The King of Instruments Throughout History

Paula Maust presents an organ recital and lecture to celebrate and dedicate UMBC’s new practice organ, a Rodgers Opus 2187, purchased with funds donated to the Department of Music by Charles Nicholas, Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, in honor of his parents, Charles and Barbara Nicholas. The organ is a versatile digital instrument delivering a richly textured pipe organ sound designed around American Guild of Organists (AGO) standard console design, facilitating the study and practice of a wide range of repertoire by students at UMBC.

Maust's program includes organ repertoire from Germany, Spain, France, and the United States spanning the 16th through 21st centuries. Historically, the organ, affectionately called the king of instruments by medieval French composer Guillaume de Machaut, has been used in a variety of sacred and secular contexts. By the end of the 14th century, organs were present in most European cathedrals and had ever-increasing functions in worship. Today, organs can be found in concert halls, civic centers, and religious spaces. With the exception of vocal music, no other instrument has a more diverse repertoire spanning such a large number of centuries.

Praised as “a refined and elegant performer” by the Boston Musical Intelligencer, Paula Maust performs extensively as a harpsichordist and organist across the United States as a soloist, chamber musician, and church musician. Her diverse musical career focuses on historical performance practice and combines her distinct interests in performance, pedagogy, and scholarship. Paula is a co-director of Burning River Baroque and a founding member of Musica Spira. She has also collaborated with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore Baroque Band, El Fuego Fire, and New Comma Baroque. In addition to performing, Paula teaches masterclasses and presents engaging lectures to introduce people to the harpsichord. She is on the theory faculty at Towson University and teaches organ and harpsichord at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She also worked as a music theory and ear training graduate teaching assistant at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University.

Maust was recently awarded the Dean’s DMA Fellowship to pursue doctoral studies in harpsichord at the Peabody Institute. She earned the MM Degree in Early Music: Harpsichord from Peabody and the MM Degree in Organ from the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Refreshments provided.

This is a free event.