Fall Workshop 2008, Oxford UK

featuring Members of the Albion Ensemble

Sunday, Sept. 28 to Thursday, October 2, 2008

Registration will take place at St Edmund Hall, Oxford University, on Sunday September 28 from 11.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Sunday afternoon will be spent playing in uncoached organized ensembles, followed that evening with a cash bar social to get to know each other. Monday, September 29, through Thursday, October 2, will be spent playing in coached ensembles. Departure is after breakfast on Friday, October 3.

Where is the workshop?

St. Edmund Hall of Oxford University. This college traces its history back to the academic halls of the thirteenth century, and is one of the oldest institutions in Oxford University. It has a small, intimate Front Quadrangle, surrounded by buildings that date from the seventeenth century. We shall use rooms and halls dating from this period as well as the newest buildings in the college.

There will be a free afternoon during the workshop for sightseeing in this historic city. There is also an excellent music shop for sheet music, books and CDs.

Please see the separate page for advice on travelling internationally with musical instruments to the workshop.

Who are the coaches?

Members of the Albion Ensemble, the leading UK wind ensemble, will coach the workshop, principally Angela Malsbury, clarinet, George Caird, oboe and Michael Cox, flute.

Who can attend?

The instrumentation will be Flutes, Oboes, Clarinets, Bassoons and Horns. There will be two resident piano accompanists.

Is this workshop right for me?

This workshop is for advanced or intermediate amateur players. We ask all applicants who have not attended a previous Kammermusik Workshop to complete the KMW self-grading questionnaire so that we can select participants and assign appropriate music. If you've been before but have improved since then, feel free to take the test again! If you haven't been before, you may, if you wish, send us a recording and/or a reference from a teacher (see the questionnaire for details); however, this is not essential.

What will happen each day?

The programme will be distinct from our existing winter and summer workshops, which focus on Harmoniemusik, Baroque ensembles and wind quintets. In the Oxford workshop, we shall play a mixture of large and small group music. Each day, one large group will play works such as Mozart Gran Partitta or a large Strauss wind work, while the remainder of the participants will play in trios or quartets with or without a piano, or piano quintets or sextets. An extensive library will be available of such works. Groups will change each day. There will be some time in the evenings for informal pick-up groups. Players are encouraged to bring any music that they specially want to play.

We are also hoping to arrange evening masterclasses for clarinets, horns and flutes, to follow on from the very successful classes we have had for bassoons, oboes and baroque flute in the last year. These will be optional extras.

Can I bring a guest?

Of course. Your guests are welcome to observe the workshop sessions and to attend the concert for free.

How much will it cost?

Here is the table of costs:

Arrangements may be made (in advance) for bringing a guest to occasional meals.

All the rooms will be in the college, close to the music, dining and social activities. Please note that though all rooms have washbasins, bathrooms in college accommodations are usually shared. There are a few twin rooms with bathrooms, which will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. Rooms may be reserved for extra days before the workshop, but it will not be possible to stay in college accommodation after the workshop since students are returning that weekend.

College accommodation must be booked through Kammermusik, but non-resident players are welcome and you may also make independent arrangements for accommodation.

Please note that charges and payments for the UK workshop are in pounds sterling. For the last few months the exchange rate has been roughly £1 = $2. PayPal may be used to send money conveniently from the US to the UK, and a PayPal account will be set up in April to permit this. You may also make independent arrangements for transferring money to the UK through your bank, Western Union, sterling travellers' checks etc. UK account holders may pay by UK cheque or cash as well as by PayPal.

What if I cannot afford it?

We have a limited financial aid program which allows us to award a few "scholarships" up to £250. To apply, please write to the President and explain why you need a scholarship.

How do I register?

Complete the online registration form by Saturday, 28 June, 2008. Registration will open on 25 February.

We plan to have roughly balanced numbers of US and UK participants. Applications for registration applications open immediately, but applicants who have attended a Kammermusik workshop before will have priority in acceptance until 10 March, 2008.

Registration will be confirmed once you are accepted for the workshop and have paid a deposit of £100. The balance may be sent in advance or paid at the workshop. You may cancel your reservation up to July 31, 2008 and will obtain a full refund of any payments. Cancellations on or after August 1, 2008 will forfeit the deposit.

What if I have questions?

After you are accepted into the workshop, you will be given an account on the private Members' page, which will give more information nearer the time of the workshop. You also may contact the Workshop Director by email if you have any other questions.

Privacy Notice

This is your formal notice under privacy and data protection regulations that information that you submit to Kammermusik Workshps will be kept on a computer database on behalf of Kammermusik Workshops, Inc. and will not be shared with any other groups or forwarded to third parties without your express permission.

Sponsorship

This program has been made possible through the generosity of ACMP - The Chamber Music Network, and the Clinton B. Ford Fund of its ACMP Foundation, an organization that promotes chamber music activities for amateur musicians.

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This page updated February 25, 2008