Baroque Academy

July 6-13, 2014

Directed by Saskia Coolen

Music of France and the Low Countries

The Amherst Baroque Academy is a program for advanced amateur, pre-professional, and professional singers and instrumentalists who wish to deepen their understanding of Baroque music and style in a dynamic workshop setting.

Dutch recorder virtuoso Saskia Coolen leads the Baroque Academy this year. As co-director of the ensemble Camerata Trajectina, Saskia has years of experience with wonderful Dutch repertoire. This will be a highlight of the chamber music ensembles this year as students get an in-depth experience with composers such as Hacquart, Hollanders, Schuyt, Sweelinck, and Verrijt. The opera project will be Jean-Philippe Rameau's opera Les indes Galantes. The opera orchestra will include strings, oboes, flutes, bassoons, and harpsichords.

Faculty

Aisslinn Nosky, Baroque violin

Sarah Freiberg, Baroque cello

Sarah Cunningham, viol

Julianne Baird, voice

Saskia Coolen, recorder

Geoffrey Burgess, Baroque oboe

Na'ama Lion, Baroque flute

Wouter Verschuren, Baroque bassoon

Arthur Haas and Peter Sykes, harpsichord

Master classes are taught by renowned performers. Ensemble sessions, special topic classes, presentations, and the opera tutti rehearsal complete the schedule. Pitch is a=415. Singers may audition for either the opera project: Rameau's "Les Indes Galantes," to be performed on Friday, July 11, or the chamber music program, which includes a performance on Saturday, July 12.

Baroque Academy faculty members will perform a concert on Thursday, July 10.

Monday through Friday schedule

9:00-10:30 a.m. Master classes

11:00-12:30 Chamber music ensembles or opera rehearsal (singers)

1:45-3:00 Vocal master class, string orchestra, oboe band, topic classes

3:30-4:45 Opera tutti rehearsal, vocal topic class, recorder topic class

Thursday 7:30 p.m. BA Faculty Concert; 9:30 p.m. Opera Dress Rehearsal. Full cast and orchestra.

Friday 8:00 Baroque Opera: Les Indes Galantes by J.P. Rameau

Saturday 1:00 Baroque Academy student concert

Singers who are cast in the opera begin rehearsals on Saturday, July 5, in the afternoon. Early rehearsals will include work on gesture, movement, and French pronunciation.

There will be a rehearsal for the opera orchestra in the afternoon on Sunday, July 6, followed by a tutti read-through of the piece.

Amherst Early Music