Historical Performance

Historically informed performance plays a central role in Longy’s artistic and academic life. The curriculum focuses on both repertoire and research in its approach to music composed before 1800, featuring some of the most unique and thorough course offerings in early music in the United States.

Longy faculty, students, and alumni perform with Boston Camerata

Hildegard von Bingen had a powerful vision of the role of the feminine in the divine plan. Learn about women’s participation in worship and in the world through her theology, poetry, and music in original notation.

This interdepartmental course covers a wide range of eras, styles, and ethnicities that all use ground bass improvisation, from Byrd and Monteverdi to Ellington and Winehouse.

John McKean, chair, harpsichord, music history Anne Azéma, voice Phoebe Carrai, baroque cello Sarah Darling, baroque violin, viola Pam Dellal, voice Libor Dudas, harpsichord, organ Douglas Freundlich, lute Stephen Hammer, baroque oboe Jane Hershey, viola da gamba Greg Ingles, sackbut Sonja Lindblad, recorder Na’ama Lion, baroque flute Dana Maiben, baroque violin, viola Vivian Montgomery, harpsichord Kathryn Montoya, baroque oboe, recorder Ken Pierce, period dance Andrew Schwartz, baroque bassoon Anne Trout, baroque bass/violone Ryan Turner, voice

Graduate Performance

Diploma Master of Music

Degree

>> Consider adding a Graduate

Performance Diploma in HP to your MM and take the music world by storm with your versatility.

Pamela Dellal teaches in the Vocal Studies and Historical Performance departments at Longy. She is a mezzosoprano with an interest in language, translation, and the context behind the music she sings. Her performance repertoire covers twelve centuries, and she has performed with the Sequentia medieval ensemble in Europe. At Longy, she teaches students to communicate with their audiences and find their niche in the world of music. As performers, our emotions advocate for the piece, and we have the privilege of communicating those emotions through our unique, individual sound. 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. That revelation transformed my technique, as I found all sorts of different colors I could use in each repertoire. 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. We don’t throw away technique; we work to free rather than constrict ourselves. 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.