Early Music Ensembles and Workshops

Director: Jennifer Publicover, flutes
With Guest Instructors

Discover the distinct musical vocabulary of the Baroque and Renaissance periods in Europe which featured such beloved composers as Bach, Monteverdi, Telemann, and Händel. Learn how to bring this music to life with historically informed approaches to rhythm, ornamentation, and articulation. We are open to intermediate+ keyboardists, singers, string players, and wind players. We have one beautiful concert harpsichord at Saint George’s Round Church and a second practice harpsichord at the George Wright House.

Thanks to our Institute’s own instrument and bow collection, the Early Music Society of Nova Scotia, and the Historical Instrument Collection at the Fountain School of Performing Arts at Dalhousie University, there are opportunities to borrow Baroque, Renaissance, and Medieval instruments as well as Baroque-style bows for bowed instruments for use in our ensembles.

Our regular guest instructors include: Garth MacPhee, harpsichord and voice; Andrew Pickett, voice; Karen Langille, violin; Marie Bouchard, harpsichord; Hilary Brown, cello; and Kirsty Money, Baroque violin/viola. We also invite guests virtually from afar, such as Sophie Larivière, recorders.

In addition to our small chamber groups, we conduct group classes, lessons, and workshops on various themes, led by our specialist instructors and guests, including: Baroque vocal ornamentation; learning to read figured bass on the harpsichord and other keyboards; a fundamentals string skills class for string players; advanced technique for upper strings; and more.

Visit our Schedule page to see what is going on currently.