CHAMBER MUSIC ACADEMY
The Kammermusik Akademie Vitznau (KMAV – Vitznau Chamber Music Academy) is a pioneering promotion scheme for gifted musicians.
Our international participants are young people who are already thinking about their futures, both personal and musical.
The KMAV scholarship programme is aimed at instrumentalists who want to explore the vast array of possibilities open to them in our diverse modern world and to understand the impact of these possibilities on the musical realm.
The Academy takes the form of nine group sessions, spread across a period of two years. So, rather than a string of occasional masterclasses, the programme offers a sustained, long-term commitment.
VISION
Our vision is to convey a holistic approach in order to prepare them for the challenges of the unknown future of Western art music. Using the very latest techniques, we aim to help them build a solid and holistic state of mind for their future development.
REPERTOIRE
The repertoire for each individual programme block is selected and taught by one or more members of our faculty. These blocks will not necessarily focus on a certain style or a particular epoch; rather, they will be a result of the artistic vision and experience of the paticular tutor.
CONTENT
In addition to having a specific repertoire, each course block addresses one of the following themes: aesthetic reflection; how the music business works; and staying healthy.
Health problems, both physical and mental, often start as a reaction to pain or stress. The KMAV introduces programme participants to preventative techniques and processes such as breath control, mental practice, physiotherapy, and yoga
SOFT SKILLS
For musicians nowadays, mastery of their instrument is no longer enough in itself. Other qualities are also needed: they must be good communicators, who are capable of reflective thought, and they must be flexible, innovative, and well-organised. This is why the KMAV places great importance on addressing these soft skill areas.
The near future will certainly pose new challenges. At the KMAV we see these not so much as obstacles to be overcome, but more as opportunities, and we make sure that our course participants are aware and well-prepared.
Over the course of the programme, participants will gain a better understanding of, and greater control over, a range of issues.
These include: managing daily practice; generating a sense of flow when playing with others; understanding the interaction between artist and audience; and dealing with — as well as preventing — stage fright and pain.
SIDE PROGRAMME
Collective physical activities outdoors, visits to cultural events and guest presentations are part of the course structure, as is spare time which can be organized freely to practice or unwind.
2022 – 2024 applications now open!
The application phase is over. For viola and cello there is an extension until April 17th 2022
Application details
APPLICATION BROCHURE (De/En)
CONTACT
Martin Baumgartner
Project management education
Faculty
The repertoire for each individual programme block is selected and taught by one or more members of our faculty. These blocks will not necessarily focus on a certain style or a particular epoch; rather, they will be a result of the artistic vision and experience of the paticular tutor.
Our coaches are selected based on their strong desire to share and pass on their experience, knowledge and creative processes, in addition to their outstanding artistic abilities.
Rachel Koblyakov (Violin) will attend and assist every course block in order to monitor the development of each individual participant closely.
Francesco Dillon - Violoncello Francesco Dillon - Violoncello
As a soloist and chamber musician, Italian cellist Francesco Dillon can look back on a significant international career. His intensive solo activity has taken him to the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, the Konzerthaus Vienna, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Berlin Philharmonie, Jordan Hall in Boston and the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, among others.
He has worked with orchestras such as the Orchestra Nazionale della RAI, SWR Radio Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart, Orquesta Estable del Teatro Colon, Ensemble Resonanz, Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra and the Oulu Sinfonia Finlandia. In 2014 he gave his highly acclaimed debut with the La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra in Milan, conducted by Susanna Mälkki.He is one of the founders of Quartetto Prometeo, an internationally renowned chamber music ensemble that has received numerous awards (Prague Spring, ARD Munich, Bordeaux). Francesco is also a permanent member of the Alter Ego ensemble which is regularly invited to perform at major contemporary music festivals around the world.
His experience and wide range of repertoire make him a sought-after teacher. Francesco teaches at institutions such as the Royal College of Music in London, the Scuola di musica di Fiesole, the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, University of the Pacific in California, Untref-Buenos Aires and Manchester University.
He became the artistic director of the contemporary music festival Music@villaromana in Florence in 2010 and has directed the Castelcello Festival in Brunnenburg (South Tyrol) since 2019.
His experience, the vastness of his repertoire and his ability to convey artistic concepts from the root will guarantee our participants an ideal start into their chamber music academy adventure.Mariano Chiacchiarini – Conductor Mariano Chiacchiarini – Conductor
Awarded the ECHO Music Prize, the German Record Critics’ Award and the KONEX Prize Music, Argentine-born Mariano Chiacchiarini won first prize at the Teatro Colón Conducting Competition in his hometown of Buenos Aires at the age of only 25. He has worked regularly with renowned formations such as the WDR Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, the Lucerne Festival Academy & Alumni, the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Ensemble Modern and the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Argentina (Buenos Aires) ever since.
Invitations have taken him to the world’s leading concert halls and festivals such as the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Philharmonie Köln, Donaueschinger Musiktage, Schleswig-Holstein Musikfestival, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra or the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall Moscow.
Integrating classical repertoire, contemporary music and genre-crossing programs comes naturally to Mariano. Just as effortlessly, he uses his skills as a communicator in addition to his abilities as a conductor to create a musical experience that is successful for all participants.
For the Chamber Music Academy Vitznau, Mariano will use his stylistic versatility and experience in ensemble conducting to work with the young musicians on matters beyond ensemble playing, such as musical teamwork, soft skills and integration.Tim Lefebvre – E-Bass Tim Lefebvre – E-Bass
Throughout his wide-ranging career, Tim Lefebvre has earned a reputation as one of the world’s most innovative bassists. Hailing from Foxboo, USA, the bassist’s creative playing style is a captivating blend of jazz improvisations, rock undertones and electronic grooves that can be heard on over 150 recordings, from Grammy-winning albums like David Bowie’s Blackstar to soundtracks of film classics like The Departed.
From 2013 to 2018, Tim was a member of the dynamic blues rock ensemble Tedeschi Trucks Band. He has collaborated with artists such as Uri Caine, Chris Botti and Leni Stern.
Based in Tucson (AZ), Tim is currently playing in numerous constellations, including jazz fusion guitarist Wayne Krantz, the improvising free jazz group Whose Hat Is This? and his Blackstar bandmate Donny McCaslin. In addition, he regularly collaborates with fellow musicians such as Chris Potter, Jon Batiste and the band Stay Human. His self-produced projects include When It Falls (2018) with singer-songwriter Rachel Eckroth, The Garden (2021) and XXXX by Wollny Parisien Lefebvre Lillinger.
Due to his versatility, openness and last but not least his non-academic vita, Tim is the ideal coach for non-classical classes for the Chamber Music Academy Vitznau.Garth Knox - Viola & Viola d’amore Garth Knox - Viola & Viola d’amore
Irish-born Garth Knox studied at the Royal College of Music in London with Frederick Riddle and soon won several prizes for viola and chamber music. After graduating, he performed extensive repertoire ranging from Baroque to New Music with almost all of the leading ensembles in London.
In 1983 Pierre Boulez invited him to become a member of the Ensemble Intercontemporain in Paris, where he was later offered opportunities to perform both as a soloist and playing chamber music.
In 1990 he became a member of the renowned Arditti Quartet and performed in all major concert halls of the world. He worked closely with leading contemporary composers, performing premieres of works by Ligeti, Kurtag, Berio, Xenakis, Lachenmann, Cage, Feldmann and Stockhausen (the famous “Helicopter Quartet”).
In 1998 Garth left the quartet to concentrate on his solo career. As a soloist, he has premiered pieces by various composers, including Henze (who dedicated the Viola Sonata to him), Ligeti, Schnittke, Ferneyhough, James Dillon, and George Benjamin.
Most recently, Garth has appeared in concerts in Cologne, Brussels, Vienna, and Paris, and has recorded for WDR in Germany. Together with Tabea Zimmermann he premiered the composition for two violas by Péter Eötvös. In addition, he has also dedicated himself intensively to the viola d’amore, discovering its possibilities for new music – with and without electronics.Garth lives in Paris, where he devotes himself entirely to his solo career. He performs as a soloist with orchestra, in chamber music formations and as a soloist throughout Europe, the USA and Japan.
Laura Pou – Flute Laura Pou – Flute
Laura Pou studied flute with Magdalena Martínez and Júlia Gállego and baroque flute with Marc Hantaï at ESMuC in her native Barcelona. Supported by scholarships from “Anna Riera”, the Spanish Council and Ibercaja, she continued her studies at Trinity College of Music in London with Wissam Boustany and Emer McDonough.
In 2009, she was selected for the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s “Foyle Future Firsts” program, where she worked with the orchestra for a year and was mentored by conductors Jaime Martín and Stewart McIlwham, as well as principal conductor Valdimir Jurowsky.
She discovered her passion for ensemble playing at a young age and was a member of various youth orchestras such as JONC, Orquesta Presjovem, Britten Pears Orchestra and Conjunt XXI! She has collaborated with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Camerata Bern, Les Dissonances, Ensemble Resonanz, National Orchestra of Spain and Diaghilev Festival Orchestra. She also collaborated with artists such as the David Oistrakh string Quartet or with the pianist Alexander Melnikov.
In 2011 she was appointed principal flutist of MusicAeterna by conductor Teodor Currentzis, with whom she has performed on the most important international stages.
The musicians of MusicAeterna fuse professionalism, uncompromising passion and an outstanding energy on stage in a way that is unique to this orchestra. Working with the Chamber Music Academy Vitznau, Laura can draw from her vast experience and offer participants an insight into her attitude towards, approach to and findings from many audition situationsAlex Lipowski – Percussion Alex Lipowski – Percussion
Alex Lipowski is the founder of the Talea Ensemble in New York and a passionate exponent of new music. He has performed on numerous concert stages in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, at festivals such as the Lucerne Festival, Lincoln Center Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, Saalfelden International Jazz Festival, Jerusalem Chamber Music Festival, and Salzburg Festival, and has played in ensembles such as the SEM Ensemble, Aspen Contemporary Ensemble and Wet Ink Ensemble.
As a soloist and chamber musician, he has collaborated with composers such as Helmut Lachenmann, Brian Ferneyhough, Georges Aperghis, Pierluigi Billone, and John Zorn.
Alex graduated from the Juilliard School in New York and has since given guest lectures at the University of Virginia Commonwealth, Denver State College, and UNICAMP in São Paulo, Brazil.
He has been a Lucerne Festival Contemporary Leader since 2020, and since 2021 Alex is a member of Klangforum Wien.
Béatrice Martin – Harpsichord Béatrice Martin – Harpsichord
French harpsichordist Béatrice Martin studied with significant figures such as Christiane Jaccottet in Geneva and Kenneth Gilbert and Christophe Rousset at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris. In 1998, she was awarded the first prize at the Bruges International Harpsichord Competition, a distinction previously held only by masters like Scott Ross and Christophe Rousset.
Béatrice has given master classes at numerous early music festivals, including Ambronay, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Printemps Baroque du Sablon, the Folles Journées in Nantes, MA Festivals in Bruges, Early Music Festival Utrecht and the Early Music Festival London. On the concert stage, Béatrice regularly performs with ensembles such as Les Arts Florissants, Les Talens Lyriques, Le Concert Spirituel and the Ricercar Consort. She has performed recitals at the Théâtre du Châtelets, Opéra Comique and Cité de la Musique in Paris.
In 2000 Béatrice founded the baroque ensemble Les Folies Françoises together with violinist and concertmaster Patrick Cohën-Akenine. In addition, she is interested in 20th century music and regularly devotes her concerts to works of Poulenc, Martinů, Wanek, Carter and Ligeti.
Béatrice teaches at the Escola Superior de Mùsica de Catalunya in Barcelona, at the Académie Baroque d’Orléans and at the Juilliard School of Music in New York. She was a jury member of the International Harpsichord Competition in Bruges in 2011 and 2015.Rachel Koblyakov – Violin & Steady Coach Rachel Koblyakov – Violin & Steady Coach
Violinist Rachel Koblyakov performs regularly as a soloist and chamber musician throughout Europe and overseas. She performs both classical and newly composed music in world-renowned halls such as the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, the Philharmonie de Paris, the KKL Luzern or as part of the Printemps des Arts Festival in Monte-Carlo or in the USA. She made her debut as a soloist at the age of 12 with the Central Illinois Youth Orchestra. Since then, she has performed with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France under the baton of Pierre-André Valade, the Hofer Symphoniker, the Aeon Ensemble New York and the Ukho Ensemble Kyiv under Luigi Gaggero, among others.
Rachel is committed to investigating and nurturing new compositions, which is why she regularly works with renowned composers such as Wolfgang Rihm, Matthias Pintscher, Stefano Gervasoni, Samuel Andreyev, and Stuart Saunders Smith, and as a guest with various new music ensembles, including Ensemble Modern and Ensemble Intercontemporain.
Since 2016, she has been the soloist and first violinist of the Ukho Ensemble Kyiv (Ukraine) and has performed numerous premieres of new works, many of which were written specifically for the ensemble.
Her musical training includes degrees from the Juilliard School of Music, New York as a full scholarship student of Ronald Copes, and two artist diplomas from the Conservatoire Supérieur National de Musique de Paris, one focusing on classical violin repertoire, the other specializing in contemporary music.
At the Chamber Music Academy Vitznau, Rachel holds the position of Steady Coach and accompanies the participants in each course block on site. She observes them and reflects with them on their long-term development.