Abigail Mace’s ‘aha’ moment inspired a lifelong passion

By Jim Flint

For some people, there is an “aha” moment when they suddenly realize what they want to do for the rest of their lives. For Abigail Mace, turning pages was the page-turning event in her life.

At the time, she was a high school student attending the Heifetz International Music Institute one summer in Annapolis, Maryland.

“I was asked to turn pages for the pianist at one of the faculty concerts,” she said.

The concert featured Craig Sheppard performing the Brahms Piano Quintet in F minor with four string players.

“Sitting on stage, completely immersed in the music, I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the music — and by the passion required to perform at such an extremely high level,” she said.

Mace often thinks of it as the moment she knew she would be a musician for the rest of her life.

Mace is the artistic director and conductor of Jefferson Baroque Orchestra, a position she assumed last March. She previously had performed with JBO on the harpsichord. She often conducts from the harpsichord, a tradition in early music and Baroque periods.

Music and football

Mace was born in Salem, Oregon, but her family moved to Green Bay, Wisconsin, soon after.

“My childhood memories blend classical music and Green Bay Packers football in almost equal measures,” she said.

She moved to the Rogue Valley a few years ago to be closer to family, which has deep roots in southern Oregon. Mace’s grandfather grew up in the Prospect area, picking huckleberries and selling them at Beckie’s Cafe to earn money for school clothes. Her grandmother grew up in Gold Hill.

Her mother had much to do with Mace’s interest in music. Growing up in the Rogue Valley, her mother developed a love of classical music from the late Lynn Sjolund, who was her high school choir director. He also conducted the Rogue Valley Chorale for many years.

“I caught this love of music, and particularly early music, from her,” Mace said.

She began playing the piano when she was 7, a few months after her two older siblings started taking lessons.

“I would go to the piano and play their pieces by ear, so my mother wisely decided I needed to get training before learning the wrong way,” she said. “My first harpsichord lessons were with Carl Smith at Vanderbilt University while I was earning my Bachelor of Music in piano.”

She went on to earn a Master of Music degree in piano performance at the University of Texas at Austin, studied harpsichord and early music as a Fulbright Fellow at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, and received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance from the University of Texas.

She has performed with and led Baroque ensembles in several cities, and is in demand as a performer, professor, clinician and adjudicator.

Going for Baroque

Mace was drawn to Baroque music early on. She listened to a lot of classical music growing up and says she was always drawn to the unique sound of historical instruments.

“I loved the idea of playing historical music on its intended instruments,” she said. “The experience of playing a prelude and fugue by Bach on the harpsichord is transformative. Suddenly, so many musical decisions become clearer as a natural extension of the instrument.”

Studying harpsichord alongside piano in college led to the Fulbright scholarship. In The Hague for a year, she studied harpsichord with Jacques Ogg, an international Dutch harpsichordist, pianist and conductor. There she also studied historical performance with Patrick Ayrton, Michael Chance, Barthold Kuijken and many others.

Taking on Rogue Valley’s JBO has been a satisfying endeavor for Mace.

“What excites me most are the people I get to make music with and the glorious Baroque repertoire our ensemble focuses on,” she said. “It’s an opportunity I have looked forward to all my life.”

Reaching out to younger audiences

Mace plans to take JBO directly to younger audiences through a new educational outreach effort.

“The combination of this beautiful repertoire and the unique way we play it will help build our audiences,” she said.

Jefferson Baroque’s upcoming concerts will be December performances of Handel’s “Messiah,” a beloved holiday tradition. The concerts will be held 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 140 N. Oakdale Ave., Medford; and 3 p.m. Dec. 8 at First Methodist Church, 175 N. Main St., Ashland. Admission to “Messiah” is free for those 18 and under.

Mace says the music will be performed much as it would have been in Handel’s time, following the customs of the Baroque period. That includes how the performers are placed on stage, the type of strings the violins use, the number of soloists and the tuning system. Mace will conduct from the harpsichord.

Telemann in March

In March, the JBO will present Telemann’s complete Tafelmusik, Production 1, as part of its Baroque Masterworks series.

Tafelmusik is one of Georg Philipp Telemann’s most widely known compositions, a collection of instrumental pieces regarded as one of the last examples of courtly table music.

“Each year we will present a complete masterwork as part of our season’s program,” Mace said.

Besides teaching, conducting and performing, she enjoys spending time with her family. She also likes painting, knitting and getting out into nature.

“I have always loved horses,” she said. “I’ve never owned one myself, but I have enjoyed volunteering at horse therapy programs. While volunteering a few years ago, I took riding lessons and learned how to barrel race.”

So this is not her first rodeo.

Freelance writer Jim Flint’s “Curtain Call” column about people in the performing arts appears on the second and fourth Mondays of the month. Email him at [email protected].