Antiqua/Nova: Celebrating the Harpsichord Across the Centuries

The 2012 Joint Meeting and Festival of the Midwestern and Southeastern Historical Keyboard Societies, featuring The Eighth Aliénor International Harpsichord Composition Competition and The Seventh Mae and Irving Jurow International Harpsichord Competition will be held at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, March 21-25, 2012. The theme of this 5-day celebration is the harpsichord old and new. There'll be tremendous variety, spanning the full range of historical keyboard topics, by way of the Jurow and Aliénor Competitions, exhibitions, concerts, papers, lecture-recitals, demonstrations, and an area house organ tour. Featured performers include renowned harpsichordists Mitzi Meyerson & Ketil Haugsand, violinists Dana Maiben & Martie Perry, soprano Janet Youngdahl, alongside a continuo masterclass taught by Edward Parmentier & Mitzi Meyerson, and a celebration of the harpsichord innovations of Don Angle. Events will be held in the facilities of CCM, whose walls resonate with an illustrious musical history, on the vibrant and accessible University of Cincinnati campus, while the organ tour and celebratory receptions will take participants to some of the city’s most treasured neighborhoods.

Program Chair Vivian Montgomery (CCM harpsichord & historical performance faculty and Director of the Jurow International Harpsichord Competition) has joined forces with Co-Chair Frances Fitch, Aliénor director Elaine Funaro, and the Societies’ boards and member volunteers to design a rich and efficient schedule, with most events located in the CCM’s Mary Emery Hall or with transportation provided. Meeting registration opens at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 21, with the first paper & mini-recital session beginning at 3:15. The meeting & festival will close on Sunday, March 25 at noon. Demonstrations by exhibitors are scheduled throughout the festival, beginning on Thursday, March 22, including instrument builders, publishers, and other vendors. Information on exhibitors, registration, lodging, transportation, and a detailed schedule can be found at the event website, historicalkeyboardsociety.org.

• Vivian Montgomery, Program Chair for HKS 2012 and Director of the Jurow International Harpsichord Competition
• Frances Fitch, Programming Co-Chair for HKS 2012
• Elaine Funaro, Executive Director of Aliénor International Harpsichord Composition Competition
• Joyce Lindorff, President, The Southeastern Historical Keyboard Society (sehks.org)
• Sandra Mangsen, President, The Midwestern Historical Keyboard Society (mhks.org)