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MIDWEST: IN Michael THE G. Stewart MARVEL EMA g EARLY MUSIC By FESTIVAL MADISON KYLE MACMILLAN

W of earlymusic,sowethought wewouldtryit.” Musicians. “Andwehada lot ofcontactsintheworld and Reich Steve a GrammyAward winner in1999with tion, andthefacilitieswere great,” saidBensman-Rowe, was field open.the “We just thought it was a perfect loca I centers ofMilwaukeeandChicago. population lakefront campusandproximity tothesubstantial picturesque a with university major a it: for going the cityofsome250,000inhabitantshadtwothings val devotedtoearlymusicinMadison,Wisconsin, n addition,theMidwesthadnocomparableevent,so gust 1999 to establish a summer festi bass-baritone Paul RowedecidedinAu hen sopranoCherylBensman-Roweand Tina Chancey, Snaidasarealive andNell shownperforming of Notre Dame accompaniment to the 1923silentfilm accompaniment tothe Hesperus musiciansGrantHerreid, Herreid, Priscilla . The ensemble will do so again at the 2019 dosoagainatthe . Theensemblewill Madison Early Music Festival. EarlyMusicFestival. Madison The Hunchback - - -

and now theyhave careers inearly didn’t know muchaboutearlymusic, students whohave comewhoreally happened becauseofit. We’ve had so successful.Alotofnicethingshave “and it’s ahappysurprisethatit’s been season. 20th-anniversary Early Music Festival willmark its paid off. From July 6-13,the Madison And thethreesome’s initiative hasclearly director (essentiallyexecutive director). a co-founderandthefestival’s program Division ofContinuingEducation, as taught intheUniversity of Wisconsin’s anyway, recruiting ChelcyBowles, who a bigrisk.Thecouplemoved ahead the specialized field. Put simply, itwas probably didn’t know anythingabout music mecca,and,indeed,mostresidents “It went fast,” Bensman-Rowe said, But Madison washardly anearly-

Photo by KatrinKathy WittmanTalbot

early-music performers whointurn early-music performers series withnationalandinternational Madison, ifanypresent few aconcert some ofthecomponentsavailable in Baroque era. music andnotthemore prominent mainly onmedieval andRenaissance are mostlyfound,butitalsofocuses two coasts,where similarofferings Not onlyisitsituatedawayfrom the differentiating itselfrightfrom thestart. early-musicfestivals byimportant itself asoneofthiscountry’s most she said. really, really embracedthisfestival,” of allkinds.“Thecommunityhas out profile inacityflushwithfestivals event hasbeenabletobuildastand- music.” Bowles isamazed by how the While otherfestivals mightoffer The summerevent established Madison Early Music Festival founders EarlyMusicFestival Madison Cheryl Bensman-Rowe andPaulRowe

amateurs, andprofessionals, whoare distinctive mixofstudents, teachers, by thefestival’sis generatedinlargepart is itsunusualsenseofcommunity, which “So, thesettingisreally pretty cool.” member ofPhiladelphia-based Piffaro. atthefestival in2002asa performed lutenist Grant Herreid, whofirst to sitby alakeanddrinkbeer,” said where theyencourageyou the country “I don’t know ofanyotheruniversity in seating overlooking LakeMendota. with itsbeers,bratwursts,andterrace includes thehistoricMemorial Union, place, aswell asahandsome campusthat Hall, whereConcert take mostconcerts fine facilities,suchasthe700-seat Mills Music. Theuniversity provides both with itsMead Witter Schoolof Wisconsin-Madison inpartnership takes placeattheUniversity of “it wouldn’t bethesamefestival.” much,”change very Bowles said, continued allalong.“If thatwere to instituted atthebeginningandhave professionals. It’s aformulatheRowes fromfor everyone beginnerstopre- whoalsoleadworkshops asartists serve Also citedby returnees tothefestival It alsodoesn’t thatthefestival hurt

Photo by Katrin Talbot Piffaro co-director artistic Robert Wiemken

may 2019 may

| 27 encouraged to commingle as much a Grammy or has performed with a to one concentrated week, giving each instance, we were in Germany. This way, Milwaukee rents a bus each a year to possible are both the festival’s free as possible. Heightening this collegial group like Piffaro.” festival a theme that ties all of the concert the ‘Grand Tour’ is pretty wide open.” bring some of its fans to one of access to facilities on the University feeling is the All-Festival Choir and Liza Malamut, a nationally known and educational offerings together, such The festival has presented four the concerts. of Wisconsin campus—“It’s huge,” th Orchestra, which Sarah Marty, program exponent of the sackbut, an early form as The Glories of 17 -Century Venice in esteemed touring ensembles and solo The 2019 lineup will featureWanderlust, Bensman-Rowe said of that perquisite— director since 2015, calls the “jewel in of the trombone, is a big fan of the 2004 and El Nuevo Mundo—The Age of artists each year, including Dutch showcasing the San Francisco-based Dark as well as a shift in its administrative our crown.” festival, especially its consistency. “It’s Exploration in the New World in 2011. recorder player Marion Verbruggen and Horse Consort; American in Versailles, an structure in 2014, a year before Bowles All the teachers and students kind of magical that way,” she said. “It “We’re academics,” Bensman-Rowe said Quicksilver. These concerts were such a original ballet masque of French Baroque retired. During much of its history, the involved in the workshops, which has a quality to it that is really constant, with a laugh. “We just like the way success at the beginning that organizers music with the Alchymy Viols from festival operated under the auspices of reached maximum capacity in 2018, and I think it’s the location, too.” She it pulls all the elements together. sometimes ran out of printed programs. Indianapolis and dancer Sarah Edgar; the Division of Continuing Education, are required to take part in the ensemble. first came to the festival in 2006, when When you pick a theme, it’s fascinating. “We just got this rolling, and it took Virginia-based Hesperus providing live but Bensman-Rowe worked to move it It is composed of 60 or so vocalists and she discovered Spanish Renaissance You get the idea, and the arteries that go off immediately,” Bowles said. “We accompaniment to the 1923 silent film to the Division of the Arts, which has an assortment of instruments including composers she had never heard of, such out are really interesting to see how it violas da gamba, recorders, and lutes. as Francisco Guerrero and Cristóbal de encompasses things through history and Herreid oversaw the ensemble the Morales, and met other students who musical activity.” last three seasons, and he will take on have become friends and colleagues. The 20th-anniversary season will revolve the task again in 2019. “Grant is able While a trombone major at the Eastman around the noted travel writer Thomas to figure out how to include everybody School of Music, Malamut took a few Coryat, who penned a 1611 book titled of all levels and all the instruments and lessons with noted sackbut player Coryat’s Crudities that chronicled a voices,” Bensman-Rowe said. “It just Greg Ingles, who recommended she journey he undertook to France, Italy, makes things very special.” try out the festival. “It was, honestly, and Germany, much of it on foot. The Rehearsals are held every day, and the transformative,” said Malamut, who volume helped popularize what came to event culminates with the all-festival returned to Madison last year as a be known as the “Grand Tour,” a kind concert, which this year is titled Musical faculty member and performer. “It was of de rigueur trip across Europe for Postcards from the Grand Tour. “It’s a a concentrated week of learning everything upper-class young men. The concert pretty amazing opportunity,” said Marty, and anything about early music. It really series will feature music from places a singer who also teaches arts management did change the course of my life.” along Coryat’s itinerary, and daily lectures at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, When the festival began in 2000, will cover related literature and other “to get a chance to be next to some of it spanned two weeks, but organizers cross-genre topics. “I thought it would these faculty members, to have your quickly realized that was too much. So, be a fun way to not be in just one place,” section leader be someone who has won in the third season, they pared it back Bensman-Rowe said. “Like last year, for

Photo by Mary Ladoni The Madison Early Music Festival’s 2018 All-Festival Orchestra

were actually kind of shocked, and for The Hunchback of Notre Dame; and staff to assist the festival with such a couple of years, we were unprepared Faith and Madness, a program presented essentials as marketing, graphic design, for how the community supported it.” by Calmus, a vocal quintet from and website management. The concerts now typically draw Leipzig, Germany. “Everything got much easier,” Bowles about 450 people, with luminaries like The festival’s annual budget has said, “because all the work was spread Anonymous 4 attracting even bigger grown from around $60,000 in 1999 out—the administrative aspects were crowds. The audiences are composed of to $120,000 in 2019, with most of the spread over many people in the Division local residents and people taking part funds covering the part-time salaries of of the Arts.” in the workshops, as well attendees who the three directors and the fees of the In the festival’s first year, 29 people come from Chicago, Minneapolis, and visiting artists and teachers. What helps took part in classes the first week and

The San Francisco-based ensemble Dark Horse Consort even beyond. Early Music Now in make this relatively modest budget 22 the second. Now, about 120 beginners

Photo by Jeff Costello Photo by Jeff will perform during the 2019 festival

28 | EMA g may 2019 | 29 to pre-professionals from as far away as Wiemken, who also serves as an artistic festival,” he said. “I didn’t even know that New York and Massachusetts participate adviser to the festival, started the Intensive I could have a career in this until I was in the 40 classes ranging in 2019 from in 2014. “It’s been very successful,” he there witnessing people professionally Beginning Viol to The Notre Dame School said. “I’ve been drawing from as far away doing this.” and the Rise of Polyphony. Participants as Basel in Switzerland and Canada and Bowles, who serves on the festival’s check in Saturday morning, take part the West Coast. So, we’ve been able to advisory board, is not surprised that the in the all-festival concert rehearsal that attract a high-level player.” Madison Early Music Festival is celebrating evening, and attend classes Sunday Programs like the Advanced Loud its 20th anniversary, and she assigns A CALL TO PROFESSIONAL WIND INSTRUMENTALISTS through Thursday, beginning each day Band Intensive have helped the festival much of the credit to the Rowes. “We at 9 a.m., before ending the week with boost the number of its students younger have fantastic artistic directors,” she said, Tokyo Academy of Instrumental Heritage Music participant concerts on Friday and than 30, who now make up 25-30 percent “and they just have a lot of insight. They invites applications for its 2020 the all-festival concert the following of its participants. Among them is baritone just know how to do things.” Wiemken Saturday evening. Daniel Koplitz, 22, who completed his agreed, describing the couple as inviting, One of the festival’s most popular undergraduate degree in vocal performance warm, and knowledgeable. “They have “GLOBAL ARTIST RESIDENCY” workshops is the Advanced Loud Band in May at UW-Madison. When he first been just wonderful to work with,” he SUPPORTED BY TOSHIBA INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION Intensive, which is taught by Robert Wiemken, attended as a sophomore and served said. “They kind of set a general tone Piffaro’s artistic co-director. “Loud band” as an administrative intern, the festival for the festival that is encouraging One or more outstanding professional western-music wind instrumentalists is a Renaissance term that was used to opened his eyes to the world of early to people.” will be chosen for two- or three-month residency in Tokyo for one-on-one training by describe an ensemble composed of reeds music, something he had hardly explored While the Rowes have no plans to master Japanese wind instrumentalists in the performance of the Japanese wind and brass—the most popular configuration in his regular classes. He has since founded retire any time soon, Bowles said, they instrument of your choice for which 20th- and 21st-century repertoires already exist. of that time—that would perform every- Aperi Animam, a 12-member vocal have begun contemplating a succession QUALIFICATIONS where, from royal courts to cathedrals. ensemble in Milwaukee focusing on the plan. However it plays out, she believes There was not a place in the United Renaissance. He plans to attend graduate the festival’s distinctive structure and 1. The artist must be a western-music wind instrumentalist currently active in a major States for top-level amateurs and pre- school in the fall of 2020 and earn his record of success should allow it to thrive orchestra or ensemble outside Japan. professionals to pursue professional-level doctorate in musicology. “I don’t know if for at least another 20 years. 2. Preference given to applicants under 50 years of age. studies in loud-band performance, so I would be where I am today without the 3. No citizenship limitations. Japanese language not required; correspondence will be in English. For further information about the 2019 edition of the Madison Early Music Festival, go to madisonearlymusic.org CHOOSE FROM AMONG Hichiriki Ryūteki Shō Shakuhachi Kyle MacMillan served as the classical music critic for the Denver Post from 2000 through 2011. He is now a freelance journalist in Chicago, where he contributes regularly to the Chicago Sun-Times and Modern Luxury and writes for such national publications (vertical loose (transverse, double (free reed, 17-pipe (end-blown as the Wall Street Journal, Opera News, Chamber Music, and Early Music America. double-reed pipe) octave ute) mouth organ) bamboo ute)

APPLICATION DEADLINE: June 30, 2019 ANNOUNCEMENT OF SELECTED ARTISTS: August 31, 2019 RESIDENCY DATES: Spring 2020, preferably between January 15 and March 15, 2020 (may be Early Music Workshop negotiable). June 4-8, 2019 COSTS: The residency covers round-trip discount economy airfare to Tokyo, lessons, housing, and living costs. Applicants, however, are strongly encouraged to seek funding from their Join us as we explore home institutions as well. Renaissance music from ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND APPLICATION: www.taihm.org Franco-Flemish composers

For information or to register online: college.interlochen.org

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