Program overview
Established in 1975, this program is the longest-standing Early Music program in North America. It offers early music specialists interested in historical performance practices a rich variety of performing experiences, including:
- 15–20 chamber ensembles (vocal, madrigal, viol, and recorder consorts, etc.)
- The Cappella Antica
- The Baroque Orchestra
Early Opera Productions
The Schulich School of Music is the only North American music faculty to produce a fully staged performance of an early opera every year. Recent productions include: Handel’s Alcina, Agrippina, and Imeneo, Lully’s Thésée, and Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas.
Faculty
Wind, string, keyboard, and vocal faculty are prominently involved in Montreal’s internationally acclaimed Early Music community.
For a complete list of Early Music Area faculty members, visit the area's webpage.
Resources and Opportunities
- Access to a large collection of early instruments, including winds, strings, harpsichords, pianofortes, and brass instruments;
- Connections with professional Early Music ensembles, conferences, and music festivals, including the internationally renowed ;
- Opportunities to compete at international competitions;
- Supportive community enriched by strong interest in early music and improvisation in Music Theory and Musicology research groups in Department of Music Research;
- Specialized library music collections;
- Chamber music without borders program.
Careers
Graduates pursue doctoral studies and perform with Montreal-based early music ensembles, including, among others: Les Violons du Roy and the Arion Baroque Orchestra, as well as Aradia and Tafelmusik in Toronto, and various ensembles in Europe (e.g., Concerto Palatino, Centre de musique baroque de Versailles).
