YSM acquires new Winkler harpsichord

Growing up, harpsichord faculty member Arthur Haas trained on the piano with his father, playing Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms. Music was part of his day-to-day, but he never thought it would be his whole life; music was a passion, not a profession, he thought. But a spontaneous course choice in college set him on a new path. At UCLA, finding himself one credit short, Arthur elected to take part in a harpsichord studio. 

“I was immediately hooked,” he recalls. “Suddenly, all this Bach that I played in my youth made so much more sense to me. I understood more about how counterpoint worked. I loved the balance between the registers. I loved what it did to bass lines — you could hear things better.”

The instrument transformed not only his understanding of music but also his direction in life. The discovery launched a journey that would see Arthur win a Fulbright grant, train in France, take top honors at the prestigious Paris International Harpsichord Competition, tour across Europe, and teach. Eventually, he landed at the School of Music, where he has taught for the past decade. 

Earlier this year, Haas oversaw a milestone acquisition for the School: a new harpsichord, built by renowned American instrument maker Allan Winkler. Modeled after a French harpsichord from the early 18th century, the instrument is a stunning example of fine craftsmanship and historical fidelity. 

“It’s a remarkable instrument,” Haas confirms. “I can play pretty much anything, at any pitch I want.” 

The harpsichord boasts a five-octave range and two manuals. It’s also a triple transposer, allowing it to play at the modern concert pitch (A=440 Hz), the more common Baroque pitch (A=415 Hz), and the preferred pitch in Paris at the turn of the 18th century (A=392 Hz).  This flexibility ensures the player can perform a range of work in a variety of settings, from period-appropriate repertoire for a solo recital to contemporary pieces in an ensemble alongside modern instruments. 

It’s in these details that the instrument’s historical accuracy and brilliance comes to life. 

There is, however, one detail that strays from historical accuracy. The harpsichord uses a plastic plectrum, rather than the traditional quill, which requires frequent maintenance and replacement, to pluck the strings. The plastic plectrum, on the other hand, requires less adjustment and better facilitates the light touch necessary for the harpsichord. Haas explains: “It’s very different from the way pianists play keyboard instruments. There’s no weight involved. Everything has to happen from the knuckles to the fingertips, so you play as light as possible. You’re not aiming for the bottom of the key; you’re aiming for where the plectrum plucks the string, which is midway down.” 

The arrival of the Winkler harpsichord has helped fill a growing need on campus. Previously, students and faculty could rely on instruments from the Morris Steinert Collection of Musical Instruments for occasional use in master classes or performances. But since 2020, the Collection has been closed for long-term renovations, limiting access to supplemental instruments. 

For Haas, the new instrument came at just the right time. “It was a golden opportunity to get an instrument that matches the quality of this great conservatory,” he says. With enthusiastic support from Dean José García-León, the School secured the necessary funds to make it happen.

“The acquisition of a new instrument is always a momentous occasion for a school,” the Dean says. “In this case, it was a wonderful opportunity to enhance our support of harpsichord students and early music at Yale.”

Both Haas and Dean García-León see the harpsichord’s impact extending beyond a single department. They envision the instrument opening doors for interdisciplinary collaboration and deepening the School’s broader engagement with historically informed performance.

“It’s not that students are going to give up modern violin to become Baroque violinists,” Haas says. “But they’ll use what they learn to shape how they perform Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Corelli.” 

“This instrument will serve not only our harpsichord faculty and students, who now have access to a high-quality instrument, but also the many instrumentalists and vocalists who collaborate in chamber and continuo settings,” García-León adds. “It shows the School’s commitment to supporting historically informed performances as a vital part of our curriculum and community.”

Haas, too, sees a range of new possibilities opening up. He’s already thinking about future collaborations with the Institute of Sacred Music, the Divinity School, and the Department of Music. 

“The more we can combine things and collaborate,” he says, “the more enriched we’re all going to be.”