What is H.I.P.S.T.E.R.?

An organisation to support Historically Informed Performance (HIP), historical instruments, early repertoire and new music composed for historical instruments. H.I.P.S.T.E.R. is an acronym that stands for Historically Informed Performance Series, Teaching, Education and Research.

What is Historically Informed Performance?

Historically Informed Performance, or “HIP”, is about making informed choices about performing Western Classical music from the early Medieval to the late Romantic—or about 900 to 1900—using what we know about history and social context. It is not about an unattainable (and over-claimed) ideal of “authenticity.” HIP responsibly researches history in order to move forward and make informed and artistically sound decisions about performing music (and other art forms, such as dance and theatre) in the present. It seeks not to recreate the past, but to create a meaningful and moving experience for audiences today.

What are our plans?

H.I.P.S.T.E.R.’s founders and co-directors are Dr Yonit Kosovske and Dr Vlad Smishkewych. Yonit is a keyboardist performing on harpsichord, modern piano, fortepiano and chamber organ. She is a Lecturer of Music at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick. Vlad is a tenor vocalist and radio announcer and presents Vox Nostra, Ireland’s weekly early music programme on RTÉ lyric fm. We have been performing and recording early music and contemporary music since the 1990s as soloists and as chamber artists. We formed Now and Then Media Ltd. in order to promote historically informed performances and to increase early music study and audience reception in Ireland, particularly in the Limerick area. Now and Then Media Ltd. engages the public through H.I.P.S.T.E.R., through which it promotes performance, teaching and research.

Who are we?

We plan to produce a series of concerts, courses and lectures. We hope to increase access to historical instruments for performers and teachers around the country and will include outreach to schools in H.I.P.S.T.E.R.’s educational remit. In March 2021, we plan to launch the first Limerick Early Music Festival!