Altalena Summer Academy
16th - 21st August 2025
Colle di Val d'Elsa, Tuscany
Altalena Summer Academy provides top-level music education in a welcoming, non-competitive environment. Curated by the musicians and visionaries of Altalena’s core team, the Summer Academy invites world-renowned professors and artists to work intensively with the talented participants.
The academy is dedicated to shaping the next generation of musicians through a holistic approach to their artistry. In addition to exceptional specialised education, we engage students in the importance of well-being, providing vital tools for sustaining good health. We believe that lasting success on-stage is built upon a healthy, balanced foundation off-stage.
Christopher Elton
Josephine Knight
Fabrice PIERRE
István Varga
Nicholas Walker
Active participation
SOLOISTS and CHAMBER GROUPS
What we offer:
For your musical development:
- 4 lessons with your chosen professor, each 60 minutes
- Minimum 3 hours practice a day per person or per group.
- Performing opportunity in our evening concert series
- Certificate of attendance of the XII. Altalena Summer Academy and Music Festival
- Seminar on how to prepare and apply to EU and US music universities
For your mind, body and soul:
- How science can help musicians optimize their practice and perform better? held by Julien Gaudiniére pianist
- Health and wellbeing related seminar aiming to give tools for a healthier lifestyle while perusing a musical career
- !SHARE! — optional group sessions with students and Altalena Staff where we create an environment for peaceful minds: from playing a piece of music that is
really meaningful for you for any reason, sharing any challenges and difficulties that you are seeking solutions for, or sharing anything you believe can be helpful for fellow musicians, to any moment of happiness or sorrow you want to share with the Altalena community is welcome at these free, accepting, non-judgemental community sessions - Discounted massage on spot with Swedish masseur, Borbála Balog
- Morning yoga together with Barbara
- Sport activities
- Group visit to the beautiful Diborrato waterfall (don’t forget to bring your swimming suit/pants)
- Group visit to San Gimignano where you can try world-champion ice cream and see one of the most beautiful scenery of the Tuscan landscape
Age limit: 13-35
If you are younger but meet the level required for our professional masterclass, please contact Barbara at barbara@altalena.eu, and we will consider your application.
Package option for EU students and chamber groups
Information
What we offer:
- All above mentioned
- Stay at the Convento (centre of the masterclass) in very simple, student-home-like rooms (2-4 people/room), or at host families nearby
The academy reserves the right to allocate students according to availability
- Transfers to/from Poggibonsi/San Gimignano station
Timetable of transfers will be set by the academy on the 15th (arrival date) and on the 22nd (leaving date) of August
IMPROVISATION WORKSHOP FOR CLASSICAL MUSICIANS
Course lecturers:
Stefania Scapin
Angelo Petraglia
The improvisation workshop is aimed at classical musicians with a solid technical and expressive knowledge of their instrument. The lessons, which will be collective, will take the form of a research space on performance practice in the area of improvisation. Students will be provided with a method for learning to listen to and recognize the musical material that will be part of the extemporaneous compositional process, with the aim of building and directing the creative process in a nonidiomatic way, that is, without pre-existing musical models and styles.
The workshop aims to provide the student with effective tools to develop conscious listening – of oneself and others – in order to build a musical action in balance and dialogue with the thematic figures and expressions proposed by the group (from duo to small ensemble). Particular attention will in fact be paid to the musical interaction of the group in the improvised musical dialogue, which will lay its syntactic and morphological foundations on a precise technical-expressive grammar.
The workshop will take place over about 12 hours, divided into four days of lessons and a final performance by the entire group of students, together with the teachers, during the evening concerts of the Altalena Academy.
Cost of the course
95 euros per person
Application deadlines
10th May – Early bird applications
15th June – Regular applications
15th July – Late applications
Full amount of the course fee is due on your selected date above.
Get in touch: barbara@altalena.eu
Prices
Active participation
Soloists
Early bird: 650 EUR / 10th February – 10th May
Regular: 700 EUR / 11th May – 15th June
Late: 750 EUR / 16th June – 15th July
Registration fee: 100 EUR — to be paid when submitting the application form
Package option for EU students / Soloists
Early bird: 950 EUR / 10th February – 10th May
Regular: 1000 EUR / 11th May – 15th June
Late: 1100 EUR / 16th June – 15th July
Registration fee / discounted: 70 EUR — to be paid when submitting the application form.
Chamber groups
Duo participation: 750 EUR — with package deal 1100 EUR.
Trio participation: 850 EUR — with package deal 1250 EUR.
Quartet participation: 950 EUR — with package deal 1350 EUR.
Registration fee: 150 EUR.
Our package options including accommodation are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. After receiving your application, we will inform you of the available options. However, we recommend checking with us in advance for the most up-to-date availability. (barbara@altalena.eu)
Optional scholarship funds will be available after the application deadline, and we will make every effort to support your participation. To be considered, please include a video link and your CV with your application.
Passive participation:
220 EUR / person
Be part of all activities offered by the summer academy’
- Listen to masterclasses
- Come to our concerts
- Join our classes and seminars
BANK DETAILS
Please transfer your registration fee together with your application to the following bank account:
Name of Bank:
MKB BANK Zrt.
Name of Organization:
MusicAli Nonprofit Kft
IBAN:
HU70 1030 0002 1065 7878 4882 0019
Payment reference: name and instrument, + ‘Altalena course donation’
If you request an invoice, please write to: barbara@altalena.eu
Regarding the course fee and payment due dates, please refer to application deadlines.
Accomodation For Participants
If you are not registering with the package option, you are responsible to book your own accommodation.
Colle di Val d’Elsa is built on a hill, with the Summer Academy activities taking place in Colle Alta, the upper part of the town.
If you are arranging your own accommodation, please ensure it is in a manageable location so you won’t be too exhausted from walking uphill in the heat.
If you apply with our package option, we will assist in arranging your accommodation.
Our recommendation:
EXTRAS for active AND passive participants
Music
- Extra instrumental solo lesson with Altalena Summer Academy professors: 120 EUR / person / 60’
- Improvisation classes (4) with Stefania Scapin and Angelo Petraglia 95 EUR / person.
- Extra instrumental solo lesson with Altalena Artists Collective musicians: 60 EUR /person / 60’
- Extra chamber music coaching with Altalena Summer Academy professors: 120 EUR / chamber group
Wellbeing
- Discounted massage – more information coming soon
Learning
- English or German language course: 150 EUR / 4 classes
- Both languages: 250 EUR / 3 classes in each language (6 all together)
Logistics
- Siena train station transfer single/return: 40-60 EUR / person
- Florence airport transfer single/return: 50-70 EUR / person
- Pisa airport transfer single/return: 70-90 EUR / person
The transfer schedule is determined by the Summer Academy and will likely
be arranged through a carpooling system.
Altalena Summer School
16th – 21st August 2025
Colle di Val d’Elsa
learn with musicians of the Altalena Artist Collective
Calling the youngest generation to join our inspiring summer school to develop your musical skills, be part of our friendly community and discover the joy of making music in a fun and supportive environment!
From us to you: We are united by music and joined together to share our experiences, passion and values with the next generation. We wish to introduce you to the graduate music world and to connect you with all our involvement to your own, unique musical path.
Application deadline: 15th July
Alexandra Balog
Barbara Toth
Mihály Berecz
Stefania Scapin
Ariel Lanyi
Simone Pirri
Packages and prices:
- 4 solo lessons (30 mins) + 2 ensemble + 3 singing together : 320 EUR
- 2 solo lessons (30 mins) + 2 ensemble + 3 singing together : 250 EUR
- 2 ensemble classes (30 mins) + 3 singing together : 180 EUR
Any extra solo lessons with a member of the Altalena Artists Collective: 40 EUR / lesson (30 mins)
More Activities:
- Singing together with Simone Pirri, Barbara Toth, Rosalia Gutierrez
- Play on concerts if someone has a pieces ready
- Painting and drawing together at the convent and optional other activities
You can choose as many lessons as you want according to our availability
Any extra lesson with summer academy professors (non-beginners only): 70 EUR (30 mins)
We have limited number of places available, so it is best to book in advance.
Please send an email to Barbara with your chosen package.
Any extra queries are welcome, we are flexible to make the best start for this project together in Colle 🇮🇹😍
Email to: barbara@altalena.eu
Campus Estivo 🇮🇹
16-21 agosto 2025
Colle di Val d’Elsa
impara con l’Altalena Artists Collective
Siamo uniti dalla musica e uniti per condividere le nostre esperienze, la nostra passione e i nostri valori con le generazioni a venire. Desideriamo introdurti al mondo della musica classica e accompagnarti con tutto il nostro coinvolgimento nel tuo personale percorso musicale
Scadenza per la presentazione delle domande: 15 luglio
Alexandra Balog
Barbara Toth
Mihály Berecz
Stefania Scapin
Ariel Lanyi
Simone Pirri
Prezzi:
4 lezioni da solista (30 min) + 2 ensemble + 3 cantare insieme: 320 EUR
2 lezioni da solista (30 min) + 2 ensemble + 3 cantare insieme: 250 EUR
2 lezioni d’ensemble (30 min) + 3 cantare insieme: 180 EUR
Eventuali lezioni da solista extra con un membro dell’Altalena Artists Collective: 40 EUR /
lezione (30 min)
Extra:
- Cantare insieme a Simone Pirri, Barbara Toth, Rosalia Gutierrez
- Suonare ai concerti se qualcuno ha dei pezzi pronti
- Dipingere e disegnare insieme e altre attività facoltative al Convento
Puoi scegliere quali e quante lezioni vuoi in base alla disponibilità
Qualsiasi lezione extra con i professori della Summer Academy (solo per non principianti):
70 EUR (30 min)
Abbiamo un numero limitato di posti disponibili, quindi è meglio prenotare in anticipo.
Invia un’e-mail a Barbara con il pacchetto scelto.
Qualsiasi domanda extra è benvenuta, siamo flessibili per iniziare al meglio questo
progetto insieme a Colle 🇮🇹😍
Invia un’e-mail a: barbara@altalena.eu
General Provisions
Photographs and Media Usage: By participating in our courses, both active and passive participants consent to the use of photographs for social media and our homepage, in compliance with applicable data protection and privacy laws.
- Fees: The registration fee is separate from the participation fee and must be paid in addition
- Liability: Participation in our courses is at the participant’s own risk
- Cancellations & Refunds: The registration fee is non-refundable in cases of non-participation. If the course is canceled or a participant is not admitted before June 25th, the course fee will be fully refunded. After June 25th, only 50% of the course fee can be refunded. In the event of force majeure, such as illness or other unforeseen circumstances beyond the participant’s control, please contact us, and we will make every effort to issue a full refund
- Travel Expenses: We do not reimburse travel or cancellation costs
- Changes to Terms: We reserve the right to modify the registration conditions and will inform participants of any changes on time