Confronting Canons: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Social Justice Relevance

A book talk and panel discussion in the Promoting Civil Discourse & Intellectual Dialogue series at Hunter College. Co-authors Catherine Coppola of Hunter College and Elizabeth Wells of Mount Allison University present ideas from their 2026 book Teaching Canonic Opera and Musical Theater with Intention, examining how canonical works like Don Giovanni and South Pacific can be tied to social justice questions rather than defended as tradition. The talk is followed by a conversation with post-colonial scholar Sonali Perera, ethnomusicologist/anthropologist Farzad Amoozejar, and classicist Andrea Kouklanakis. The event is open to everyone and hosted by the Provost's Office.