2026.

For the New York stop of her album release tour, Lillian Gordis will perform a mini-recital highlighting the Partita 6 – a 40 minute deeply immersive work that has accompanied the musician since childhood and is the centerpiece of the new recording – followed by a discussion with the artist, moderated by renowned harpist, keyboardist and writer Parker Ramsay. A CD signing will conclude the event.

Born in 1992 in Berkeley, California, fell in love with the harpsichord at age 9 and never looked back. Five years later, Pierre Hantaï discovered her during a tour to the United States, and, captivated by her touch, he encouraged her to move to France for further studies. Lillian moved to Paris at 16, where she was mentored by Hantaï and Bertrand Cuiller. Hailed as a “Martha Argerich of the harpsichord” (ResMusica), Lillian regularly performs as a soloist in festivals across Europe and the United States and plays frequently in a duo with Jérôme Hantaï.

Her first Bach album (Paraty Productions, 2022) was awarded a Diapason d’Or and has received praise in the press worldwide (Gramophone, Scherzo, American Record Guide, Fono Forum, Qobuz…). It was a “coup de cœur nouveauté” on France Musique (Relax !, Lionel Esparza) and was also featured on the program Le Bach du Dimanche (Corinne Schneider).
Her first solo recording, Zones (Paraty Productions, 2019) was entirely dedicated to the sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti. Lillian’s most recent solo album, a second volume of Bach’s keyboard works, appeared in Jan 2026 for the label Artalinna.

Lillian performs regularly across Europe and the US. Upcoming performances in the 2025-2026 season include guest-directing Scottish ensemble Dunedin Consort in Edinburgh and Glasgow, a duo appearance at the Valletta Festival in Malta and solo recitals in Europe and the United States. Lillian will also perform world-premiere commissions of two works written for her by Nico Muhly and Cashel Day-Lewis as part of her John Bull complete In nomine cycle in Fall 2026.

Lillian was appointed Eaton Chair of Baroque Music at CU Boulder in Fall 2024, where she teaches harpsichord, directs the Baroque ensemble and curates the Eaton Baroque Series. For the 2023-24 academic year, she served as Visiting Assistant Professor of Harpsichord at Oberlin Conservatory.

has forged a career defying easy categorization. Equally at home on modern and period harps, he pursues his passions in tackling new and underperformed works and bringing his instrument to new audiences. Recent and upcoming performances include solo performances at Alice Tully Hall, the Miller Theatre at Columbia University, the Phillips Collection, Cal Performances, Shriver Hall, IRCAM, King’s College, Cambridge, the Spoleto Festival USA, the Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA. He has collaborated with ensembles such Mark Morris Dance Group, Latitude 49, Apollo’s Fire, the Van Kuijk Quartet and has undertaken residencies at the University of California, San Diego, Princeton University and IRCAM.

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The first floor of Deutsches Haus at NYU, where our auditorium is located and where a majority of our events take place, can be made wheelchair accessible through the use of our ramp. If you would like for a Deutsches Haus staff member to set up this ramp for you, please call our Front Desk at +1 212-998-8660 upon your arrival. For any other accessibility-related questions or concerns, please email us at [email protected] or call us at +1 212-998-8660.

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