Overview
The Certificate of Achievement in Performance Practice offers a course of study for Eastman students Eastman School of Music (ESM) students foundational instruction in historical performance practices with practical training on a period instrument or voice.
The importance of historically informed performance in the music profession is widely recognized in the field and supported by an expanding body of scholarship, a growing number of early music ensembles and course offerings in schools of music, and increasing interest from music students and professionals. The Certificate of Achievement in Performance Practice will provide students with a working knowledge of performance practice, as well as practical training on historical instruments in both solo and ensemble settings. It is a program current students may choose to add to the degree in which they are already enrolled in order to enrich their curriculum and professional qualifications.
In addition to informing students’ study and performance of solo early-music repertoire, the Certificate of Achievement in Performance Practice will prepare instrumentalists and vocalists to collaborate with early music ensembles and to become informed instructors of this repertoire. It will prepare students for participation in numerous early-music festivals, such as the Boston Early Music Festival, Utrecht Early Music Festival, Twin Cities Early Music Festival, IBERICA Early Music Festival, and local opportunities such as the Rochester Early Music Festival and Musica Spei. It will also prepare eligible students for competitions such as the National Centre for Early Music competitions, the International Early Music Competition in the Loire Valley, the International Biber Competition, the Indianapolis International Baroque Competition, and the International Bach Competition in Leipzig. Furthermore, the present-day recording industry increasingly places greater emphasis on early music and contemporary music, seeking to broaden the repertoire beyond the canon of the common-practice period and offering recording contracts to stellar performers who specialize in early or contemporary periods. Performance Practice will benefit other students by deepening their musical informance and ultimately preparing them for professional life as more effective performers and teachers.
What are the Requirements?
CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT IN PERFORMANCE PRACTICE (10-12 credits)
Applied Lessons: at least 4 credits
Credits |
Description |
1-2 credits |
Applied Study: |
Performance Practice: two courses chosen from the following courses
Credits |
Description |
2 credits |
MHS 441: Baroque Performance Practice I |
2 credits |
MHS 443: Baroque Performance Practice II (Prerequisite: MHS 441) |
3 credits |
MHS 281: 19th-century Performance Practice |
Ensembles: 2-3 credits chosen from the following courses
Credits |
Description |
1 credit |
KBD 443: Basso Continuo Realization |
1 credit |
ENS 407: Collegium Musicum I* |
1 credit |
ENS 408: Collegium Musicum II* |
1 credit |
CHB 277: Baroque Chamber Music* |
* Keyboard players must have taken KBD 443: Keyboard Continuo Realization or have the permission of the instructor before enrolling in these ensembles
Capstone Project
Credits |
Description |
0 credits |
ESM 211: Certificate in Performance Practice Lecture/Demonstration |
How Can I Apply?
Please submit this application form to Paul O’Dette. Admission to this program requires permission and a signature from the candidate’s current studio teacher, as well as an interview/audition with the teacher of the secondary instrument (harpsichord, lute, Baroque oboe, etc.). Admission into this program will be allowed only after completion of the sophomore jury, though exceptions may be made in extraordinary cases.
Questions?
Paul O’Dette
Professor of Lute
Program Director, Certificate of Achievement in Performance Practice
podette@esm.rochester.edu