21th INTERNATIONAL MASTERCLASS and CONCERT FOR CONDUCTORS
with maestro MARTIN AKERWALL and CAMERATA BELGRADE
Sunday 29 June - Saturday 5 July 2025
The venue takes place in Belgrade, Serbia
Application deadline 31 May 2025
Enjoy 1450 minutes active-time including 140 minutes podium-time conducting Camerata Belgrade chamber orchestra. With six symphonic masterpieces of the classical romantic main repertoire we invite you to an intense week where you can sharpen your conducting technique and strengthen your understanding of yourself as a conductor in a non-competitive atmosphere.
All participants will conduct the Camerata Belgrade chamber orchestra at the final concert that takes place in Belgrade Philharmonic Concert Hall. The concert are part of the Serbian Danish Music Festival 2025.
During the week practical methods of score analyzing, psychological aspects of orchestral conducting, rhetoric communication and rehearsal techniques will be lectured. The masterclass also includes a workshop in building, achieve and retain long lasting goals in your life and career as a conductor.
Next to the orchestral rehearsals the core of the masterclass are sessions including conducting technique, individual video analysis, personal coaching with maestro Akerwall and group-evaluations with open discussions about anything related to the impressions of the day in class, interpretation or any other topic related to you as a conductor.
The masterclass starts every morning with open-air warm-up training in Conductors-Body-Mind-Coordination (CBMC). A combination of Yoga and conducting exercises that enhances synchronization of your mind and body in conducting. We are pleased that these exercises are always popular with the participants, also because they prove to be extremely effective.
All orchestral sessions are recorded on video. The masterclass has no age-limit or level-limit and allows the participation of 6 -12 conductors.
The masterclass takes place in center of Belgrade at Dr Vojislav Vučković Music School Kondina 6, Belgrade, Serbia.
Finally, we encourage you not to miss the opportunity to explore Belgrade City, known as the small version of Berlin and New York City. While you conduct Camerata Belgrade chamberorchestra enjoy your stay at the peak of the Serbian summer in one of the most exciting beautiful, adventurous and audacious cities in Europe with its art nouveau masterpieces, and remnants of the Habsburg legacy contrast with Ottoman relics.
Repertoire for the masterclass is divided into two groups. It is mandatory to choose repertoire from both groups. From Repertoire A You should as a minimum prepare one of the symphonies. In Repertoire B the minimum are two movements from the same symphony. However, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the entire repertoire in order to get the most out of the masterclass.
REPERTOIRE A
[repertoire will be anounced later]
[repertoire will be anounced later]
[repertoire will be anounced later]
REPERTOIRE B
[repertoire will be anounced later]
[repertoire will be anounced later]
[repertoire will be anounced later]
Martin Akerwall has been awarded with several nordic prizes and has regularly worked with symphony orchestras in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, USA, France, Singapore, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Martin Akerwall began his career at German opera houses as Principal Conductor before he held conducting positions at Bern State Opera in Switzerland, The Royal Danish Theater and The Finnish Opera.
Akerwall has given masterclasses in USA, Finland, Latvia, Bulgaria, Serbia and Denmark. His teaching is rooted in the Finnish conducting tradition. His understanding and acquisition of the Finnish conducting style became decisive as student of Jorma Panula in 1988-1991 at the Sibelius Academy. Further influence received Akerwall through his acquaintance with Esa Pekka Salonen, Pierre Boulez and Dimitri Kitajenko.
Martin Akerwall is a dynamic teacher. He works with the student’s individual skills and improvement from a broad range of approaches. He has a master in NLP, Hypnosis and Leadership. His professional experience, psychological insight parred with his musical comprehensive and effective conducting technique makes his teaching extended, individualized, nuanced and differentiated.
Milan Milisavljević participated in one of Martin Akerwall´s masterclasses. On this video he shares his impression of Akerwall and his teaching.
Considered one of the leading violists of today, Milisavljević is Principal Viola with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in New York. Besides his activity as soloist he teaches at masterclasses and is part of the faculty for viola at Mannes School of Music. Milisavljević participated in one of Martin Akerwall´s masterclasses.
The Camerata Belgrade (CB) is a Belgrade-based chamber orchestra founded in 2018 with Martin Akerwall as principal conductor. The orchestra consists of leading musicians from Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, Serbian Radio Symphonyorchestra, National Opera Orchestra and the elite of young musicians in Belgrade.
The Camerata Belgrade shares the culture and vision of being an active and supportive part of the masterclasses for conductors. The Camerata Belgrade and maestro Akerwall strongly believes that true development of conductors only takes place through honest knowledge-sharing dialogue between the orchestra, the maestro and the conductors participating in the masterclass. Conductors who have participated in our courses have found this culture both stimulating and encouraging.
The Belgrade Camerata also performs at the Serbian Danish Music Festival that takes place in Belgrade Serbia in July.
Saturday 28 June
Arrival
Sunday 29 June
09.00 – 10.30 Welcome & Opening of the masterclass
10.30 – 12.00 Lecture I - Perspectives of communication
13.00 - 14.30 Lecture II - Score analysis
14.30 – 17.45 Conducting session: Entire repertoire
18.00 – 20.00 Conducting technique / Conductors-Body-Mind-Coordination (CBMC)
Monday 30 June
08.30 – 09.15 Warm up – Conducting Technique / (CBMC)
09.30 – 13.00 Orchestral rehearsal with orchestra : Repertoire A
14.00 – 17.30 Orchestral rehearsal with orchestra : Repertoire A
18.00 – 19.00 Conducting session
19.00 – 20.00 Evaluation
Tuesday 1 July
08.30 – 09.15 Warm Up – Conducting Technique / (CBMC)
09.30 – 13.00 Orchestral rehearsal with orchestra : Repertoire A
14.00 – 16.00 Video analysis
16.15 – 17.15 Conducting session
17.30 – 19.00 Lecture III - Your Life & Career as a conductor
19.00 – 20.00 Evaluation
Wednesday 2 July
08.30 – 09.15 Warm Up – Conducting Technique / (CBMC)
09.30 – 13.00 Orchestral rehearsal with orchestra: Repertoire B
14.00 – 17.30 Orchestral rehearsal with orchestra: Repertoire B
18.00 – 19.00 Conducting session
19.00 – 20.00 Evaluation
Thursday 3 July
08.30 – 09.15 Warm Up – Conducting Technique
09.30 – 13.00 Orchestral rehearsal with orchestra: Repertoire B
14.00 – 17.30 Orchestral rehearsal with orchester: Repertoire A and B (without score)
18.00 – 20.00 Video analysis
Friday 4 July
08.30 – 09.15 Warm Up – Conducting Technique
09.30 – 13.00 Orchestral rehearsal with orchester: Concert repertoire
14.00 – 16.20 Dress rehearsal with orchestra: Concert repertoire
17.00 – 18.00 Evaluation
Saturday 5 July
09.00 – 12.00 Video analysis
17.00 Concert
19.00 Dinner and closure of the masterclass
Active Participation € 1550
Semi-active € 550
Active participation in conducting-technique sessions
Active participation in Conductors-Body-Mind-Coordination (CBMC) sessions.
Passive attendance in all other activities.
Visitor € 5 (per day)
Passive attendance in orchestral rehearsals (See daily schedule)
Payment via PayPal or bank.
PAYPAL
Due to administration please be aware of the extra fee of €55 when paying with PayPal.
BANK TRANSFER
Name of bank JYSKE BANK
Account holder ORCHESTRAL CONDUCTORS ACADEMY I/
Account number 5050-0001575802
Iban DK0550500001575802
Bic/Swift code JYBADKKK
Bank address VESTERBROGADE 9, 1780 COPENHAGEN V, DENMARK
Your application will be processed within a few days. Applications are accepted successively. When you have been accepted your place are not guaranteed before you transfer the participation fee.
Orchestral Conductors Academy (OCA) reserves the right to changes in the program at any time without notice. The masterclass is financed entirely on the fee from the participants and demands a minimum of 6 participants. In case you cancel your participation your fee is refundable only before the deadline which is 31 May 2024. In case OCA cancels the masterclass, OCA will refund paid fee at any time. Any additional costs such as flight, etc. will not be refunded.
Copyright©2024
