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Just as humans have their family lineage, instruments and the music they produce have a rich ancestry that can be traced back through time. Through Peabody’s thriving Early Music program, students can explore repertoire from a wide range of early periods—medieval, baroque, Renaissance, and early classical music—on instruments, and through voice techniques, true to the periods pre-dating 1800.

Whether performing as soloists or with one of Peabody’s early music ensembles, including the Baltimore Baroque Band, the Peabody Renaissance Ensemble, or the Peabody Consort, student musicians can gain valuable insight that carries over into other areas of their musical lives, notes Mark Cudek, who directs the Early Music program.

“The experience of playing older music with attention to historical detail can really bring this music to life,” says Cudek. “The student becomes aware of playing techniques and articulations that will inform interpretations on a modern instrument.

“One certainly can choose to play Bach in the same manner as Rachmaninoff,” he adds, “but a recital with consideration to both of these composers’ styles can be much more rewarding.”

Cudek, a founding member of The Baltimore Consort, which has been performing internationally for 30 years, notes that in terms of Early Music instruction and performance, the United States is in the process of “catching up” to Europe, where even small towns have baroque ensembles in residence. A student trained on both modern and period instruments, he believes, will fare better in the marketplace of American music. He points to recent growth in the number of period instrument orchestras popping up around the country. Because these groups tend to be small, they are also less expensive to support—a big advantage given today’s lean arts budgets.

While some Peabody students arrive at the Institute intending to focus in Early Music, others, like John Armato, make the switch once they’re here. Armato was a classical guitarist for 17 years before Cudek sparked his interest in the lute. “I took Mark’s Lute Literature class in my guitar program,” explains Armato (BM ’06, Guitar; MM ’09, Lute). “After being exposed to this music and Mark’s love of it, I decided to switch my degree from guitar to Early Music and then went on to pursue my master’s in lute.”

In addition to Cudek, Peabody’s Early Music faculty includes Colin St. Martin, baroque flute; Richard Stone, baroque lute and theorbo; Stephen Bard, baroque oboe; Risa Browder, baroque violin and viola; Gwyn Roberts, recorder; John Moran, viola de gamba and baroque cello; and Adam Pearl, harpsichord. Each year the program hosts an array of master classes, drawing top performers in the field to Peabody to offer instruction.

Cudek is proud that graduates of Peabody’s Early Music program have gone on to win prizes at international competitions, earn Fulbright and Beebe scholarships, and graduate from European conservatories with high honors. “It’s especially thrilling to present and share the stage with our former students. Peabody alums have performed with Apollo’s Fire (Cleveland Baroque Orchestra), the Baltimore Consort, Catacoustic Consort, Concord Ensemble, Folger Consort, Les Arts Florissants, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, and Tempesta di Mare (Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra), among others.”