Historical Performance
Longy is one of the only places to earn a historical performance degree in New England, and our students are passionate about the role of historically informed practice in today’s world.
- Experience some of the most unique and thorough course offerings in early music in the U.S.
- Study in the early music hub of Boston, M.A.
Faculty
Anne Azéma, voice
Danilo Bonina*, music history
Phoebe Carrai, baroque cello
Sarah Darling, baroque violin & viola
PamELA Dellal, voice
Libor Dudas, ORGAN
Jean-Michel Fonteneau, baroque cello
Douglas Freundlich, lute
Jane Hershey, viola da gamba
Na’ama Lion, baroque flute
Dana Maiben, baroque violin, viola
John McKean, harpsichord, music history
Vivian Montgomery, harpsichord
Kathryn Montoya, baroque oboe, recorder
Ken Pierce, period dance
Andrew Schwartz, baroque bassoon
Anne Trout, baroque bass
*no private studio
Historical Performance Spotlight
DAVID THOMAS MATHER (MM 2021), Historical Performance
“Longy’s partnership with the Boston Camerata gave me the amazing opportunity to be a part of a professional company, to network, and to gain performance experience.”
PAMELA DELLAL, Historical Performance Faculty
“One of the amazing things about teaching historical performance—as well as one of the challenges of it—is that there’s a different technique for each performance system or tradition. I’m interested in helping my students discover what their bodies and voices can do, which gives them a more sophisticated suite of skills than most vocalists study.
I’m so happy to teach at a school where we encourage students to be passionate, learn with curiosity, and figure out what they’re capable of doing.”
Course Highlights
Hildegard von Bingen: A Feminine Universe
Hildegard von Bingen had a powerful vision of the role of the feminine in the divine plan. Learn about women’s participation in worship, in salvation, and in the world through her theology, poetry, and music in original notation.
Historical Dance for Musicians
Exploring both Renaissance and Baroque Styles, students learn dances including the sarabande, galliard, and menuet to better comprehend similarly titled pieces of the period. Students also play and sing for dancers, paying particular attention to tempo, articulation, character, and form.
Customize Your Curriculum
Create your own opportunities, find new audiences, and make a living in unexpected ways by customizing your curriculum from a catalog of project-based courses you can’t find anywhere else. Our faculty mentors and experienced career coaches will be there to guide you.
More Highlights
Studio Lessons:
Collaboration with a faculty mentor is the cornerstone of conservatory education at Longy. Together you will explore your unique artistic and professional goals while expanding your technical and musical insight. Early music faculty members include renowned performers and musicologists, all of whom maintain active roles in the field.
Masterclasses and Seminars:
Through workshops, masterclasses, discussions, and presentations, frequent opportunities with faculty and guest artists allow early music students to explore a wide range of technical, historical, theoretical, and aesthetic issues.
Chamber Music:
Georges Longy’s belief in the power of collaboration inspires the central role of chamber music in our conservatory. Students work closely with faculty coaches every semester and explore chamber ensemble playing through coursework, informal readings, and community engagement.
Performance Practice:
Topics courses allow students to research specialized areas of study focusing on the intersection of performance and scholarship. Longy students also collaborate with partner productions, like Boston Camerata’s production of The Play of Daniel.
Figured Bass Practicum:
Students learn continuo playing while developing flexibility within collaboration and exploring a wide spectrum of repertoire.
Historical Performance Emphasis:
Available to Brass, Strings, and Woodwinds students, this emphasis enables you to further hone your musical expertise by exploring a historical performance component.