Monteverdi's L'Orfeo and What It Means to Be Human | Dylan Oh | TEDxRiverdale

About this video

How do you find connection to the music of the past? Renaissance history comes alive in Monteverdi's L'Orfeo, one of history's first operas, in this heartfelt talk by high schooler Dylan Oh about the power of love. Dylan Oh is a student at Riverdale Country School. During the 2025-2026 school year, he pursued an independent study on Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo and examined how one of the earliest operas uses music to express grief, longing, and the emotional complexity of human life. At Riverdale, he co-leads the Flume Ensemble, a student-led musical group that performs regularly at school and senior homes, and he is also a staff writer on the Riverdale Review. Outside of school, Dylan studies cello at Juilliard Pre-College and has a profound passion for exploring and sharing the historical and contemporary interpretations of classical music, particularly music from the Baroque Era. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx