Harmonia is a weekly one-hour radio program that takes listeners back in history to the cathedrals, fairs, and stages of the past. It teaches 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. It draws resources from the Indiana University School of Music’s world-renowned Early Music Institute, and has access to the Indiana University Thomas Binkley Archive of Early Music Recordings. Additional technical support from KOHM at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.

History

WFIU launched Harmonia in October 1991, drawing on the station’s strong national syndication history and its connections to one of the world’s premiere early music institutes – Indiana University Jacobs School of Music’s Early Music Institute. 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 globablly through the Harmonia website. 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 (Cheryl Ann Fulton, medieval harp, Roy Whelden, vielle, and Peter Maund, percussion)—Danse Royale, Elektra Nonesuch 79240-2 (1992).

Harmonia Staff

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.

Bernard Gordillo was born in Managua, Nicaragua, and raised in New Orleans. He holds degrees from Centenary College of Louisiana, the Early Music Institute of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (London). In addition, Bernard also announces and writes for the Harmonia Early Music Podcast.

• Audio Engineer: Michael Paskash
• Program Services Manager: LuAnn Johnson
• Marketing Director: Scott Witzke
• Online Manager: Adam Schweigert
• Music Director: David Wood
• Resource/Educational Research Coordinator: Josephine McRobbie
• Grants/Gifts Officer: Nancy Krueger
• Corporate Support Director: Marianne Woodruff
• Operations, Program Production Manager: Cary Boyce
• Executive Producer: Christina Kuzmych
• Executive-in-Charge IU Radio-Television Services: Perry Metz