Geoffrey Hill
Fellowships 2026
Since graduating from the College of Idaho in 2012 with a degree in violin performance, I have
been at the heart of the musical landscape of southwest Idaho as a performer and educator. My
work as a violinist reaches a broad spectrum of Idaho residents: I am a leader in major arts
organizations like the Boise Philharmonic, I collaborate with independent artists and smaller
organizations whose performances are impactful as they are intimate, and I am a sought-after
teacher for students of all ages.
After over a decade of work in existing institutions, I am focused on my own unique project
inspired by the belief that music is most interesting when heard the way it was intended. To that
end, in early 2024 I founded Pendulum Early Music. Named for the idea of swaying gracefully
yet with clockwork precision, Pendulum is the only ensemble in Idaho dedicated to the
historically-authentic performance of Baroque music.
In the Baroque era, differences in tuning, instruments, technique, and tastes made for a sonic
experience unique to the time. The modern orchestra has no lack of passion or energy, but its
toolbox is meant for late 19th and 20th century music, meaning that when it performs Baroque
music those unique historical accuracies are lost to anachronism. In contrast, Pendulum uses
period instruments and artistic adherence to primary sources to create a musical time machine
for our listeners. Two concerts into our first season, audiences already recognize that we are
doing something you can’t hear anywhere else in Idaho.
Pendulum’s mission is to continue to give Idaho audiences the most authentic performances
possible. We do this by inviting respected performers to lead us, seeking out specialized
lessons and workshops, and ensuring that our instruments are of the highest quality and
maintained properly.
Trio Sonata in G major, by Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707), 2025
This sonata for two violins and continuo by the 17th century composer Dietrich Buxtehude gives the two violins ample opportunity to show off in solos throughout the work. In this video, taken from Pendulum Early Music’s concert on January 4, 2025, guest violinist Julie Andrijeski hands the solo line off to me, we then join again in a duet, and then I take the lead again with a wandering, melancholic solo line that eventually finds its way back to an optimistic finish.