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Early Music

The Early Music Studies program is a large and significant program at North Texas. Performance ensembles come under the collective name, Collegium Musicum, which includes the UNT Baroque Orchestra, the Collegium Singers and many chamber ensembles such as viol consort, recorder consort, cornett and sackbut ensemble, “Morley Consort,” mixed chamber ensembles of instruments, as well as instruments and voices.

These ensembles are open to all members of the student body by audition and participation is required for the MM and Ph.D. in Musicology with an Emphasis in Early Music Performance as well as for Early Music Related Fields for the MM, DMA and Ph.D. degrees. The Baroque Orchestra can also be used as the chamber music requirement for Master’s students and ensembles can fulfill the requirement for several Artists Certificate programs.

Private instruction is offered on many instruments: baroque violin and viola (Cynthia Roberts); baroque oboe (Gonzalo Ruiz); recorder and baroque bassoon (Keith Collins); baroque flute (Lee Lattimore); baroque trumpet (Adam Gordon); natural horn (William Scharnberg); viola da gamba (Patricia Adams Nordstrom); baroque cello (Gyongy Erodi); harpsichord (Lenora McCroskey); and lute (Lyle Nordstrom). Private instruction is required in the degrees listed above. Baroque strings may be taken as a secondary instrument for an undergraduate.

The ensembles within the Early Music Studies Area offer one of the largest and most active performance activities of its type in North America. With a collection of over 250 instruments, nearly any ensemble of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries can be assembled. Ensembles perform regularly throughout Texas and the United States. Graduates are performing in some of the most prestigious baroque orchestras in North America.

The program director, Dr. Lyle Nordstrom, was awarded the year 2000 Thomas Binkley Award by Early Music America for his outstanding work at the collegiate level. For information contact Lyle Nordstrom

Recordings

Biber! [2005] (Includes Battaglia and Requiem in addition to a selection of Biber’s chamber music)

Christmas Vespers from Cusco [2007] (Reconstruction of music from the 17th and 18th Century Peruvian capital. With “Ensemble Lipzodes.”)

Armonia Stravagante [2008] (Music from late 16th Century Ferrara, especially the compositions of Luzzascho Luzzaschi)

Many Faces of Handel (To be released in 2009. Includes arias with Jennifer Lane as well as choruses and instrumental music.)

Faculty