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Master of Music in Harpsichord Performance

Designed for students seeking professional career preparation including the development of artistry, technique, scholarly research, and the ability to play music of all periods with integrity and knowledge of specific performance practices. Applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree in music or its equivalent as well as a strong keyboard background.

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Curriculum

The Master of Music in Harpsichord Performance requires a minimum of 32 credits. Coursework to include: Private harpsichord lessons
Early Music Ensemble
Early Music 551
Composition
Musicology, and/or Music Theory
SMTD electives

Final Project:

Presentation of one solo recital and one collaborative recital.

Silent Advisor

Degree requirements and term-by-term layout for current students.

Go to Silent Advisor

Faculty


Joseph Gascho

Associate Professor of Music and Director of the Stearns Collection
Early Music Chamber Coordinator, Harpsichord

Nicole Keller

Chair of Organ and Associate Professor of Music; University Organist
Organ, Sacred Music

Tiffany Ng

Associate Professor of Music and University Carillonist
Carillon, Musicology, Organ

Instruments

All SMTD instruments are available for practice and performances.

Organs

hill organ

The U-M recognizes the pipe organ as the only instrument suitable for practice and performance of the organ repertoire. Students enrolled for organ instruction perform, study and rehearse on the instruments in Hill Auditorium and the Earl V. Moore Building.

Additional information may be found in Pipe Organs of Ann Arbor by Professor James O. Wilkes.

Carillons

Baird Carillon

The University of Michigan has two carillons. A carillon is an instrument of at least 23 bronze bells, arranged in chromatic sequence, so tuned as to produce concordant harmony when multiple bells are sounded together. It is played from a keyboard and pedalboard, which allow expression through variation of touch. Faculty, staff, students, and alumni give regular performances on the campus carillons.

Charles Baird Carillon (Burton Memorial Tower)
53 bells cast by John Taylor & Co. in Loughborough, England and installed in 1936

Ann and Robert H. Lurie Carillon
60 bells cast by Royal Eijsbouts in Asten, the Netherlands and installed in 1996

Practice Carillons
Three practice carillon keyboards are available. Two are located in the upper floors of Burton Memorial Tower, and a digital practice carillon is located in the Duderstadt Center. Practice keyboards are not audible outside of the practice room.

For further information, contact Professor Tiffany Ng, university carillonist. Current students interested in carillon lessons: please visit the Carillon Studio page.

Harpsichords

harpsichord early music chamber

Students of the harpsichord will graduate as experienced soloists and continuo players, having learned principles of historical performance and how to tune and care for their instruments. The university maintains the following harpsichords for students’ use:

  • Keith Hill, 1992: German double manual
  • William Dowd, 1984: Franco-Flemish double manual after Ruckers
  • Peter Fisk: French double manual
  • Hubbard/Eckstein: French double manual
  • Hill and Tyre, 1980: German single manual
  • David Sutherland: Flemish single manual
  • William Post Ross, 1965: Italian single manual after De Quoc
  • Two Tuckermann kit instruments

For further information, contact Professor Joseph Gascho.

Questions?

Contact Admissions