Who can apply?
Dates and times
Part-time participation
Facitlites
Tutors
Fees
Come and spend a unique week in a Carmelite Monastery in Drachten (the Netherlands) from 11 – 18 August 2019 and experience the power of teamwork. What is offered? Chamber music (with intensive coaching), a high-level project orchestra for Beethoven’s 6th symphony, choral workshops, concerts.
One visit to the Apollo Summer Academy will make you want to come back.
Who can apply?
Apollo Summer Academy courses are offered at various levels (A, B & C) in order to provide students with an optimal challenge at their own level. The Summer Academy is open to individual participants and pre-existing ensembles alike.
All ensembles will be categorized and their scores sent to them in advance. The participants are expected to prepare their parts before attending the course.
A. Conservatory students or highly advanced amateurs:
- Have complete technical mastery of their parts at the start of the course and have studied the score.
- Classes will completely focus on interpretation and ensemble playing.
B. Highly advanced amateurs:
- Have mastery of their parts at the start of the course.
- Classes will focus on ensemble playing, intonation and interpretation.
C. Advanced amateurs:
- Have studied their parts before the start of the course.
- Classes will focus on technical skills, rhythm and intonation, ensemble playing and interpretation.
Typical schedule
There will be three sessions a day:
- Chamber music groups
- Recorder consort led by Robert de Bree (several pieces around the theme Pastorale)
- Orchestra session (Beethoven, 6th symphony led by David Rabinovich)
- Choral session (Schütz – motet “Stehe auf meine Freundin”) led by Marion Boshuizen.
Please indicate on the application which session you want to join.
We apply modern tuning (a1 440 Hz) , Baroque tuning (a1 415 Hz) and Classical tuning (a1 430 Hz).
The Beethoven Orchestra will use modern instruments and is primarily intended for A or B level students.
Dates and times
The Apollo Summer Academy opens its doors on Sunday the 11th of August 2019. The day schedule is as follows:
First session
09:15 – 10:45 Orchestra / Chamber music
Second session
11:15 – 12:45 Choir/ Chamber Music
Lunch 13:00 – 13:45
Third session
14:00 – 15:30 Recorder Consort / Chamber Music
Individual classes, free initiatives
16:00 – 17:30
Dinner 18:00
Part-time participation
Most applicants subscribe to the full course. If this is a bit too demanding, you can also apply for individual parts of the curriculum:
- Beethoven orchestra only
- recorder consort only
- choral sessions only
- one or two sessions a day
On Friday, all ensembles will perform before one another in a students’ concert. On Saturday and Sunday concerts will be open to the public.
Want to join the Beethoven orchestra?
Click here for further details
Want to join the choir?
Look for more information soon
Facilities
The Apollo Summer Academy takes place in Drachten (the Netherlands), in a former Carmelite Monastery. This monastery boasts a lovely chapel, various rehearsal rooms, study areas and neat and clean single and double bedrooms. It is, of course, also possible to book your accommodation at a local B&B or campsite.
Address Karmelklooster: Burgemeester Wuiteweg 162, 9203 KP Drachten
Fees
Participants up to the age of 18 and conservatory students
- course (incl. lunch and dinner) € 400,00
- course & full board (double room) € 525,00
Participants from the age of 19
- course (incl. lunch and dinner) € 525,00
- course & full board (double room) € 650,00
- course & full board (single room) € 750,00
Insurance: participants are personally responsible for taking out any required instrument insurance and cancellation insurance.
The Riet Foundation (Rietfonds) can provide financial support to one or two students who are unable to fully pay the fees themselves.
Deadline for the application is 1 May 2019
Fees for part-time Summer Academy attendance
Only want to participate in the orchestra project, the recorder consort or the choir?
There will be 1.5 hour rehearsals every day. On Saturday, there will be a dress rehearsal and a concert. The final concert is on Sunday (late in the morning).
Fees: € 105,- per person – per session, for the whole week; meals, evening activities and individual lessons excluded.
Ludwig van Beethoven’s sixth symphony is rehearsed and conducted by David Rabinovich. We are looking for good string players and wind players (A or B level). Choir members preferably have some choir experience and are requested to rehearse their parts. The recorder consort participants must have level A or B.
Other options include: participation in one or two chamber music sessions every day or a combination of orchestra/choir/consort activities.
The Summer Academy does not facilitate in-house overnight accommodation for part-time participants.
Tutors
The highly motivated team of tutors has a wide experience with chamber music from different style periods. They are renowned players of both modern and period instruments and members of international ensembles and orchestras. They have fed the Apollo Ensemble with their expertise and will share their knowledge with the students during the Summer Academy period.
David Rabinovich, violin & conductor of the Beethoven orchestra After all these years of teaching at the Apollo Summer Academy, I have come to realize that the most important thing for me is the process. How, after the chaos of the first day, when people struggle to find the right notes and fight hard with their instruments, they gradually come to realize that there is somebody in the room with them, who contributes something very relevant to their fight. That’s the moment when the struggling stops and the music starts. I think this is the most important thing in life: That there is somebody in the room for you.
Catherine Manson, violin Playing chamber music is a way to enter the most personal realms of thought of the great composers. Exploring this music is a lifelong adventure and a large part of my life is devoted to helping others find their way into this wonderland.
Cassandra Luckhardt, cello The Apollo Summer Academy 2018 will be my 8th season of teaching at this inspiring, energizing week of music-making. Musicians of all levels and ages come with just one priority — to make music together while learning. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to teach alongside such talented colleagues where everyone wants to create the best atmosphere possible while continuing to push our students to limits they didn’t know they could reach. Because we work, eat and sleep in the same building, the week allows us to get to know each other in a very personal way; rather than working with a student a few hours, we spend an entire week together, playing and discussing not only music but life. The Beethoven symphony that many students work on gives some an experience of orchestra playing that they have never had before while other ensembles work intensively on a duo, investigating every nuance of the piece and of interpretation. In short, it is a highlight of my year and I’m already looking forward to the next one!
Robert de Bree, recorder, oboe
15 years ago I came to the Apollo Summer Academy for the first time as a student. I kept coming, because of the intoxicating mix of fantastic staff, the family-like feeling with the other students and the unique way of dealing with chamber music.
Now, all these years later, I feel honoured to be able to join the course once again, as a teacher. I have always loved teaching, because learning to me is the currency of life. In teaching I try to bring together my experiences from my versatile life, from improvisation to theatre to learning Hungarian, the Sheng and of course, learning from my students, be they 4 or 84.
Eric Hoeprich, clarinet I look forward to teaching at the Apollo Summer Academy and particularly to working with clarinet players of all ages and types. My special interest is the history of the instrument and its repertoire – not to mention playing techniques and interesting players from the past. I hope to meet likeminded musicians and have the opportunity to share our knowledge and insights.
Stefan Blonk, horn The Apollo ‘summer of music’ is the ideal opportunity to play chamber music with likeminded people. The ambiance in Drachten is very inspiring, instructive and great fun. I will certainly enjoy working with my wonderful colleagues on the team of tutors. I am joining the Academy for the third time and especially look forward to meeting you, the students. Will we form a wind octet this year? Or play the Dvorak Serenade? Or a mighty piece with eight horns? There is no end to my plans.
Thomas Oltheten, bassoon Our Summer Academy: tutors and students working very hard and with great results! It is not only the performances themselves, but the resonance of it all – throughout the year, across the country: the ensemble playing, the number of initiatives, the inspired audiences. It generates enough energy for yet another edition of the Apollo Summer Academy!
Marion Boshuizen, harpsichord, piano, choir project Playing chamber music is quite an intense form of musical communication. You need to listen to, react to, trust and accept one another, in order to come to a resounding result. I really want to get across the passion I feel for this music and share my experience. The Apollo Summer Academy is the perfect opportunity to do so, because of the intensive support and guidance it provides.