Retreats are extended Master Classes where participants enjoy the benefits of several days of total immersion in music in a quiet place where they can leave the distractions of the world behind and focus uninterrupted on their playing.
The retreat days are organized so that there is time for individual practice and ensemble rehearsal before and after the Master Class sessions.
In the Master Classes participants benefit from an open coaching session – a halfway house between private coaching and a public performance. It also gives them an opportunity to learn from hearing others being coached.
Participants should come with the works they wish to play well prepared in advance in order to gain the maximum benefit from the coaching sessions. The four and five day retreats culminate in a concert open to the public. This gives participants an opportunity to reap the benefit of the time spent in retreat – participation in the concert, however, is optional and up to the individual or ensemble.
| 9:00 – 11:00 | Free practice or rehearsal |
| 11:00 – 11:30 | Tea or coffee break |
| 11:30 – 1:30 | Master Class |
| 1:30 – 2:15 | Lunch |
| 2:15 – 4:00 | Free for practice or rehearsal |
| 4:00 – 6:00 | Master Class |
| 6:30 – 8:00 | Dinner and discussion |
Meals are communal and offer a good opportunity for discussion with other participants and the coach.
Note: Most retreats cover a wide spectrum of chamber music, from the 17th through the 19th and 20th centuries. However, certain retreats are designated for Baroque and Classical performance only. For these period instruments are desirable, but not required.