Role

:

Conductor  

Birth

:

December 26, 1931 in Cleveland, OH

Death

:

April 28, 1995 in Bloomington, IN

Genre

:

Choral

 

Thomas Binkley was a renowned classical music artist who was born on December 27, 1931, in Cleveland, Ohio. He was a lutenist, conductor, and musicologist who was known for his contributions to the early music movement in the United States. Binkley was raised in a musical family, and he began playing the guitar at a young age. He later switched to the lute, which became his primary instrument. Binkley attended the University of Illinois, where he studied musicology and lute performance. He later earned a master's degree in musicology from the University of Michigan. Binkley's interest in early music began during his time at the University of Michigan, where he studied with the renowned musicologist, Louise Cuyler. He was particularly interested in the music of the Renaissance and Baroque periods, and he began to specialize in the performance of early music on the lute. In 1958, Binkley founded the Early Music Consort of London with his wife, the soprano Shirley Rumsey. The ensemble was one of the first groups to specialize in the performance of early music, and it quickly gained a reputation for its innovative and historically informed performances. Binkley served as the ensemble's director and lutenist, and he also arranged many of the group's pieces. The Early Music Consort of London performed extensively throughout Europe and the United States, and it recorded numerous albums for the EMI label. The ensemble's recordings were highly acclaimed, and they helped to popularize early music in the United States and Europe. Binkley's arrangements and performances were particularly praised for their clarity and precision, and he was widely regarded as one of the leading lutenists of his time. In addition to his work with the Early Music Consort of London, Binkley was also a professor of music at Indiana University. He taught courses in musicology and early music performance, and he was a mentor to many young musicians who went on to become leaders in the early music movement. Binkley was also a prolific writer and scholar, and he published numerous articles and books on early music and musicology. Binkley's contributions to the early music movement were recognized with numerous awards and honors. In 1973, he was awarded the Order of Merit by the government of France for his contributions to French music. He was also awarded the Noah Greenberg Award by the American Musicological Society in 1980 for his contributions to early music performance. In 1990, he was awarded the Howard Mayer Brown Award by the Early Music Institute at Indiana University for his contributions to early music scholarship. Binkley continued to perform and teach until his death in 1995. His legacy as a performer, scholar, and teacher continues to influence the early music movement today. His recordings with the Early Music Consort of London remain some of the most highly regarded recordings of early music, and his contributions to the field of musicology continue to be studied and celebrated. Thomas Binkley was a true pioneer of the early music movement, and his legacy will continue to inspire musicians and scholars for generations to come.

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