Stearns Collection of Musical Instruments

11/06/2015

Happy 201st Birthday to the famous musical instrument maker Adolphe Sax. The Stearns Collection has one of his earliest surviving instruments: a bass clarinet constructed around 1840. As the maker's mark shows, this instrument was built while Sax was still living in Brussels. He moved to Paris in 1841.

10/31/2015

Thanks to Julie Andrijeski of Les Délices for yesterday's workshops on Baroque dance and string playing. Join us this afternoon at 1 pm in the Glenn Watkins Hall at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance for a lecture/demonstration on the Baroque oboe by the ensemble's director, Debra Nagy. Admission is free.

10/27/2015

Here's an artist spotlight on Les Délices founder Debra Nagy, who will be presenting a lecture/demonstration on the baroque oboe this Saturday at 1 pm in the Glenn Watkins Hall at the School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

Artist Spotlight: Debra Nagy

Les Délices founder Debra Nagy is one of North America’s leading performers on the baroque oboe and has been praised for her “dazzling technique and soulful expressiveness,” (Rocky Mountain News), and a musical approach that’s “distinctly sensual…pliant, warm, and sweet,” (New York Times).

Debra regularly performs with AMERICAN BACH SOLOISTS, Seattle Baroque Orchestra, Apollo's Fire, and Boston Early Music Festival, among others. She is the recipient of a 2009 Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities and a 2010 Creative Workforce Fellowship from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture and has studied at Oberlin Conservatory, Conservatory of Amsterdam, and Case Western Reserve University.

www.debranagy.com
www.academyofearlymusic.org

10/23/2015

The early music ensemble Les Délices comes to Ann Arbor next week to perform on The Academy of Early Music's concert series, and as part of their visit they will present some activities for the Stearns Collection's Virginia Martin Howard Lecture Series. The events begin on Friday morning on October 30, when Julie Andrijeski presents an introductory workshop on Baroque Dance and Dance Music, followed by another introductory workshop on Baroque String Playing later in the day. Then on Saturday afternoon, Debra Nagy will give a lecture/demonstration on the Baroque Oboe. Hope to see you there!

10/01/2015

The 2015-16 Virginia Martin Howard Lecture Series kicks off tomorrow with of first of two lectures this weekend as well as an educational event for young audiences. Come hear Jordan Sramek's lecture on "The Polish-Italian Renaissance: A Rich Period of Patronage, Reform and Music-Making" at 12 pm on Friday, October 2. On Saturday, October 3 at 1 pm, Jordan will be joined by the rest of The Rose Ensemble for the lecture/demonstration "Renaissance Poland & Baroque Russia: The Thirst for Italian Style." Both events will be held in the new Glenn Watkins Lecture Hall at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

The Rose Ensemble will also present "600 Years of Eastern European Choral Music," a special event for young audiences, at 10 am on Saturday in the downtown branch of the Ann Arbor District Library.

09/11/2015

Another instrument currently on display is a double trumpet once belonging to former Boston Symphony Orchestra trumpeter Armando Ghitalla. This experimental model utilizes three pistonlike
touchpieces connected to double rotary valves. An additional
touchpiece redirects air flow to a second set of tubing that changes the trumpet's pitch from C to D.

09/07/2015

One of the instruments in our new display is this "tear-drop" cornet, which was constructed around 1870 by Louis Schreiber. This particular example once belonged to C. Jacob Gwinner, one of Ann Arbor's earliest band leaders. Gwinner's Band and Orchestra was in constant demand and played for many university, civic, and social functions during the last quarter of the 19th century.

09/04/2015

A new academic year is upon us, and with it comes new exhibits. Check out our display of brass instruments in the main lobby of the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

05/04/2015

Happy 360th birthday to Bartolomeo Cristofori, Italian instrument maker and inventor of the fortepiano. Pictured is a three-manual harpsichord from the collection that bears Cristofori's name, but which was actually assembled in the 19th century from several earlier instruments by the maker/forger Leopoldo Franciolini.

04/27/2015

04/24/2015

The 2014-15 Virginia Martin Howard Lecture Series concludes tomorrow. Join us for "Tabla 101: An Introduction to the Drums of North Indian Classical Music" with Dan Piccolo at the downtown branch of the Ann Arbor District Library at 2 pm. For more information, visit http://www.aadl.org/node/265069.

04/08/2015

Happy birthday to Frederick Stearns, who was born on this day in 1831. Mr. Stearns was a successful pharmacist from Detroit and donated over 900 instruments to the University of Michigan in 1899. He added over 300 more by the time he died in 1907.