Northampton Community College
3835 Green Pond Rd
Bethlehem, PA 18020
United States
Saskia Coolen and Hsuan-Wen Chen, co-directors
Baroque Academy will run during the first week of the Amherst Early Music Festival
August 7-14, 2022
Bethlehem, PA, at Northampton Community College
Audition due date: May 1, 2022
Tuition $675
Baroque Academy at the Amherst Early Music Festival offers high-level, immersion classes for Baroque strings, winds, and voice. Students work closely with internationally renowned faculty members to expand their knowledge of Baroque style, ornamentation, and repertoire. Chamber music ensembles and Baroque orchestra work through the week in preparation for performances. Pitch for Baroque Academy is A=415.
Baroque Academy Instrumentalists have an intensive all-day program of master classes, chamber ensembles, oboe band, topic classes, and the opera orchestra. Work closely with extraordinary artists on Baroque style, ornamentation, and technique, Baroque ensemble, dynamics, basso continuo, and more. Opera orchestra musicians should plan to arrive on Sunday, August 6 for afternoon orchestra rehearsal, exact time tba.
Baroque Academy Daily Schedule: 9:00 Master classes, 11:00 Chamber ensembles, 1:30 String orchestra, Oboe band, Topic classes, 3:30 Baroque opera, Vocal Soloists Rehearsals. Opera Dress Rehearsal: Thursday evening, August 11, after the Faculty Concert.
Baroque Academy Audition Information
To apply for Baroque Academy, please submit the following through our audition portal. Due dates are April 1, 2026 for singers, and April 15, 2026 for instrumentalists.
- $30 audition fee
- Instrumentalists should include a resume or brief description summarizing your musical background and experience, including formal and informal training and education along with 10-15 minutes of music showing your technique, expression, and understanding of Baroque style. The piece(s) need not be accompanied. Please include composer and title information with your submission.
- Singers auditioning for the Baroque Opera Project should provide unedited video or audio of you performing two contrasting arias, one of which is a high baroque aria (e.g., Handel, Vivaldi) with fast passage-work and its opening recit if available. If you have a third selection that you would like for us to consider, you may include it. One sample should be in Italian, and all samples recorded within the past two years. Please include a publicity photo, bio/resumé describing music and stage experience and link to website if applicable.
