Trobár Medieval

Trobár is a small band of voices and instruments dedicated to bringing medieval music to modern audiences. The word trobar comes from Occitan, the language spoken in the middle ages in what is now southern France, and encompasses numerous meanings: to find, to meet, to create, to compose, to invent. This word encapsulates the spirit of discovery and invention that we bring to musical texts of the middle ages.

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Trobar was founded on the belief that music has the power to bridge cultures, despite the separation of time and place, language, ethnicity, or religion. Our mission is to explore the human experience as viewed through medieval music and the stories of medieval peoples. We strive to produce material that is rooted in historical research, imaginative in inspiration, cohesive in concept, excellent in performance, immersive through the incorporation of visual elements, interdisciplinary through its contextualization of music in art, literature, and history, and both educational and edifying in its impact. We engage with medieval scholars and performers globally; we share our work and ideas on a national stage through performances but also in workshops, masterclasses, and residencies with students; and we bring together new audiences within our local community in northeast Ohio.