Improvisation played a major role in the musical culture of the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic eras. Many of the greatest musicians of that time, from J. S. Bach to Clara Schumann, were known as exceptional improvisers. This course explores the various improvisational practices and techniques used in classical music, including ornamentation, accompaniment, preluding and interluding, cadenzas, and paraphrases on popular tunes. By improvising in these idioms, students will gain a deeper understanding of the style and increase their fluency in its musical language. Short composition exercises and study of historical sources will prepare students for improvising in class.