John Heller, Post-Gazette Chatham Baroque members Julie Andrijeski, Scott Pauley and Patricia Halverson perform at the Frick Art & Historical Center. Click photo for larger image.

You could say Chatham Baroque violinist Julie Andrijeski is going back to school this fall, but the truth is she never technically left. Andrijeski will miss the period trio's major concerts this fall to finish her doctorate at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. She started the degree in 1988.

"They are finally kicking me out in January," she said. "If I don't finish, I will be done anyway." She is earning a dual degree with the Cleveland Institute of Music (in violin performance) and Case Western (in early music performance).

"It is definitely the reason I am in this field to begin with," she said. "I came to CIM to get my degree in modern violin." Instead, she met a professor, Ross Duffin, specializing in early music and "fell in love with it."

The biggest of Andrijeski's final projects is on the composer Antonio Bertali. "It is a big two-volume set of sonatas published in 1672 of music from Vienna," she said. "We would like to make a recording of these sonatas once I finish this degree."

Andrijeski will tour with Chatham Baroque this fall and do some outreach, but will not participate in the main concerts. These have been structured with different instruments to compensate for her absence. "Basically I am half time," she says. "If people come to the outreach concerts, I will be at some of those. I will be back in action for Twelfth Night [an annual gala taking place Jan. 7]."

Chatham Baroque opens its season performing with two viola d'amore players on Oct. 21-23 at Sewickley United Methodist Church, Synod Hall in Oakland, and Laughlin Music Center at Chatham College.