Choral Workshop

Kent Tritle, director

July 9-16, 2023

Muhlenberg College
2400 Chew Street
Allentown, PA 18104
United States

Tuition:
$695

Come sing with us! 

The Choral Workshop will run week two of the Amherst Early Music Festival

Repertoire will include two pieces by Henry Purcell:  Welcome to All the Pleasures, the first of three Odes for St. Cecilia's Day and Funeral Sentences, and by G.F. Handel, the Chandos Anthem: My song shall be always.

Spend a week with highly-acclaimed conductor Kent Tritle and experience the joy of choral singing. The Choral Workshop is designed to give the serious amateur choral singer an opportunity to learn and perform masterworks of the Renaissance and Baroque, within the context of the largest early music festival in the United States.

Choral Workshop faculty: Kent Tritle, Director, Mark Hanke, assistant, with section leaders Anna Lenti, Phillip Cheah, Stephen Biegner, and Peter Stewart.

For 2023: TO APPLY: Please send a recording of a vocalization of your choice demonstrating the bottom to top of your vocal range along with a 16 bar excerpt from recent repertoire that you have performed. This can be with or without accompaniment, a solo piece, or your part in a choral work. Send by email to Click here to show mail address along with a short resume of your choral experience, and current choral affiliations. Include last 2-3 years of repertoire, major works, and early music that you have performed. *If you auditioned for Choral Workshop in 2019 or 2022 you do not need to audition again for 2023. If you auditioned in 2018 you will need to audition again for 2023, unless you are a current member of the Oratorio Society of New York.


There are many YouTube videos and online information on how to make a voice recording using a mobile phone.
Need help? Give us a call! +1-781-488-3337

New to the Festival? Fear not! Our open and inviting atmosphere will make you feel at home right away.

Image
The 2019 Choral Workshop

Faculty

Kent
Tritle **
Voice
Anna
Lenti **
Voice
Stephen
Biegner **
Voice
Phillip
Cheah **
Voice
Peter
Stewart **
Voice

Festival FAQs

TRAVEL
Muhlenberg College
2400 Chew Street, Allentown, PA
Closest Airport: Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE)
Approximately 7 miles from the Muhlenberg campus.
Trans-Bridge Lines offers service from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in NYC, and Newark Airport to the Allentown Transportation Center, 603 Linden Street, Allentown, PA (2.3 miles from campus)
Greyhound offers service from Philadelphia to the Allentown Transportation Center.

MEALS
The meal card is $227 and covers one week of meals starting with dinner on July 2, (July 9 for week 2) thru breakfast on July 9, (July 16 for week 2). A la carte meal prices are $10 / $13.50 / $16.75 for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

ROOMS
All rooms and classrooms are air-conditioned. Basic linens (sheets, pillow, and towels) are included. Beds are twin, extra long.

 

Scholarships & Work-Study

Work-Study

All participants are welcome to apply for tuition assistance through AEM's Work-Study program. Please fill out the work study application form to apply. Notice of awards will be sent in late May. Questions about Work-Study can be sent to Click here to show mail address.

AEM Scholarships

To apply for AEM scholarships, send a one-page letter to Marilyn Boenau, the Executive Director of AEM, explaining your interest in early music or dance, your goal in attending the Festival, and your financial need. Email to Click here to show mail address.

The Washington McClain Scholarship Fund honors the memory of Baroque oboist and Amherst Early Music faculty member Washington McClain. It will fund scholarships for students who have historically been underrepresented in the early music field, including African-American, Latinx, and others. Awards will cover tuition, room and board, and travel and may be used for any in-person AEM event, particularly the Amherst Early Music Festival. To apply send a letter of inquiry to Click here to show mail address, with information about your interest in early music or dance.

In addition to scholarships, AEM offers work study tuition to all of our workshops, and the Amherst Early Music Festival. Work study is an option for students of any age.

Other Organizations

American Recorder Society offers scholarships to recorder players for Weekend Workshops as well as Summer Festivals. Any ARS member who needs financial assistance to attend a weekend or week-long workshop may apply for this scholarship. Deadline: May 15.

Lute Society of America scholarships include full tuition, room & board, and some travel. Due Date May 1

Early Music America offers scholarships to help students attend early music and historical performance workshops in North America. Applications due April 17, 2023.

Viola da Gamba Society of America offers Grants-in-Aid to its members to attend Workshops and Masterclasses.

The Historical Keyboard Society of North America has established the Funaro Fund Award to support its members to offset the cost of traveling to an early keyboard event. 

COVID-19 Policy

Rapid testing is required to attend the Festival. All participants, faculty, and staff will take three tests: on the day before arrival, day of arrival, and mid-week. Two-week people will test on the weekend of July 8-9 and mid-week in the second week. Bring an extra test in case more testing is needed.

Masking is optional. AEM reserves the right to require masking if conditions change.

Vaccinations and boosters are encouraged but not required. Anyone with symptoms, or feeling unwell should notify us immediately, and not attend any classes or events. Self evaluation: Before coming to the Festival if you are experiencing symptoms that may indicate Covid, regardless of test results, DO NOT COME. Notify us right away. Anyone who tests positive for Covid at the Festival will be moved to a room in an isolated wing, and have cafeteria meals delivered, or could leave campus.

The Festival is a congregate living environment where we live, play music and dance together for several days. Our main approach to preventing Covid will be testing, and, like last year, we need everyone to test and to let us know if they experience symptoms.

(Updated May 12, 2023)