On Monday June 23, 19:30 hours, the sixth and last concert of the annual Folkwang Early Music Concert Series will take place at the usual venue of the splendid Chamber music hall at Campus Duisburg of Folkwang University (Düsseldorfer Str. 19, 47051 Duisburg). Tickets can be ordered via Folkwang Ticket Hotline (+49 2014903-231) or per email (karten@folkwang-uni.de).
This summer, I will be conducting two masterclasses about performance practice of Italian Renaissance Music. Weimar (Germany) is the place to be from 18-23 July, followed by a second stage on location, 7-12 September in Vicenza (Italy). Concerts are planned in Weimar, Vicenza and Venice. Together with illustrious specialists such as Bernd Niedecken (historical dance) and Alberto Allegrezza (singing, gesture and theater), I will be focusing on 16th century polyphonic madrigals that were written by composers that are linked to Vicenza, for instance Maddalena Casulana, Ippolito Chamaterò, Leone Leoni, Jan (Giovanni) Nasco and, ofcourse, Nicola Vicentino. These workshops are part of an innovative annual cycle that aims to integrate performance practice with historical dance, gesture, poetry and theater. The lessons and concerts will take place in beautiful period architecture, as for instance the historic ballroom 'Schiesshaus' (Weimar), designed by Goethe after Italian models, and Andrea Palladio's (very first!) villa Godi-Malinverni (Vicenza). And, last but certainly not least, the course fees are kept very friendly indeed! You can check out all details and apply here.
The annual concertseries 'Sound-landscape Prignitz' will kick off on saturday March 22nd. The events, lasting all spring and summer, highlight different locations in the Prignitz region of Germany (near Berlin), and promise to be as exciting as ever. On Friday July 11, I will be contributing a program dedicated to the songs and motets of the Renaissance composer Gregor Lange, who was born in the neighboring town of Havelberg. Already highly esteemed by his contemporaries, his reputation reached well into the 19th century. Curious to discover (t)his special music? For more information, click this link.
On Monday May 19th, 19:30 hours, the fifth concert of the annual Folkwang Early Music Concert Series will take place at the usual venue of the splendid Chamber music hall at Campus Duisburg of Folkwang University (Düsseldorfer Str. 19, 47051 Duisburg). Tickets can be ordered via Folkwang Ticket Hotline (+49 2014903-231) or per email (karten@folkwang-uni.de).
On Monday April 28, 19:30 hours, the fourth concert of the annual Folkwang Early Music Concert Series will take place at the usual venue of the splendid Chamber music hall at Campus Duisburg of Folkwang University (Düsseldorfer Str. 19, 47051 Duisburg). Tickets can be ordered via Folkwang Ticket Hotline (+49 2014903-231) or per email (karten@folkwang-uni.de).
On Friday 25 April, 19:30 hours, I will perform a solo concerto by J.S. Bach (arrangement of BWV 1032) and Bach's own adaptation for harpsichord (BWV 1057) of his beloved fourth Brandenburg Concerto. Playing along with me is the ensemble Folkwang Barock, directed by the wonderful violinist Midori Seiler. Previous to the concert, at 18:00 hours, the eminent Bach-connoisseur Prof. Dr. Michael Maul (Leipzig) will share his views on various aspects of the program. The event is part of Focus Bach, an exciting annual festival that takes place in Duisburg in the spring. Tickets can be ordered via Folkwang Ticket Hotline (+49 2014903-231) or per email (karten@folkwang-uni.de).
On February 19, our annual Festival Focus Bach will kick off at Folkwang University (Campus Duisburg), with concerts, lectures and workshops around J.S. Bach, offered by renowned experts such as Nigel North, Christian Rieger, Midori Seiler, Andreas Gilger and Emma Williams. All events are open to the public, mostly even free of costs! Full program can be viewed here.
Applications for admission to my class at Folkwang University of the Arts (Essen/Duisburg) in Wintersemester 2025/26 should be submitted before March 15, 2025. Requirements for admission to Bachelor program you find here, and for the Master program here. For the specialization Master Early Music, the requirements are found here. Please, feel free to contact me for further information and/or a (free) try-out lesson!
On Tuesday January 28, 19:30 hours, the third concert of the annual Folkwang Early Music Concert Series will take place at the usual venue of the splendid Chamber music hall at Campus Duisburg of Folkwang University (Düsseldorfer Str. 19, 47051 Duisburg). Tickets can be ordered via Folkwang Ticket Hotline (+49 2014903-231) or per email (karten@folkwang-uni.de).
During a two-day workshop (18 & 19 January 2025) with the baroque violin class of Midori Seiler at Folkwang University- Campus Duisburg, we will devote our attention to the six sonatas for solo violin and basso continuo by Giovanni Battista Fontana (1589-1630). These exquisite pieces were posthumously published in 1642, and belong to the earliest compositions ever written for solo violin and basso. More info about this workshop you can find here.