Course description

During the four-day masterclass dedicated to European music of the 16th and 17th centuries, participants are granted the opportunity to work with a team of internationally renowned leaders in Early Music. The course consists of two individual lessons (each of 45 minutes), in addition to a strong emphasis on ensemble playing. The purpose of this course is to both develop performance and chamber music skills, as well as to function as the selection procedure and preparation for possible participation in the concerts of the European Hanseatic Ensemble in the following year.

“Open masterclass”: should you have time, you can observe other lessons. This means that other students from the course may also listen to your lessons. The masterclasses however are not open to the public.

Sheet music: should you be invited to participate in the course, please send us (digital) copies of the pieces that you will play in your individual lessons so that we can forward them to the teachers and accompanists in advance. Sheet music for ensemble sessions will be made available online to participants in advance.

Pitch: a = 466 Hz, ¼-comma meantone

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Ensembleprobe in der Synagoge Lübeck, Meisterkurse 2021, © Foppe Schut
Ensemble rehearsal in the synagogue Lübeck, Masterclasses 2021, © Foppe Schut

Solo classes for voice, baroque violin, viola da gamba, cornetto and baroque trombone

As preparation for a possible participation in the concerts of the European Hanseatic Ensemble, both your individual lessons should closely resemble a real performance situation. You will therefore in principle be accompanied by a participant from the organ continuo class or from the lute class. In the viola da gamba class, emphasis is placed on consort playing.

Please note that the keyboard instruments are tuned in meantone temperament (¼-comma), therefore some keys cannot be played. Keys such as A sharp or D flat are not available.

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Continuo classes for lute/theorbo

In preparation for potential participation in the European Hanseatic Ensemble, we offer a variety of continuo playing experiences during the course.

Therefore, the focus of your two individual lessons should be on continuo work. Please indicate in your application the works for which you will be preparing the continuo part.

In addition to your individual lessons, you will accompany participants of the solo classes during their lessons. Furthermore, in some of your ensemble sessions there will be supervision and guidance from Joachim Held. You will receive the sheet music for these sessions in advance, and you may of course also work on these pieces during your individual lessons.

During your individual lessons, Joachim Held can also comment on your solo repertoire, which you are welcome to bring up if needed and when the opportunity arises; however, the focus should clearly be on continuo playing.

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Organ Class

Individual lessons

In preparation for your possible participation in the European Hanseatic Ensemble, we would like to provide you with a wide range of experiences during the course, particularly in continuo playing. In two 45-minute individual lessons, you can work on a continuo repertoire of your own choice or on works that we will send you approximately four weeks before the course to prepare.

In one of the two individual lessons, we would like to offer you the opportunity to get to know a larger historical organ instrument in Lübeck or the surrounding region. In recent years, we have had access to

The teachers would like to work with you on both continuo repertoire and solo repertoire on these historic organs.

The second individual lesson usually takes place on a single-manual instrument without pedals.

To do justice to both aspects, we ask you to prepare the following repertoire for the masterclasses:

  • Two works for solo organ (including at least one work to be performed manualiter)
  • two continuo parts (including at least one multi-choir composition)

Continuo lessons of the solo classes

In addition, you will accompany participants of the solo classes during their individual lessons. In some of these lessons, your lecturers will be on hand to advise you (supervision). You will receive the sheet music for this in advance, and you can of course also work on these pieces in your individual lessons.

Single-manual chest organs without pedals and some with a short octave are available for this purpose.

Ensemble lessons

Furthermore, an important focus of the course is playing in mixed ensembles. We will provide you with sheet music for the ensemble work in good time before the course begins so that you can prepare.

The ensemble lessons usually take place on chest organs.

Cooperation with the Arp Schnitger Academy in Gothenburg

Our cooperation with the Gothenburg International Organ Academy allows us to focus our work on the use of large organ instruments for continuo playing, in keeping with historical practice. The changed conditions (greater sound volume and variety, as well as greater spatial distances in the galleries) that we will encounter on our concert tour in autumn 2027 require intensive experience with this practice. We therefore strongly recommend that applicants also take advantage of the Arp Schnitger Academy in Gothenburg (2–7 August 2026).

There will be two tracks in the ASA academy: one for experienced organ players including pedaliter solo repertoire by the north German masters, and another for early keyboard players (with less organ experience) including mainly manualiter early keyboard repertoire. Both tracks are going to include clavichord playing and continuo playing on the world´s largest organ in Schnitger style (four manuals and pedal, quarter-comma meantone temperament and subsemitones: d#/e-flat; g#/a-flat; and b-flat/a#) and ensemble workshops with a singer and/or instrumentalist. The academy concludes with a participant’s concert. Teachers: Hans Davidsson, Andreas Edlund a.o.

Applicants who are accepted to participate in our masterclasses will attend in Gothenburg at a reduced price of € 150. Applicants who wish to participate in our autumn tour to Groningen and Gothenburg in 2027 must first participate in the Arp Schnitger Academy (either in 2026 or 2027) in Gothenburg (the costs will be reimbursed to ensemble participants after the concert tour). In order to get to know the historical organs in eastern Sweden, we also recommend participation in the subsequent Schiörlin Academy (9–12 August 2026). Teachers: Hans Davidsson, David Löfgren, Camille Bloche, among others.

The focus of this academy will be the unique, completely preserved, late 18th-century organs by Pehr Schiörlin, designed primarily as continuo instruments, with a rich array of sonorities (two manuals and pedal) and well-tempered temperaments.

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