Dates & times
All times are local to the venue · America/Chicago
- Mondays10:00 AM – 12:00 PMNov 2, 2026 – Nov 16, 2026
[Osher] What Makes Mozart Great? KU course examines Mozart's craft
The course’s premise is that Mozart’s reputation can be examined through the music itself: how expressive impact and compositional craft work together. That gives [Osher] What Makes Mozart Great? a focused question to pursue across its sessions, rather than a published checklist of compositions.
Two qualities behind a reputation
The description treats Mozart’s greatness as something a listener can try to explain, not simply accept as a label attached to a famous composer. It points to a union of expressive force and careful construction, then proposes several representative examples from Mozart’s music as material for examining that idea.
Those examples are not named in the course listing, and it does not assign particular works to particular meetings. The through line is the question itself: what, in the music, helps account for Mozart’s standing?
Further reading: [Osher] What Makes Mozart Great? - The University of KansasUniversity of Kansas logo ↗ · What Makes Mozart Great? - Shopping cart ↗
A music educator leads the inquiry
Instructor Martin J. Bergee is a professor emeritus of music education at the University of Kansas. Before joining KU, he taught at the University of Missouri and directed middle- and high-school bands in St. Joseph, Missouri. At the university level, he has taught instructional methods, educational foundations and research techniques.
Bergee’s listed research interests include the history of instrumental music in schools and music performance assessment. That background places the course with an educator whose work spans music teaching and the assessment of musical performance; the listing does not prescribe a particular analytical method for these sessions.
Further reading: What Makes Mozart Great? - Shopping cart ↗ · Instructor Detail - Shopping cart ↗
An Osher class across generations
KU’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute began offering classes in fall 2004. It has a special focus on learners age 50 and older, while welcoming people of all ages and educational backgrounds. Osher describes its classes generally as participatory and says they usually do not require homework, outside preparation or testing; those are institute-wide norms, not a promise about the exact activities in this course.
Further reading: FAQs and Policies - Osher | Jayhawk GlobalUniversity of Kansas logo ↗
One question across three sessions
The course carries the same inquiry through representative examples from Mozart’s music. The published description does not identify individual works or connect a particular example to a particular meeting.
Monday, November 2, 2026 · 163 Regnier Hall (KU Edwards Campus)
- What Makes Mozart Great? — course session
Monday, November 9, 2026 · 163 Regnier Hall (KU Edwards Campus)
- What Makes Mozart Great? — course session
Monday, November 16, 2026 · 163 Regnier Hall (KU Edwards Campus)
- What Makes Mozart Great? — course session
Dates, fees and registration
Three Monday mornings at KU Edwards Campus
The sessions are scheduled for November 2, 9 and 16, 2026, from 10 a.m. to noon at 163 Regnier Hall, KU Edwards Campus, 12610 Quivira, Overland Park, KS 66213. As of the November 3 information check, the first meeting has passed. The course listing does not confirm whether late enrollment is accepted, so contact Jayhawk Global before registering for the remaining meetings.
[Osher] What Makes Mozart Great? - The University of KansasUniversity of Kansas logo ↗ · Instructor Detail - Shopping cart ↗
$50 for the course, plus membership if needed
Course registration is $50. A separate, required $25 Osher membership fee applies if you have not already paid the fee for the year. Osher’s general refund policy honors a written or emailed course-refund request up to one week before the course begins when no other deadline is stated; that cutoff had passed by the November 3 check. If Osher cancels a class, participants may transfer to another course or request a refund. Returned checks incur a $30 fee.
[Osher] What Makes Mozart Great? - The University of KansasUniversity of Kansas logo ↗ · What Makes Mozart Great? - Shopping cart ↗ · FAQs and Policies - Osher | Jayhawk GlobalUniversity of Kansas logo ↗
Online, by phone, by mail or in person
Online checkout requires creating a profile or signing in. You can also register by calling 785-864-6779. For mail registration, send a completed form with a check or money order to KU Jayhawk Global, 1515 St. Andrews Drive, Lawrence, KS 66047; this is the registration office, not the classroom. In-person registration is available there Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Do not include credit-card details on a paper form; call to pay by card.
Osher’s general FAQ says it has no registration deadline and encourages early enrollment, but the course listing does not say whether someone can join after the first meeting. Because the course has started, ask Jayhawk Global whether late registration is possible.
Find the classroom
163 Regnier Hall
The course-specific listing identifies 163 Regnier Hall at KU Edwards Campus, 12610 Quivira, Overland Park, KS 66213. The event page offers map options for public transport, driving and walking; use its map links to calculate directions from your starting point. Published information does not specify parking, transit routes, a building entrance or access facilities.
Instructor Detail - Shopping cart ↗ · [Osher] What Makes Mozart Great? - The University of KansasUniversity of Kansas logo ↗ · Regnier Hall (KU Edwards Campus) - The University of KansasUniversity of Kansas logo ↗
Before you make a plan
What does the course examine?
It considers how expressive impact and compositional craft contribute to Mozart’s standing, using representative examples. The published description does not name the works.
[Osher] What Makes Mozart Great? - The University of KansasUniversity of Kansas logo ↗ · What Makes Mozart Great? - Shopping cart ↗
When and where are the sessions?
Mondays, November 2, 9 and 16, 2026, from 10 a.m. to noon at 163 Regnier Hall, KU Edwards Campus, 12610 Quivira, Overland Park. As of November 3, the first meeting had passed; contact KU to ask whether late enrollment is possible.
[Osher] What Makes Mozart Great? - The University of KansasUniversity of Kansas logo ↗ · Instructor Detail - Shopping cart ↗
How much does registration cost?
The course fee is $50. A required $25 Osher membership fee also applies if you have not paid it for the year.
[Osher] What Makes Mozart Great? - The University of KansasUniversity of Kansas logo ↗ · What Makes Mozart Great? - Shopping cart ↗ · FAQs and Policies - Osher | Jayhawk GlobalUniversity of Kansas logo ↗
Do participants have to be 50 or older?
No. Osher focuses on learners 50 and older but welcomes people of all ages and educational backgrounds.
FAQs and Policies - Osher | Jayhawk GlobalUniversity of Kansas logo ↗
Can I still request an accommodation?
Location & Google Maps
163 Regnier Hall (KU Edwards Campus)
12610 Quivira, Overland Park, KS 66213
Map search by venue and address. Check the organiser’s entrance details before travelling.