Historical Performance Institute IU-JSoM

12/03/2024

Join us on Saturday for the final Baroque Orchestra concert of the semester, directed by Ingrid Matthews!

12/03/2024

This Sunday - come out to Monroe County Courthouse for a lunchtime concert of sacred 16th & 17th-century music featuring sackbuts, cornetto, violin, voices, and organ! Presented by Bloomington Early Music Festival & by musicians of the Historical Performance Institute.

11/30/2024

On the eve of the IU admissions deadline, we invite additional applications for the 2025-2026 academic year!

Giving Tuesday is also upon us - every bit helps :-)
https://give.myiu.org/iu-bloomington/I320002366.html

11/19/2024

We are delighted to complete our HP Colloquium Series for the semester with a talk from Dr Kyle Adams, Professor of IU Music Theory and Affiliated Professor with the HPI. This paper deals with an important topic to be handled in Prof. Adams' forthcoming book. Please contact Sam Motter ([email protected]) for Zoom registration.

Topic:
“'Color' in Black and White: ‘Chromatic’ as Term and Concept from Antiquity to the Renaissance"
Abstract:
This brief talk is part of a larger project studying the development of the chromatic genus (and chromaticism) from its earliest uses in ancient Greece up through the eighteenth century. The current talk arose from a simple question: why did the Greeks, whose musical terms tended either to describe mathematical ratios or physical relationships, decide to use the word for “color” to desribe the genus of melody that lay between the diatonic and enharmonic? I’ll attempt to answer this by surveying ancient Greek theories of color, then discuss how they were applied to the scale with semitones in antiquity and throughout the middle ages.

Kyle Adams is professor of music in music theory, director of undergraduate studies, and aural skills coordinator at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
He earned his Ph.D. from the City University of New York in 2006, where his dissertation explored chromaticism in pre-tonal music. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in piano from the Mannes College of Music. Prior to joining the faculty at the Jacobs School, Adams taught courses in music theory, ear training, and keyboard skills at Mannes, Queens College, and Hunter College.
His bifocal research agenda involves music of the sixteenth century and hip-hop music. In sixteenth-century music, his work deals with tonal structure; to that end, he has published articles on the modes of polyphony and on Renaissance chromaticism in Theoria and in the Journal of Music Theory. Adams’ hip-hop research attempts to model the musical and rhythmic aspects of rap lyrics and how they relate to the underlying beat. He has published on these topics in Music Theory Online, Music Theory Spectrum, and the Cambridge Companion to Hip-Hop.
In addition to his research and teaching, Adams continues to work as an accompanist, primarily for singers and brass instrumentalists.

11/08/2024

10/26/2024

We are delighted to welcome Professor Alison Calhoun, HPI Affiliated Faculty in the IU Bloomington Department of French and Italian. Please contact Samuel Motter at [email protected] for further information or Zoom credentials.

Wednesday October 30, 11:30am-12:45pm [ZOOM]
-----
Baroque Opera Today:
The History of Psychology and the Crisis of the Humanities in Baur and Rousset’s 2024 Armide

In summer 2024, the Paris Opéra-Comique with stage director Lilo Bauer and musical director Christophe Rousset put on a second Armide in a continuation of their successful Glück production two years before. This time, they turned to the 1686 French baroque tragédie-lyrique by Jean-Baptiste Lully set to the same libretto by Philippe Quinault, granting the Parisian public access to what many scholars and critics consider the zenith of the eleven Lully-Quinault collaborations. In this presentation, I will analyze how the staging, light, and choreography, as they focus on nature and on the embodiment of spirits, engage in a powerful dialogue with the opera’s relationship to the history of psychology. Next, as a clever and meaningful modernization of the historical conditions of producing this opera under the immeasurable pressure, expectations, and constraints of Louis XIV, I will explore how the 2024 production draws striking connections to the current plight of the arts and humanities in a culture that increasingly devalues them. I will conclude by suggesting that this production, as an exemplar, resonates with current issues without abandoning key aspects of historical performance, in hopes that this might open up our discussion about the future of French baroque opera.

Professor Alison Calhoun, Associate Professor of French/Francophone Studies at IU, teaches and researches Early Modern French Literature and Drama (Theatre, Opera, and Dance History), Affect Studies, and the History of Emotions. Her current book project, The Mechanics of the Passions on the French Baroque Stage, studies how the emergence of the physiological study of the emotions was inextricably tied to the spectacle of the baroque opera stage.

10/22/2024

We are pleased to welcome Danqi Zeng, one of our amazing new students in the HPI for the 2024-2025 school year!

Born in Guangzhou, China, Danqi Zeng began her violin studies at the age of four. Danqi started a Doctor of Music in Historical Performance (Baroque Violin) at Indiana University this Fall, and she is also continuing a Doctor of Music in Violin Performance (since 2022). Danqi received a Master of Music in Violin Performance and a Master of Music in Chamber Music from the University of Michigan. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). Danqi has won first prize in multiple competitions including the concerto competition at CCM, the 2020 MASTA Solo Competition, the 2020-2021 MTNA Michigan Young Artist Competition, and the 2022 London International Music Competition Chamber Music (Duo Florentes). Most recently, Danqi was the semi-finalist in the Schoenfeld International String Competition in Harbin, China in 2023, and one of the winners of the IU Historical Performance Institute’s Vivaldi Concerto Competition in 2024 on Baroque Violin and performed his “Grosso Mogul” Concerto, RV 208, with the IU Baroque Orchestra.

“While working on my DM in Violin performance I started taking lessons with Professor Ingrid Matthews and from her teaching I gained an even stronger interest in Baroque music. Since the beginning of my DM in Historical Performance I have improved my baroque violin interpretive skills, technique, improvisatory skills, and am able to expand my pre-Classical period repertoire in new ways. In addition, the program has given me the opportunity to study the treble viol with Professor Joanna Blendulf and play it in HPI’s Concentus ensemble. All these experiences and opportunities have given me greater confidence playing early music on a baroque violin and teaching earlier repertoire to students.”

10/16/2024

Congratulations to HPI alum Anna Okada on her achievement of making the final round of the Barbash J.S. Bach Competition, taking place tomorrow!

https://jsbachcompetition.org/

10/11/2024

Congratulations to Liza Malamut—
Musical America’s Artist of the Month!

When Liza Malamut saw that Chicago’s Newberry Consort was seeking a new artistic director, she was reluctant to apply. The trombonist was relatively new to arts leadership, having just recently co-founded the sackbut-and-viol ensemble Incantare. And besides, she hadn’t performed with the Consort...

10/08/2024

The second HPI Colloquium of the semester takes place this Wednesday, October 9th via Zoom. If you'd like to attend virtually, please reach out to Sam Motter at [email protected] for a registration link.

On the Fourths-With-Third Tuning Family of String Instruments, its Connection to the Hexachordal System, and its Temperamental Flexibility

Renaissance viols, lutes, and guitars are members of an extended family of instruments with convergent roots and a common tuning system: a stack of perfect fourths with an interior major third. The hexachordal theoretical system is built into this tuning. Taylor DiClemente will discuss the shared historical roots of these instruments, demonstrate how a general understanding of their tuning system allows one to play all instruments of this family, and explain how movable frets allow this tuning system to operate in a wide variety of temperaments.

Taylor DiClemente is a doctoral student pursuing a DM in historical performance with a focus on lute and theorbo at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. She earned a MM in the same subject at the same institution in 2018. She plays renaissance and baroque lutes, archlute, theorbo, viola da gamba, and historical and modern guitars. She specializes in performing renaissance counterpoint on the lute and baroque basso continuo on the lute, guitar, archlute, and theorbo. She performs historical European and Latin American music as a soloist, accompanist, and ensemble member. She performs regularly with the Mariachi Internacionál de Bloomington.

10/08/2024

This Thursday - Come see our wonderful Baroque Orchestra directed by Ingrid Matthews for their first concert of the school year!

10/01/2024

We are pleased to welcome Alice, one of our fabulous new students for the 2024-2025 school year!

Alice Frisch is currently pursuing her Master’s in baroque oboe at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music studying with Dr. Margaret Owens. She previously earned her Bachelor's degree in oboe performance from Florida State University, studying with Dr. Eric Ohlsson. While at Florida State she also pursued baroque oboe studies with Dr. George Riordan and Dr. Valerie Arsenault.

“What drew me to the HPI was the incredible faculty and outstanding environment. I am honored to be a part of the HPI.”

09/23/2024

Meet one of our fabulous new students for the 2024-2025 school year, Daniel Fernando Torres!

A native from Colombia, Daniel Fernando Torres is a first year DMA Baroque Violinistin the HP program. As a performer he has won several international competitions, holding the 1st Prize in the “Bogota is Mozart” chamber music category as soloist/concertmaster, 2nd Prize inthe International Music Competition “Citta di Barletta” in the chamber music category in 2021and 1st prize in “Young Artist Chamber Competition” chamber music category with J.S BachTriple Concerto BWV 1044 in 2016 (Bogotá,Colombia), in collaboratation with eclecticpianist/composer Julian Pernett and Sergio Katich (Flute-OSNC). In the Historical Perfomance aspect, Daniel Fernando was drawn to baroque violin playing due to Corelli’s sonatas, the intricacies of improvisation and ornamentation, and the details in Couperin. He initially started in Poland under the tutelage of Daniel Deutter and later on with Gesa Kordes in the USA. He had the opportunity to perform in “Festival de Musica Sacra” in Colombia which presents repertoire not only from baroque but renaissance and classical periods as well. Currently he is working in collaboration with Laureano Quant (Lyric Opera of Chicago)and Julian Pernett to launch the “Benkos” ensemble focused on Iberoamerican baroque repertoire.Besides academic music, Daniel is interested in creating and developing cultural projects that focus on generating a positive impact in their context. This interest has led him to be co-founderor collaborated with projects such as “Polos Unidos,” “Opera para la PAZcua,” Filarmonica del Cafe which their primarely focus in using music as a transformative tool that provides opportunities to young musicians from Colombia. In his free time, Daniel enjoys playing futbol, biking, reading and spending time with his wife, also violinist, Iwona Augustyn and Lio, his 7 year old loud husky.

"The HPI program at IU appealed to me for many reasons. The most evident, perhaps, is having Prof. Ingrid Matthews as part of the program. There are a plethora of adjectives one can mention about her and still be short on them… I would say that her passion, energy and extensive knowledge (especially improvisation, which is an important theme for me) made the decision to apply to HPI fairly easy. HPI counts with an internationally renowned faculty, outstanding students as well and an incredible environment. When I was looking to apply to the program I got the opportunity to know other musicians of the program and their warmth and human quality convinced me even more of wanting to be part of the program. I am extremely happy, humble and honoured to be part of HPI."

09/17/2024

The first HPI Colloquium of the semester takes place this Wednesday, September 18—in person—in room SM 356, 11:30am-12:45pm. If you'd like to attend virtually, please reach out to Sam Motter at [email protected] for a registration link.

We welcome traverso-virtuoso and conductor, Barthold Kuijken, as our distinguished guest! In this practically-oriented lecture, Barthold wants to show that the rhythmically unequal performance of equally-notated notes was more widespread in the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries than is generally acknowledged today. Historical examples of vocal as well as instrumental music will show where this convention can (or should) be applied. Listeners are welcome to bring questions.

BARTHOLD KUIJKEN, a Flemish native of Belgium (b. 1949), is an eminent leader in the field of Early Music. While still being a student on the modern flute, he found an original mid-18th century one-keyed flute that became his best teacher ever. As an autodidact, he let himself be taught by 17th-18th century instruments and theoretical and practical sources. A virtuoso traverso (and recorder) soloist, teacher, researcher, and conductor, he has shaped the fields of historical flutes and Historically Informed Performance over the last 40 years. His book, The Notation Is Not the Music – Reflections on Early Music Practice and Performance (Indiana University Press, 2013) is an artful summary of his research, ideas, and reflections on music.