A new state law requiring all college degree programs to have minimum numbers of graduates is reducing the range of degrees offered at Indiana University. The Bloomington campus is seeing the largest number of program cuts. One of those affected is the Jacobs School of Music Historical Performance Institute, where all standalone degree programs have been eliminated. “Historical performance” is a category of classical music attempting to render musical compositions exactly as they would have been heard in their original time period. This means using period-correct instruments, historically accurate tuning, and performance techniques from the work’s original era. Baroque violinist Ingrid Matthews learned her craft at HPI and as a professor there now she laments the loss of standalone HPI degrees but is also hopeful that there will be benefits to being part of a larger department. We also hear from Courage Barda, a recent Jacobs graduate who was the last undergrad accepted into his now-eliminated program.

(All photos courtesy of IU).CREDIT:
Today’s feature story on the Historical Performance Institute degree program was produced by Theo Hawkins in partnership with The Media School at Indiana University.