August 5 – 13, 2023
The 10th edition of the courses at the Kunín château – the only baroque Harrach château in the Czech Republic (built by the Harrach family in 1726-1734). This year in particular we are joining the Harrachs – nobility obliges project of the National Heritage Institute.
About course
Lecturers and subjects
Chamber music
Tuition fee
Schedule
Concerts
Accommodation and meals
Application
Contact
The course is intended for active participation by professionals, students from specialized music schools and for experienced amateurs with previous experience with Early Music. Active participation is also possible for players of modern instruments with a serious interest in music of earlier periods.
Passive participation is possible for anyone who is interested in baroque and renaissance music and its performance practice. Passive participants can follow the lessons in any of the classes and have free access to concerts and lectures.
For teachers in primary and secondary schools, we offer additional lessons in a course adapted according to the requirements for accreditation within the Ministry of Education’s system for further education for teachers (DVPP). The exact timetable and the calculation of additional lessons within the DVPP programme will be prepared individually based on the participant’s previous experience. Please contact us on musacad@email.cz for more information.
Course is organized by: Hudební lahůdky, z.s. (Musical Delicacies society) in co-operation with Česká loutnová společnost, z.s. (Czech Lute Society).
We are grateful to the Kunin château (warden Mr. Jaroslav Zezulčík, Nový Jičín museum), the Kunín parish (Mons. Dr. Alois Peroutka), the diocese of Ostrava-Opava (organologist Mr. Jiří Krátký), restaurant U dobré hraběnky, and the management of Nový Jičín school farm under VFU Brno for goodwill and pleasant cooperation.
The courses are financially supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic as part of the National Restoration Plan, the European Union – NextGenerationEU and State cultural fund of the Czech Republic.
The development of our summer courses.
Reports in media (only in czech language):
Zámek Kunín hostil mezinárodní kurz interpretace barokní a renesanční hudby | Celý MS kraj | Zprávy | POLAR TV
Události v regionech – Události v regionech (Ostrava) | Česká televize (ceskatelevize.cz)
LECTURERS AND SUBJECTS:
Beatriz Lafont Murcia (ES) (5. – 12. 8. 2023) – solo singing, castanets
Born in Valencia, Beatriz Lafont studied Guitar and Singing at the Conservatorio Profesional de Música de Valencia and at the Conservatorio Superior de Música Joaquín Rodrigo de Valencia. During her studies, she was awarded the “Audience Prize” and the “Best Performer from Valencia Prize” at the V Certamen de Guitarra “Luys Milán” (L’Olleria).
After winning a scholarship from the Instituto Valenciano de la Música she moved to the Netherlands to study a Bachelor Degree and a Master Degree in Early Music Singing at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, specializing in the early Baroque Italian Music performace practice of singing and accompanying herself on the theorbo. In The Hague she studied singing with Rita Dams, Michael Chance, Jill Feldman and Peter Kooij, and theorbo with Mike Fentross and Joachim Held. She also attended masterclasses with renowned teachers such as Robert Expert, Marta Almajano, Cristina Miatello, Evelyn Tubb, Lambert Climent, Stephen van Dyck, Johannette Zomer, Fred Jacobs and Margreet Honig.
Beatriz Lafont has performed around Europe with various ensembles such as La Romanina, Harmonia del Parnàs, La Esfera Armoniosa, Musica Poetica, La Academia de los Nocturnos, Le Jardin Secret, Collegium Musicum Den Haag and Música Temprana, and participated in different festivals such as Festival de Música Antigua de Peñiscola, Festival de Música Antiga: Música, Història i Art (Valencia), Fringe Festival Oude Muziek (Utrecht), Festival Classique (The Hague), Festiwal Twórczosci Religijnej (Żory), Dag Oude Muziek (Bilzen), Edizione Pievi & Castelli in Musica (Italy), Hudební lahůdky (Brno) and Kasteelconcerten (Holland). She has participated in radio programs and recorded early music repertoire with various ensembles.
She has been teaching singing (both classical and historical) privately and at institutions such as the Conservatori de Música Isaac Albéniz (Girona). Since 2014 she teaches at the International Summer School of Early Music in Valtice, Czech Republic.
Teaching languages: EN, IT, ES.
***
Maria Christina Cleary (IR / IT) (5. – 9. 8. 2023) – harp, basso continuo
Native of Ireland, Maria Cleary holds degrees from Dublin, London (Trinity College), Den Haag and Bruxelles. She studied harp with Susanna Mildonian and Andrew Lawrence-King. She is currently completing an artistic Ph.D. at Leiden University, The Netherlands.
She has performed as soloist with, among others, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, American Bach Soloists, Bayerische Staatsoper, Portland Baroque Orchestra, Arion Ensemble Montreal and the RTE Concert Orchestra. In 2014, Maria was invited to perform a Concerto by J. B. Krumpholtz with the Orchestra of the Antipodes at The World Harp Congress in Sydney. This was the first time the harpe organisée was featured at the Congress. As soloist she was prize winner at Utrecht Early Music Competition (1997), Nippon International Harp Competition (1996), Dutch National Harp Competition (1997). She participated at the International Harp Competitions in Israel, Geneve, Bruxelles and Madrid.
As an orchestral player she has worked as Principal Harpist in the Koninklijk Concertgebouw Orkest Amsterdam and further held the position of Harpist at the RTE Concert Orchestra Ireland and worked in numerous orchestras in The Netherlands and Germany. Maria has worked for years in the area of contemporary music, with MusikFabrik Köln and Remix Ensemble Porto. She has premièred over fifty pieces for solo harp and harp in ensemble, including Arc Song by T. Hosakawa at the Darmstadt Festival in 2002 with Peter Veale (oboe).
Specialising in historical harps, Maria performs on medieval harps, the Italian arpa doppia, the Spanish arpa de dos ordenes and the 18th century harpe organisée. She promotes a pedal technique that was exclusively used on harps with a single-action pedal mechanism. She has performed with most Baroque ensembles throughout Europe. Maria performs regularly with Davide Monti under the name Arparla, a violin/harp duo specialising in the repertoire from the 17th century to the 19th century.
Maria teaches historical styles, improvisation and chamber music to both modern and historical harpists. She has taught at the Guildhall School of Music London, Conservatories of Singapore, Brisbane, Venice, Padova (2005–2008), Krakow Academy of Music, Sibelius Academy Helsinki and the Haute École de Musique de Genève. She holds the position of historical harp professor in Verona Conservatory, Italy. In 2016 she will give a masterclass at the Juilliard School of Music New York.
Teaching languages: EN, DE, NL, ES, IT, FR, PT.
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Marta Kratochvílová (CZ) (5. – 12. 8. 2023) – baroque and renaissance traverse flutes, historically informed interpretation on modern traverso and recorder
Marta Kratochvílová studied flute at the Conservatory in Pardubice and then at the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts in Brno. In 2000 began her studies in France at the Conservatoire National de Région de Strasbourg, where she specialized in baroque and renaissance flute with Jean-François Alizon and Nancy Hadden, and chamber music with Martin Gester and Patrick Blanc. She has participated in masterclasses and workshops by prominent figures such as Paul McCreesh, Barthold Kuijken, Jan Latham-Koenig and Sir Neville Marriner. In France until 2010, she played baroque and renaissance flute extensively in the ensembles Le Parlement de Musique Strasbourg, Bohemia duo and NotaBene. She also performed renaissance workshops (Ferrara, Munich, Stuttgart, Basel) with a consort of traverso players from Strasbourg.
Today she lives in the Czech Republic and performs regularly throughout Europe. She appears in mostly chamber and solo projects with artists such as Jan Čižmář, Karel Fleischlinger, Joel Frederiksen, Martin Jakubíček, Petr Kolař, Ján Krigovský, Marcin Świątkiewicz, Marc Vonau, Petr Wagner, and with the ensembles {oh!} Orkiestra Historyczna and Plaisirs de Musique, of which she is a founding member. She is also artistic leader of the renaissance flute consort Tourdion.
As a teacher with many years of experience she is invited to presentations and masterclasses throughout Europe; she teaches also privately baroque and renaissance traverso playing and interpretation.
Teaching languages: CS, FR, (DE), (EN).
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Cristian Gutiérrez (CL) (5. – 12. 8. 2023), Jan Čižmář (CZ) (5. – 12. 8. 2023) – lute, guitar, vihuela, theorbo and other plucked instruments, basso continuo
He’s one of Chilean most notable early music performers. Born in Santiago de Chile, his guitar studies were carried out under Ernesto Quezadas’s professorship at the Music Conservatory of Universidad de Chile, being at the top of his class and finishing with the highest distinction granted by the university. He started his studies in lute, vihuela and baroque guitar, getting a grant from Fundación Andes to travel to Spain and continue his fellowship studies with Juan Carlos Rivera and Xavier Diaz-Latorre. He got his master of music at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, Holland, under the direction of Joachim Held and finished with the highest distinction and the Special Award.
From 2016 to 2018 Gutierrez was the director of the program “Initiation and Improvement of Early Music” of Alberto Hurtado University’s extension department.
Currently, he is the musical director of La PulsataTrio a music ensemble specialized in the study and preservation of colonial baroque string music and La Consonancia a baroque music ensemble.
At present he works as an academic at the Alberto Hurtado University, in Santiago de Chile, where he is director of the study program “Superior Interpretation in Early Music”. Since 2020 he is an academic at the Conservatory of the Universidad of Chile in the master program.
Teaching languages: ES, EN, IT, FR.
Jan Čižmář is a versatile performer focusing on historical plucked instruments. He performs regularly in Europe, Asia and the USA with ensembles such as Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and Capella Cracoviensis, and under conductors such as Frans Brüggen, Christopher Hogwood, Giovanni Antonini, Yannick Nézet–Séguin and Christina Pluhar. He appears also as soloist with of baroque and renaissance repertoire, and is the artistic leader of the ensemble Plaisirs de Musique.
After graduation in guitar and musicology in his native Brno he studied at the Royal College of Music in London, where he began playing the lute in the class of Jakob Lindberg. He continued his studies at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague with the teachers Nigel North, Joachim Held, Mike Fentross and Christina Pluhar.
He was the founder and editor of the Czech guitar magazine Kytara and contributes regularly to other musical periodicals. He is also intensely involved with publishing and research activities in the field of early music.
Jan Čižmář taught lute and related instruments at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice in Poland; currently he is teaching at the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts (JAMU) in Brno and at the Academy of Ancient Music at Masaryk University in Brno. He regularly gives courses and masterclasses in Europe and overseas.
Teaching languages: CS, EN, PL, DE, (FR).
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Marian Friedl (5. – 8. 8. 2023) – overtone flute, recorder and other wind and folk instruments – consultation
Marian Friedl, musician, ethnomusicologist, pedagogue, member of several music projects of various specializations, in which he sings, plays the double bass, folk flutes, bagpipes, clarinet, small dulcimer and other instruments. He has performed on more than two dozen CDs, often with leading performers from the Czech scene and abroad. In 2014 he recorded, for example, the album NOCZ and Iva Bittová (Hevhetia), in 2016 Divé Husy with Jitka Šuranská and Martin Krajíček (nominated for the Anděl Music Award 2016) and in the same year the album Mateřština with Jiří Slavík (Anděl award 2016 in the World Music category). He embodied his personal vision of Moravian World Music in his self-conceived project Lambs and Wolves; the album of the same name won the Anděl 2017 award in the Folk category. In 2019 he released his solo album Beskydská Odysea (Indies Scope), the neo-folklore project Píseň ZEMĚ (Animal Music), and also performed as sideman on albums of the Norwegian-Czech group NOCZ and Choir (Hevhetia) and in the project Slovak Dances of the composer and conductor Peter Reiner (Naxos).
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Davide Monti (IT) (5. – 8. 8. 2023) – violin
After his Primary Degree from the Conservatory in Parma, Davide Monti specialised in Early Music with numerous professors (E. Gatti, E. Parizzi, S. Richie, M. Huggett). Davide’s playing has evolved thanks to collaboration with great musicians of our time: from Ton Koopman to Alberto Rasi, Vittorio Ghielmi to Michael Radulescu, Marcello Scandelli to Roberta Invernizzi, Gemma Bertagnolli to Stefano Veggetti, Stefano Montanari to Sergio Vartolo.
As leader of many ensembles he is known for his energy and charisma, creating a special sound in an orchestra. He has been leader of numerous orchestras including The European Baroque Orchestra (EUBO), Il Tempio Armonico, Athestis e Accademia de li Musici, Il Complesso Barocco, Cordia, Teatro Armonico. He is noted for his work with small chamber groups and chamber orchestras including Accademia Strumentale Italiana, Ensemble il Falcone, le Parlement de Musique and Arparla with the harpist Maria Christina Cleary, — encounters that are precious moments for research and experimentation.
This formed the idea of the score being a canvas, every performance and interpretation is different. Supporting this philosophy, he focuses on the Art of improvising; as in Early Music performing practise the experience of improvising is paralleled to other branches of “cultured” Art (jazz, theatre, traditional music, dance).
Davide has given Masterclasses in Japan, lectured at Makerere University and in Kampala, and at Summer Courses in Italy. He performed as Soloist with the Orchestra of the Arena in Verona. He has recorded for many record labels: Agorà, Bongiovanni, Brilliant, Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, Dynamics, Naive, Opus 111, ORF, Radio Svizzera Italiana, Sonica, Stradivarius and Tactus. He performs throughout the world (America, Africa, Europe, Japan) and received great acclaim in Argentina and Brazil as director and soloist.
Teaching languages: EN, FR, IT, (ES).
CHAMBER MUSIC SUBJECTS AND WORKSHOPS:
El Siglo de Oro – Cristian Gutiérrez, Beatriz Lafont Murcia
Workshop focusing on the vocal and instrumental music of the Spanish Golden Age in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was a period where arts and literature flourished in Spain; it was marked by the territorial unification of the Spainish Kingdom by the Catholic Monarchs, by the floods of gold coming from the newly discovered America, by the ascension of the Habsburg dynasty to the Spanish throne, and by the expansion of the realm to the Empire where the Sun never sets.
All singers and instrumentalists are welcome to join (violin, viola da gamba, recorders/wind instruments, plucked strings, percussion, harpsichord). Precise programme will be tailored to the actual participants and will include pieces by Luis de Narváez, Diego Ortiz, Pedro Guerrero, Andrea Falconiero, Stefano Landi, Codex Trujillo and Andrea Falconiero.
The workshop is tentatively planned to take place in the second half of the week. (6., 9.-12. 8., performance in the concert on 12. 8.).
Planned duration: 15 teaching units (approx. 5 x 120 minutes).
Improvisation – Davide Monti, Marian Friedl
The basics of historical improvisation on historical harmonic schemes and their further elaboration in the form of rhythmic variations will be complemented by a layer of free improvisation and self-expression. The course offers a unique meeting with two improvising personalities.
Borders as inspiration, limit and challenge! What boundaries do we face in music and does knowing them perfectly make us freer to express ourselves? Do we need any boundaries at all, or is it better not to limit ourselves and create absolutely free music? Does it even exist, or is it just us playing for ourselves? But if music doesn’t communicate with another, is it music? Under what circumstances does music communicate in such a way that it makes us cross boundaries between people, cultures, space and time? These and many other questions will be asked in an improvisation class in which we will learn about historical boundaries, explore the limits of music and ourselves, and try out different ways of making music in real time.
The workshop is tentatively planned to take place in the first half of the week (5.-8.8., performance in the concert on 8.8. or 9.8.).
Planned duration: 16 teaching units (approx. 4 x 180 minutes).
Castanets workshop – Beatriz Lafont Murcia
For those interested in playing castanets and Spanish music in general. The instructor will introduce, depending on the level of the participants, the basics and advanced techniques of playing this instrument. The lessons will be taught in English.
The workshop is tentatively planned to take place in the first half of the week. Possible performance within El Siglo de Oro concert on 12.8.
Planned duration: 8 teaching units (approx. 4 x 90 minutes).
Renaissance traverso consort – Marta Kratochvílová
Instruments available – consort (STTTB) A=415Hz from the Paris workshop of Ph.-A. Dupré. Repertoire and your own available instruments will be consulted with you in advance.
Planned duration: 10 teaching units (approx. 5 x 90 minutes).
Flute ensemble – Marta Kratochvílová
Ensemble music for all flute players (possibly with other instruments). Repertoire and your available instruments will be consulted with you in advance.
Planned duration: 8 teaching units (approx. 4 x 90 minutes).
Lute and harp consort – Jan Čižmář, Maria Christina Cleary, Cristian Gutiérrez
Workshop focused on ensemble instrumental repertoire for plucked instruments – lutes, guitars and harps. Depending on number of participants the group will be kept together under supervision of one teacher or divided between the individual teachers. The programme will include both Renaissance works from lute sources (Codex Jacobides, Attaignant, Vallet) and Baroque repertoire (Losy, Murcia).
Instruments available for students by prior arrangement.
Planned duration: 10 teaching units (approx. 5 x 90 minutes).
(…and more)
Basic tuition fee 1.980 CZK (ca. 85 EUR) includes
- 8 ensemble / workshop lessons of your choice or
- 4 ensemble / workshop lessons and 1 individual lesson or
- 2 individual lessons
- Free entry to the Opening concert of lecturers and all other concerts within the course
- Possibility of performing at the Final concert of participants (in accordance with the lecturer)
Duration of one teaching unit (lesson): at least 40 minutes.
Number of teaching units within the ensemble (workshop) are determined for each class individually. We are planning your participation in all lessons and performances of the ensemble of your choice. Exceptions are possible upon agreement with the teacher.
Additional lessons on top of the basic tuition fee:
- 990 CZK (ca. 42,50 EUR) for 1 individual lesson
- 250 CZK (ca. 10,70 EUR) for 1 lesson of ensemble / workshop of your choice
Discount of 20% from the price of additional lessons ordered on top of the basic tuition fee is available for students up to 26 and for members of the Czech Lute Society (discounts may be combined).
We also offer scholarships for those in need in the form of discounts or additional lessons. Feel free to contact us if you think you might be eligible.
Passive participants can follow the lessons in any of the classes and have free access to concerts and lectures – all within the price of the basic tuition fee.
TEACHING DAYS: August 5 – 12, 2023
Arrival is recommended on 4 August 2023 (classes start on 5 August), departure on 13 August 2023 (after the final concert on 12 August an afterparty is expected).
Opening of the ensemble classes will depend on sufficient number of participants. Repertoire for ensembles will be specified by the lecturers well in advance.
Lessons will take place in the stylish baroque château in Kunín (Kunewald, “the little Moravian Mirabell”, 1726–1734). Facebook profile of Kunín château
5. 8. 2023, 7 p.m., Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Kunín – concert of teachers
9. 8. 2023, 6 p.m., Kunín château – concert of participants
12.8.2023, 5 p.m., Kunín château – final concert
In addition to these concerts in Kunín, there will be other concerts in the vicinity, at which lecturers and participants of the courses will perform:
10. 8. 2023, 7 p.m. Raduň château
11. 8. 2023, 7 p.m. Vizovice château
The final concert on 12 August 2023 will be a part of the concert series Musica Harrachiana.
ACCOMMODATION:
We are offering accommodation in two dormitories of the University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, rather modest housings with 3 to 6 beds in one room. If possible, we will try to avoid occupying the rooms fully. Sanitary facilities are in the corridor, there is access to little kitchen.
Price per person / per night: 260 CZK (ca. 11,20 EUR).
We can also recommend you other accommodation possibilities in the area, but they are usually within driving or cycling distance.
MEALS:
Restaurant “U Dobré hraběnky” right in the Kunín château www.dobrahrabenka.cz.
Breakfast: buffets: 115 CZK (ca. 5 EUR)
Lunch: soup + choice of 3 main dishes: 140,- CZK (ca. 6 EUR)
Dinner: choice of 3 main dishes: 135,- CZK (ca. 5,80 EUR)
(Accommodation at the dormitory + full board: 650,- Kč (ca. 28 EUR) per person/day.)
Meals will be ordered in advance from the menu that will be sent to participants after the registration of the application form.
Payment for accommodation and meals is added to the course fee.
Please complete the online aplication form below or fill in the pdf version and send it to musacad@email.cz. After we receive your application, you will receive the calculation and payment information from us. The application is considered binding after receiving your payment, no later than July 13, 2023. For better course planning, we welcome payment of the fee as soon as possible.
In the case of cancelling the courses from our side organiser, all the fees will be returned. Cancellation fee in case of cancellation from your side is normally 40% of the payment for the course fee and accommodation (the payment for the board is fully refundable). However we are treating every situation separately.
The event is organised by:
HUDEBNÍ LAHŮDKY, z. s.
Kociánka 69/25b, CZ-612 00 Brno, IČO: 22719458
e-mail: kontakt@hudebnilahudky.cz, web: www.hudebnilahudky.cz
Contact e-mail for information about courses: musacad@email.cz
Bank details (fees for the summer courses): Fio banka, a.s., Praha, BIC: FIOBCZPPXXX
account in CZK: 2000181883/2010 IBAN: CZ6020100000002000181883
account in EUR: IBAN: CZ2220100000002600181887
and
ČESKÁ LOUTNOVÁ SPOLEČNOST, z. s.
Kociánka 69/25b, CZ-612 00 Brno, IČO: 07090188
e-mail: info@lute.cz, web: www.lute.cz, Facebook: lute.cz