
Stift Musical Encounters 2019

April 2019 will see the first edition of Stift Music Encounters, a residential course in solo and chamber performance taking place in and around Stift in Weerselo, Holland.
This six-day course has been formed as an extension of the annual Stiftfestival, which will see its fifteenth edition in August 2019. The advent of Stift Musical Encounters builds on the success of the summer festival, founded in 2005 by Artistic Director (and Tashmina Artist) Daniel Rowland, and which has grown to become one of Europe’s leading chamber music festivals.
The concept of Stift Musical Encounters is a mixture of individual classes and intensive chamber music sessions, side by side with the ‘faculty’ of internationally-renowned chamber musicians. The morning will be dedicated to one-on-one tuition and after the communal lunch the focus will be on chamber music, with coaching sessions and rehearsals well into the evenings. The tuition and performances will take place in the beautiful 15th century Stiftkerk and adjacent Stiftschool.
The course will take place from 11-16 April, including concerts on the first and last days by both participants and faculty members. Selected participants will also join the Strijkersdag (Strings Day) on 14th April, a festive day for (very) young string players from all around Twente, where they will participate in mini-masterclasses and a concert.
A full schedule for Stift Musical Encounters can be seen on this page.
The faculty will comprise the following musicians:
Daniel Rowland, violin
Vladimir Mendelssohn, viola
Maja Bogdanovic, cello
Nino Gvetadze, piano
Thorsten Johanns, clarinet
Individual musicians as well as existing duos, trios and quartets are invited to apply for a place on Stift Musical Encounters.
The participation fee is one of the lowest of its kind, at 300€ (or 250€ for those applying with a trio or quartet). The price includes accommodation with host families and communal meals for the duration of the course.
The application deadline is 20th March, and applications should be emailed to Tobias Behnke on productie@stiftfestival.com.

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