A few months ago while sailing the Arabian Sea, I was engrossed in a conversation with a new friend about music on the Amazon River. What kind of music? Western Classical music.

Panos Karan had given an extraordinary piano recital the night before. It was not the program you’d expect on board a cruise ship. Some outstanding musicians do take the stage on these ships, but they mostly offer lighter fare. But Panos, the previous night, had played all 12 of Liszt’s Transcendental Etudes and topped it off with the monstrously difficult Islamey by Balakirev.

I was stunned at the ambitious programming. Not many pianists would brave this repertoire in the best of circumstances, but on an overused stage piano, in a theater heavily carpeted and built for amplified sound, on a rolling ocean liner?

His concert was marvelous. Naturally, when I saw that Panos was scheduled to speak the next day, I wanted to hear whatever he had to say. (Attending the talks of my co-speakers happens to be one of the joys of this kind of work.) I had no idea what his topic would be: perhaps the history of the piano? Perhaps the story of Franz Liszt?

I couldn’t have been more wrong. Panos told us about a musical adventure unlike anything I’ve ever heard. I don’t want to summarize it other than to say that he told a tale of his personal quest to take Classical music to the poorest, most remote, and most shattered communities across the world. Give yourself the pleasure of watching the TED talk below so you can experience the power of his story.

During his ship talk, Panos shared unforgettable video clips of his trip up the Amazon and the ecstatic response his listeners had to music entirely new to them. The audience was stunned.

Soon after, we were sipping lattes in the ship’s coffee bar and talking about the power of music, as well as the imperative to share it. Panos as a young pianist believed that playing at Carnegie Hall would represent his most cherished goal. He accomplished that and has now found a much higher mission, and a more rewarding one.

Last week in my post, we discussed a study done on the Amazon concerning the effect of consonance and dissonance. The study suggested that Western music has no particular resonance to the non-Western ear. Does Panos’ experience directly refute that? No, partly because the circumstances are different. But what Panos did dwarfs the other study in significance. The reactions of isolated tribes on the Amazon or in West Africa hearing Bach and Chopin performed live should tell us all we need to know.

Panos went up the Amazon not looking for treasure, but carrying Western culture’s greatest treasurers as a gift. He brought home, in fair exchange, appreciation and confirmation that Western music speaks across cultures.

You will find more videos and materials at the website of Panos’ foundation called, most beautifully, “Keys of Change.” His TED Talk will give you a good overview of his work. It begins with a 3 1/2 minute performance of Bach’s Organ Prelude in A minor (BWV 543).

Bravo, Panos!