by Jeremy Reynolds

Violinist Marilyn McDonald enjoys a diverse career teaching and performing music from the Baroque period to contemporary works. A recipient of the “Excellence in Teaching” award at Oberlin Conservatory, she has worked with students from all over the world who now occupy positions in quartets and symphonies around the nation. I recently spoke with the veteran faculty member of the Baroque Performance Institute via telephone to talk about BPI’s violin program.

Jeremy Reynolds: I see that BPI is celebrating its 44th season this year. Congratulations. How long have you taught at BPI, how has it changed over the years?

Marilyn McDonald: I’ve been there from the beginning. First of all, you should understand that this was the very first early music festival in the United States. The whole field was in an embryonic stage in the 70s, and there were very few professional Baroque period performers. So there was a larger percentage of amateurs, and we pride ourselves at BPI that we love to include those amateurs. But, over the years, the institute has slowly become more and more professional. [Read more…]