Share your musical gifts during a week-long intensive early music workshop. Enhance your skills in small classes each day taught by expert instructors with emphasis on improving technique and playing with ensembles – master classes and consort classes. The workshop includes four daily classes, morning exercise/stretches, impromptu group playing, and a daily happy hour. Wednesday includes a free afternoon to explore the beautiful Monterey area, play music, or just relax! There is a faculty concert and at the end of the week participants perform in an orchestra ensemble, then celebrate the last evening with an open mic party.

The workshop 2024 theme is Continental Connections: Exploring the relationships between native composers and émigrés in Italy and Germany from 1300 – 1750 and beyond. Musicians often traveled far from home, going where the work called them. European courts vied for the best composers, singers, and instrumentalists, luring them with competing salaries and prestigious positions. The result? A rich blend of Franco-Flemish with Italian styles, and English and Italian influences on German genres. This year we’ll explore the distinct styles of these countries and the gorgeous new sounds created by contact with “foreign” composers and colleagues.

The workshop takes place at the Hidden Valley Music Seminars, An Institute of the Arts in Carmel Valley, California, nestled amongst oak and buckeye trees below majestic hillsides. Along with our rich opportunities for music making, bird watching, walking, and many other local activities can be enjoyed nearby.

This program is for intermediate to advanced recorder, viola da gamba dulcian, and shawm players. Recorder players must be able to play at least two sizes (at least one F instrument and one C instrument). The dulcian and shawm programs are open by audition. Please contact the workshop director at [email protected] to arrange an online audition.

Registration Deadline: All Road Scholar programs close enrollment 35 days before they start. This means that you MUST register for the Early Music Workshop week #1 through Road Scholar by Saturday September 28th. Road Scholar does not offer any exceptions to this rule.