Harmonia celebrates 1,000 episodes this month

Harmonia reaches a milestone when its 1,000th episode airs this month!

The program debuted in October of 1991 and is hosted by Angela Mariani, who started with the show while she was a graduate student at Indiana University’s Early Music Institute (now Historical Performance Institute).

“I’d been working [part-time at WFIU] for a couple of years when then-program director Christina Kuzmych asked me if I was interested in developing a weekly, one-hour program about early music, with the potential of eventually seeking syndication. I was very excited to do it, but worried about the fact that I had just embarked on a doctoral degree and producing and hosting a radio program sounded like a full-time job. I brought my dilemma to my teacher and mentor, the groundbreaking medieval music performer, scholar, and founder of the Early Music Institute, Tom Binkley. He told me, ‘You should definitely do it. You never know where it might lead.’ How right he was,” said Mariani.

After encouraging Mariani to do the series, Binkley asked her if she would be able to think of enough topics to sustain a weekly show.

“I bravely claimed that I didn’t think that would be a problem,” said Mariani. “Of course, fifteen years later, we had a whole team thinking of topics—but there are enough early music related topics to go as many years as we want, especially as the field keeps evolving and new artists come onto the scene.”

For the 1,000th episode, Angela Mariani speaks with David McCormick, executive director of Early Music America, about early music today. The program also features music by McCormick’s group, Alkemie, who did the soundtrack for the medieval-themed video game Pentiment

Questions or Comments?

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“I get a great deal of joy from being able to introduce radio listeners to music that has a link to the ancient past but is new and fresh. We hope to continue bringing this music, performed in historically informed ways, to public radio for many years to come,” said Mariani.

The 1,000th episode of Harmonia airs on Sunday, May 21 at 12 p.m. on WFIU2 and on Thursday, May 25 at 8 p.m. on WFIU.

Potatoes and pasta sound like a long shot but trust us on this one. Make arugula the star of an easy weeknight dinner.

Rich & Easy Roasted Potato & Arugula Pasta

1 package of medium pasta (gemelli is preferred, but penne, bow ties, or fusilli will do)

1 large container of arugula, or 5-6 cups of trimmed and clean leaves, loosely packed.

3 T. of olive oil

4 red potatoes (or Yukon Gold) cut in half then sliced into quarter-inch slices

3-4 T. of lightly toasted pine nuts

1/4 c. of grated parmesan

Start the water for the pasta and salt it generously. Preheat the oven to 400. Toss the potatoes with 1 T. of olive oil, then sprinkle salt and pepper over the potatoes. Arrange on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15 minutes or so, until brown on the outside and tender on the inside. Turn them halfway into the cooking for even browning.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta. Once it is ready, drain it and return the pasta to the cooking pot. Immediately add the arugula, the remaining olive oil, and toss to coat and to evenly distribute. Add the roasted potatoes and toss again. Add plenty of salt and pepper to taste. Serve right away, topped with pine nuts and grated parmesan. Feel free to add more olive oil, if desired.