The premiere episode of SalonEra’s 6th season is streaming now on all platforms. SE: Musical Vision (watch it here) considers the legacies of blind and visually-impaired historical composer-performers through conversation with vision-impaired multi-instrumentalist Albano Berberi, lutenist Lucas Harris, and Braille music engraver Kathleen Cantrell. This episode features music recorded by Albano Berberi and Lucas Harris as well as recordings of music by composer Jacob van Eyck and Brazilian composer Joaquim Manoel da Camara  from SalonEra’s own archive. 

The release of Musical Vision coincides with the 200th anniversary of the invention of Braille. This revolutionary and enduring system of dots was invented by a teenaged Louis Braille in 1825. Alongside a code for transcribing language, Braille created a parallel code for the transcription of musical notation. Braille has enabled generations of blind and visually-impaired people to read, learn music, play games, and more. In SE: Musical Vision, Braille music engraver Kathleen Cantrell will talk about her professional journey enabling score access and music literacy for the Blind community.

Lutenist and educator Lucas Harris shares his insights into the fascinating lives and music of many blind composers throughout history, positing that their uniquely well-developed memory techniques facilitated their musical excellence. 

Elsewhere in this special episode, vision-impaired harpsichordist and violinist Albano Berberi discusses how he came to love early music and how he uses repeat listenings and memory to engage with and perform a wide range of music for harpsichord and violin. 

EPISODE TRAILER

For more information about this episode, including a list of episode resources and a list of the music featured, please visit: https://salonera.org/podcast/musical-vision/

Each episode of SalonEra streams free with a suggested donation of $15/episode. Video episodes are available from their premiere date through June 30, 2026, with podcast versions of the same episodes available at salonera.org and wherever podcasts are heard. 

SalonEra continues its SE Membership Program in its sixth season. With a $125 donation, patrons can join or renew their membership, receiving exclusive access to “the vault” to enjoy Seasons 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 on-demand. SE episodes remain free to access with a suggested donation of $15/episode which directly supports compensation of guest artists and production costs. 

EPISODE DETAILS:

Musical Vision, Oct 6, 2025: SalonEra considers the legacies of blind and visually-impaired historical composer-performers like Jacob van Eyck, Turlogh O’Carollan, and others in conversation with vision-impaired harpsichordist & violinist Albano Berberi, lutenist Lucas Harris, and Braille music engraver Kathleen Cantrell.

Streaming on YouTube 

Streaming on all major podcast platforms 

The video version of this episode can be streamed through the end of June 2026. The podcast version will remain online in perpetuity.