Even as a university student in Argentina, Belen Hernandezhad heard about the music program of the University of Northern Colorado and itwas a place she knew she wanted to experience.
Now in the final days of her doctoral program at UNC, Hernandez is preparing for the final concert of the year for UNC Ursa Consort. On Sunday, Baroque singers will perform several selections from Vivaldi to Bach by the ensemble of student performers – many of them seniors and graduate students.
The concert begins at 2 p.m. Sunday in UNC’s Campus Commons Performance Theater and the price is a bargain: it’s free.
“I’ve been in this ensemble since the beginning of my years here at UNC and I’ve played every concert we’ve had,” said Hernandez, a violinist, who is also the ensemble’s assistant. “This ensemble means a lot to me.”
It also means a lot to Christa Maroldo, a senior fromColorado Springs, who performs as a singer in the early music ensemble, and herlove of Baroque music has flourished in her time at UNC.
“This performance is very special to me,” said Maroldoholding back tears as she spoke. “The vocal consort was started after I was inmusic history, and I fell in love with Baroque consort and the music.”
That led her to advocating for the development of the vocalside of the Baroque performance. Now, for those who are unaware of the Baroqueperiod we’re talking about music written and performed from 1600 to 1750. Thatmeans performers, such as Maroldo, need to sing in Latin, German and Italian.
“This performance is very special to me. The vocal consort was started after I was in music history, and I fell in love with Baroque consort and the music.”
Christa Maroldo
Some of the greatest composers in history were developed in this era including Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi and George Handel. In 21st Century Greeley, that music is still loved and appreciated.
“It’s just something special,” said Lauren Ballew, a 23-year-old violinist from Colorado Springs who is heading to graduate school in a few weeks at the University of Denver. “We are finding these old pieces of music and bringing them back to life. It’s something that’s really special and something that opened my eyes to this type of music.”
The Early Music Ensemble was started four years ago and it has the enthusiastic support of members of UNC’s faculty.
“It’s one of myfavorite things that I do here to expose the students to this great repertoire,and Baroque style,” said Derek Chester, an assistant professor of voice, whohelps lead the ensemble with violin professor Jubal Fulks. “We train them in away that will make them marketable in the field. It’s such a joy to see themexplore the music.”
During a Thursday afternoon practice session, Ballew joinedthree student colleagues for a rehearsal of Sunday’s planned performance ofVivaldi’s concerto for violins. It’s a stirring piece, but the technical craftof the performance is also a marvel to watch, especially the non-verbalcommunication as the four women work their way through the nearly 400-year-oldmusic.
“I’ve known two of (the violinists) the whole time I’ve beenhere,” Ballew said her fellow quartet of violinists. “I think the UNC violinstudio has really created a close-knit community as a whole, but being able toplay with them has been so awesome.”
“I think the UNC violin studio has really created a close-knit community as a whole, but being able to play with them has been so awesome.”
Lauren Ballew
Hernandez said that communication is key to the success ofthe ensemble, but it’s also about thelove of music.
“I just fell in love with sound of the violin,” said Hernandez, who will take her talents to El Paso, Texas, in a few weeks where she will teach orchestra in schools there.
Hernandez, Ballew and Maroldo all credit UNC for fosteringtheir love of music, while also furthering their education.
“The music has spoken to me,” Maroldo said. “When I firstcame here, I didn’t feel like I didn’t fit in to the whole opera culture, and Iwas beginning to doubt that I should be here, and then I found that music andbecame a part of this ensemble.”
Videos
Senior Christa Maroldo discusses her love of Baroque music and what her final performance will mean.
Senior Lauren Ballew says the supportive environment of University of Northern Colorado’s violin studio is what helps drive the Early Music Ensemble.
