Egypt in Music and Art

In the popular series Sight & Sound, TŌN explores the parallels between orchestral music and visual art. Each performance includes a discussion with conductor and music historian Leon Botstein accompanied by on-screen exhibition images and live musical excerpts, followed by a full performance of the works and an audience Q&A.

In ancient Egypt, images of gods weren’t just images—they brought the gods to life. Egyptians believed that it was through their depictions in tombs, temples, and shrines that the deities could enter sacred spaces and become active participants in rituals, offering a vital connection between the human and divine worlds. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, European composers like Mozart and Johann Strauss II incorporated influences from the Middle East into some of their music. Saint-Saëns’s Fifth Piano Concerto was written in Egypt, where the composer included in his work the melody of a Nubian love song he had heard along the Nile. Grammy-nominated pianist Terrence Wilson, winner of the SONY ES Award for Musical Excellence, an Avery Fisher Career Grant, and the Juilliard Petschek Award, will perform the concerto with TŌN.

Johann Strauss II Egyptian March

Mozart The Magic Flute Overture

Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No. 5, “Egyptian”

Artwork from the exhibition Divine Egypt

The exhibition Divine Egypt will be on view at The Met Fifth Avenue through January 19, 2026 in gallery 899.