About

About Harmonia Early Music

Harmonia is a weekly one-hour radio program, podcast and blog that takes listeners back in history to the cathedrals, fairs, and stages of the past, teaching listeners about history as documented by musicians of the periods.

Through brilliant performances by today’s early music artists and insightful commentary, listeners experience the richness of early music history and culture. From the sublime realm of Chant to the passion of an Italian Baroque violin sonata, Harmonia casts new light on the music of the distant past.

Harmonia is a production of WFIU Public Radio in Bloomington, Indiana, drawing on resources from the Indiana University School of Music’s world-renowned Early Music Institute, and Indiana University’s Thomas Binkley Archive of Early Music Recordings.

Additional technical support from KOHM at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.

Program History

WFIU launched Harmonia in October 1991 and national syndication began in 1995, with over 80 stations signing on in the first week. By 2000, Harmonia could be heard on over 150 public radio stations nationwide.

Written and hosted by Angela Mariani since 1991, Harmonia has since welcomed additional writers. In 1997, the Harmonia educational website was launched. Today, the program is offered nationally through radio, and globally through the Harmonia website, blog and free weekly podcasts.

Material is created for educational purposes to scholars and learning institutions.

Theme Music

Our theme music is “La Prime Estampie Royal,” performed by Ensemble Alcatraz on the album Danse Royale. Buy from Amazon »

Support Harmonia

Harmonia is brought to you in part by the generous support of WFIU listeners and our corporate supporters. Please consider making a small contribution to help us keep bringing the program to you each week, or if you’d like to learn more about sponsorship opportunities, contact us.

Questions or Comments?

We love to hear from our listeners. If you have a question, comment, recipe to share or a suggestion for a future program please don’t hesitate to contact us and let us know what’s on your mind.

Information For Stations

Angela Mariani, Host

Angela Mariani has hosted Harmonia for WFIU since 1991, drawing on commercial, private and rare archival recordings as well as interviews with performers and scholars. A performer and scholar in the field of early music, she left the University of Massachusetts with a degree in music theory before earning a graduate degree at Indiana University’s renowned Early Music Institute. Since 2000, Angela and her husband have lived in Lubbock, Texas, where they are both members of the music faculty at Texas Tech University.

Laura Osterlund, Writer

Laura Osterlund is a recorder player and student at McGill Univeristy in Montreal, Canada. In 2007, she moved from the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois to Montreal in pursuit of a B.Mus. with major concentrations in Early Music Performance and Music History. Laura is an active musician throughout Montreal and Chicago and an avid member of the movement to promote Early Music performance, pedagogy, research, and appreciation throughout North America. She began writing for Harmonia in 2011.

Keith Collins, Writer

(Bio forthcoming.)

Wendy Gillespie, Writer and Co-Host (Harmonia Early Music Podcast)

Wendy Gillespie is Professor of Music, teaching early bowed strings and performance studies, at the Early Music Institute of the Jacobs School of Music, Bloomington, IN and President of the VdGSA. As a viola da gamba player, she has made more than 80 CDs and performed on five continents.  Wendy began working with Harmonia in January 2012.

Janelle Davis, Writer and Co-Host (Harmonia Early Music Podcast); Production Assistant

Janelle Davis is a violinist and performs with period instrument ensembles throughout the United States. She is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Music degree from Indiana University where she has specialized in early music. Janelle is a devoted educator having served in various capacities as a studio teacher, classroom orchestra director, and youth music festival clinician. Janelle also volunteers with Early Music In Motion—a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting communities under-served by the arts.

Other Harmonia Staff

• Michael Paskash, Audio Engineer
• LuAnn Johnson, Production Coordinator and Program Services Manager
• Eoban Binder, Online Manager

WFIU Supporting Staff

• David Wood, Music Director
• Anna Coogan, Music Librarian
• John Bailey, Marketing Director
• Mia Partlow Duffy, Resource/Educational Research Coordinator
• Nancy Krueger, Grants/Gifts Officer
• Marianne Woodruff, Corporate Support Director
• Cary Boyce, Executive Producer
• Perry Metz, Executive-in-Charge IU Radio-Television Services

Radio Stations Airing Harmonia