Classical Music jobs. Harpsichord.

Harpsichord: audition and classical music jobs

A person who plays the harpsichord is known as a harpsichordist. Harpsichord players can perform as soloists, accompanists, chamber musicians, orchestra members, or a combination of these. Solo harpsichordists may play unaccompanied sonatas for harpsichord or concertos accompanied by orchestra. Accompanist harpsichordists might accompany singers or instrumentalists (e.g., a violinist or Baroque flute player), either playing works written for a voice (or an instrument) and harpsichord or an orchestral reduction of the orchestra parts. Chamber musician harpsichordists could play in small groups of instrumentalists, such as a quartet or quintet. Baroque-style orchestras and opera pit orchestras typically have a harpsichordist to play the chords in the basso continuo part.
Orchestra Audition: harpsichordist, job board and listings

Harpsichord, like other art music instruments, is typically studied in a post-secondary university or music conservatory program, leading to a diploma or degree. As harpsichord playing requires an extensive knowledge of Baroque performance practice (regarding realizing figured bass parts, adding ornaments, playing with correct style and articulation), harpsichordists may take courses in Baroque music history. Some harpsichordists grow interested in a wider variety of ancient music, and they might learn to play the fortepiano, an instrument that predated the modern piano.

Orchestra jobs

A harpsichord player is expected to:
have acquired a playing technique and expressive means on his/her main instrument to a professional standard
be able to prepare repertoire on his/her main instrument independently
have a basic knowledge of the various styles of art music
be widely familiar with the core repertoire for his/her main instrument
be familiar with the historical predecessors (Early Music: later development) of his/her main instrument
have acquired the capability for playing in various ensembles and orchestras (orchestral instruments and Early Music)
be able to prepare for and deal with various performance situations
have the sight-reading skills and creative musicianship skills required from a professional musician.

The harpsichord is a keyboard instrument in which the strings are plucked, rather than hit with a hammer (which is the mechanism for the piano, a more recent development). The baroque era is almost instantly associated with the harpsichord's distinctive sound. The earliest mentions of these tools date from around 1400. The oldest surviving harpsichords date from the 1500s, by which time the instrument’s complex mechanism had been perfected.
The instruments could vary significantly from each other, with different configurations for keyboards, foot pedals, and hand stops. The cases housing the mechanisms were often exquisite works in themselves, featuring inlays, paintings, and other fine surface decorations.

Salary for musician jobs - harpsichordist

The list of international music schools includes education to become a harpsichordist:
1. Case Western Reserve University
2. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
3. University of California – Davis
4. University of Jyvaskyla
5. Ghent University
6. Karolinska Institute
7. University of Oslo
8. Music School of Douglas Academy
9. Lambda School of Music and Fine Arts
10. Tokyo College of Music

Harpsichord Societies:
1. British Harpsichord Society
2. Japan Harpsichord Society
3. Harpsichord Society of Los Angeles

The most famous harpsichord players in the world:
1. Johann Sebastian Bach
2. Domenico Scarlatti
3. George Frideric Handel
4. François Couperin
5. Jean-Philippe Rameau