Summer Course

N.B. The registration period for the 2009 summer school has begun and will close on the 31st of May 2009. As the participants are mainly chosen by the order of registration, being quick is a good way to ensure your place on the course!

Early Music Summer Course at Lärkkulla College, Karjaa, Finland, 20st to 26th July 2009

The Helsinki Early Music Summer Course is available to all interested in early music. There are no formal skill requirements, just an understanding of the basic skills of the instrument is sufficient. Students of all ages are welcome but the course is not recommended for very young children, as the participants should be able to independently plan and follow their daily schedule.

Instructors and Instruments

This year tuition will be offered for the folowing instruments: violin, violoncello, viol (viola da gamba), recorder, flauto traverso, renaissance reeds and lutes. In case you do not find your instrument in the list, please contact the organizers. And, goes without saying, singing is also on of the course subjects.

Petra Aminoff Petra Aminoff / traverso: The class will study the flauto traverso playing. Also this year the course is tutored by Petra Aminoff.

Minna Kangas

Minna Kangas / violin: The participants will be initiated into the secrets of baroque violin (violin, viola, viola d'amore...) playing. Bringing a baroque violin is not a prerequisite to the course, but having one will help to get more of the course.

Leif Karlson Leif Karlson / lutes, mediaeval ensembles: The class will study solo and ensemble playing, and continuo playing. Continuo students can accompany the singing class and other instrumentalists. Everyone (regardless of instrument) interested in playing mediaeval music is welcome to Leif's mediaeval ensamble.

Veikko Kiiver Veikko Kiiver (Sweden) / singing: The class will study both solo and ensemble singing of early music. Vocal music from the middle ages to baroque is covered.

Elina Mustonen Elina Mustonen / harpsichord: The class focuses on the style and techniques of the harpsichord as well as for students who are interested in playing the continuo. There will be plenty of opportunities to train continuo playing together both with singers and with other instruments.

Pekka Silén Pekka Silén / recorder: The class includes solo and ensemble playing. It covers the music from the middle ages to today. There will be both private and group lessons. The group lessons focus on recorder technique and improvisation. Class participants are asked to prepare some solo and/or chamber music pieces in advance.

Bernhard Stilz Bernhard Stilz (Germany) / early reeds: Bernhard is a specialist on all sorts of early reed instruments from shawms to crumhorns. And, as goes without saying, there will be a lot of reedmaking going on, as well. (If you are interested in playing slightly less early reeds, i.e. the baroque oboe, please contact the course organizers!)

Veli-Markus Tapio Markus Tapio / viola da gamba: Tuition will be given in solo and consort playing. It is also to be noted that the gamba players are going to be of great demand for various mixed ensembles.

The list of instruments is not complete, for example the lute instructor will teach theorbo playing, as well. If you are interested in studying early music instruments not listed above, please contact us, we will try to arrange tuition.

Registration

You can register onto the course by filling in the registration form and sending it to the Lärkkulla College. There are two different registration forms, one for singers and another for instrumentalists. The courses will be mainly filled by the registration order, so if you send your registration as early as possible, you will have the best chances to be accepted to the course. The registration cloases on the 31st of May.

In case you have difficulties printing the registration form, please contat Lärkkulla.

You can receive private tuition on one instrument, but you may play other instruments in ensembles.

If we cannot offer tuition in your instrument, we will contact you to find out if there is something we can do about this.

Location

Lärkkulla college is situated on the outskirts of the town of Karjaa in Southwest Finland, approximately 120 km west from Helsinki. The facilities are ideal for music-making and outdoor recreation.

Lärkkulla College
Lärkkullavägen 22
FI-10300 Karjaa
FINLAND
tel. +358 19 27 57 200
fax. +358 19 27 57 251

Course Fee

The course fee includes meals and accommodation. The fee depends on the accommodation type:

The registration fee of 100 € is payable before the course, and rest of the course fee after the course.

If you need to arrive early, it is possible to spend the night before the course (Sunday-Monday) at the college for a small extra fee.

More information

There is more information about the course in the course brochure (PDF file, approximately 130 kB). The brochure available at the moment is two years old (don't look at the dates!) but the practical arrangements are essentially the same.

If you have any further questions, mail us. You may also call Armi Temmes (+358 50 598 7661) for more information.

Some music played by the summer course participants is available on our music download page.

Helsinki Early Music Society, Lärkkulla College