Choir directors, intermediate level (or above) composition students, musicians with a diploma in the vocal disciplines, those pursuing a voice-related diploma, and pianists with experience related to voice and/or choir may participate in the Course.

The Great Choral Frescoes of the Twentieth Century
From Hindemith’s Chansons on Rilke to Berio’s Cries of London, from Gregorian chants of Pizzetti’s Requiem, or ancient sacred forms in the A.M.D.G. by Britten, up to the hymn to freedom Figure humaine by Poulenc based on Eluard, but also love in song in the Four Songs of Love by Sven-David Sandström or in the Five Hebrew Love Songs by Eric Whitacre, the choral music of the twentieth century has investigated the timbre and formal multiplicity of choral music. This research has opened new expressive avenues and led to the creation of great choral compositions, true vocal frescoes that will be studied during the course thanks to the collaboration with one of the most important professional choirs on the Italian scene, the Choir of the Siena Cathedral “Guido Chigi Saracini”.

The Course will be organized as follows:

• morning: practical lessons, theory, and exercises with the choir;
• afternoon: practical lessons with the choir.

At the end of the afternoon lessons, all students (active and auditors) will attend rehearsals of the following compositions:

Johannes Brahms Warum ist das Licht gegeben? op. 74 n. 1
Morton Feldman Rothko Chapel
Luigi Nono Sarà dolce tacere
Luigi Nono ¿Donde estás hermano?
Igor Stravinskij Les noces
Carlo Gesualdo da Venosa, Claudio Monteverdi, Heinrich Schütz Madrigali

The entrance examination will be exclusively by video audition. Candidates must submit both of the following:

1. A video of a rehearsal on repertoire of their choice from 5-10 minutes in length.
2. A video of the execution of a piece for choir a cappella.

The lessons will cover the following repertoire:

• Luciano Berio Cries of London version for 8 voices
• Benjamin Britten A.M.D.G. for choir of 4/8 voices 
• Paul Hindemith Six Chansons for choir of 4 voices
• Ildebrando Pizzetti Requiem for choir of 4/6/12 voices
• Francis Poulenc Figure humaine for double choir
• Sven-David Sandström Four Songs of Love for choir of 6/12 voices 
• Einojuhani Rautavaara Suite de Lorca for choir of 4/8 voices