Fondazione Paolo Grassi

STUDY WORKSHOPS AND WORK-EXPERIENCE:
TECHNIQUE, STYLE, AND PERFORMANCE OF ITALIAN BELCANTO

Martina Franca (Taranto, Italy)
With the collaboration of the Festival della Valle d'Itria

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APPLICATION FORM

STRUCTURE AND AIMS OF THE COURSE

The ‘Accademia del Belcanto “Rodolfo Celletti”’ in Martina Franca is promoted and organised by the ‘Fondazione Paolo Grassi’, in collaboration with the Festival della Valle d'Itria. It was set up in 2010 to provide young lyrical singers with a highly specialised training on the various aspects of vocal technique and performance of Italian Belcanto repertoire (from Monteverdi to proto-Romanticism), comprising of analysis and practice of the various styles of Western music theatre, including expressions of modernity.
The course also includes various practical workshops, applied to specific Belcanto techniques and aesthetics: from seventeenth-century “recitar cantando” to expressions of the Apulian and Neapolitan school; from coloratura techniques to variations in early nineteenth-century Italian Belcanto tradition.
During the 2016 edition of the Festival della Valle d’Itria, students will have the opportunity of gaining specific practical experience, thus enriching their training. They will be guided by great supervisors, prominent interpreters and concert-masters.
The Academy’s programme also includes a module specialising in in-depth analysis of Baroque Belcanto, with prestigious master-classes and valuable one-to-one lessons for young performers with a particular interest in, and inclination towards, this kind of repertoire. This specific, personalised course is enriched with opportunities for practical work experiences during the Festival.

CALENDAR

Fabio Luisi, Music Director of the Accademia del Belcanto e of the Festival della Valle d’Itria will convene the activities of internationally renowned teachers and artists.
For 2016 there will be three study sessions:
• the FIRST SESSION (from the 16th to 24th March 2016) will be preparatory;
• the SECOND SESSION (from the 26th April to the 3rd May 2016) will be dedicated to studying the roles and repertoires to assign;
• the THIRD SESSION (from the 7th to 29th June 2016) will be dedicated to specific study. A selection of students identified as suited for the position will engage in a phase of practical work experience within the 42nd edition of the Festival della Valle d’Itria (www.festivaldellavalleditria.it).

SUBJECTS

The course for the academic year 2016 includes the following subjects:
- At and technique of the recitative
- Art and technique of seventeenth-century vocality
- Art and technique of Belcanto coloratura
- Art and technique of Baroque coloratura
- Art and technique of variation
- Verification of vocal techniques
- Phonetics and diction
- Study of sheet music
- Awareness of breathing dynamics
- Culture and profession of the operatic singer
- Role analysis
- Physiology and hygiene of the instrument
- Style uses: from Baroque to contemporary music vocality
- Workshop: singing, performance practice, study of sheet music, acting
- Performance and style master-class
- Belcanto style master-class

REQUIREMENTS AND ENROLLMENT

Places for this course are limited: admission is subject to selection procedures and restricted to students up to 35 years of age.
There are up to twenty-five places available for this course.
The students who have not passed the selection can still attend training activities as listeners, and they may take the place of selected students in case any should drop out.
Upon admission to the course, non-EU candidates must comply with the requisites of the current legislation, as failing to do so may ultimately result in exclusion from the course.

Priority will be given to candidates possessing:
• a Conservatoire or Musical Institution diploma, or level I or II academic diploma issued by an official music Institution;
• professional experience in the field of opera theatre, through participation in artistically significant operas and concerts, which will be evaluated by the judging panel. The judges’ selection and decision is final.

The selection of the candidates will be based on the presented titles and after an audition, which will be held in one of the following dates/places:

• in Zurich, at the Orchestra Rehearsal Room (Merkurstrasse, 4) on the 14th October 2015 from 10am to 1pm;
• in Milan in collaboration with the Associazione VoceAllOpera (see details below) in the room Dimensione Due (Via Apelle, 2) on the 16th October 2015 (the times will be made available on the website www.voceallopera.com);
• in Martina Franca at the Fondazione Paolo Grassi (the headquarters of the Accademia) on the 9th December 2015 at 10am;
• in Martina Franca at the Fondazione Paolo Grassi (the headquarters of the Accademia) on the 15th March 2016 at 10am.

It is the student’s responsibility to make sure the enrolment to the audition reached the organising administration offices of the Academy at least three days before the selected date:

Details of the convocation for the audition will be communicated directly to the candidates.
Further auditions may take place (under specific request and agreement from the Accademia Directiors) in Milan, Zurich, or other places and dates to be defined at a later stage, but strictly before the 15th March 2016.

The Director has the right to admit to the courses singers who, during ex-tempore competitions or auditions, have shown artistic merit and a particular predisposition towards the Belcanto repertoire.

Applications must be sent (together with a full-figure photograph and an academic and professional CV) to the Fondazione Paolo Grassi, either by post (to the following address: Via Metastasio, 20 - 74015 Martina Franca, (TA), Italy), or online by filling in the application form at the following address: http://www.fondazionepaolograssi.it/registrazione-accademiabelcanto.aspx

Those who will audition in Milan must comply with the enrolment rules specified on the of the website of the Associazione VoceAllOpera all’indrizzo: http://www.voceallopera.com/audizioni/

For the audition, candidates should prepare three operatic arias inclusive of recitative and cabaletta (where applicable) in the original key; one aria must come from early nineteenth-century Italian operatic repertoire. It is advisable, but not compulsory, to also prepare an aria from seventeenth-century repertoire.

The examining Committee has the right to choose whether to listen to the whole or only part of the programme indicated in the application. Medium-difficulty first-sight music reading may also be requested.

For the auditions we will be happy to provide a collaborating maestro for piano accompaniment. It is the candidate’s right to be accompanied on the piano by his/her accompanying maestro, whose expenses are, however, to be paid entirely by the candidate.

The candidate must send a copy of the scores for each piece of his/her programme to the ‘Fondazione Paolo Grassi’ (via e-mail at accademia@fondazionepaolograssi.it), before the date of the audition.

To participate to the PUBLIC AUDITION the candidates must pay a fee of
€ 30,00 (thirty/00) to be sent by banker’s order to the account addressed to the ‘Fondazione Paolo Grassi’, c/o BANCA PROSSIMA, with the following bank details:
• IBAN: IT95 M033 5901 6001 0000 0002 715
• BIC code: BCITITMX
• Reason for payment: “Quota iscrizione selezione Accademia del Belcanto - A.F. 2016”

Admission will not be granted to candidates who have failed to pay the participation fee. If the candidate fails to turn up for the audition, the fee will not be reimbursed.

Those auditioning in Milan must pay the fee to the Associazione VoceAllOpera as specified in the guidelines on the website of the Associazione: http://www.voceallopera.com/audizioni/

Auditions by invitation are exempted from paying the fee.

SUBSCRIPTION FEES AND PAYMENT OPTIONS

Students who have successfully been admitted to the course during the auditions must commit to participate to the entire academic year: that is, the three study sessions of the programme. They must also pay an overall participation fee (which partially cover teaching, administrative and insurance costs) of € 800,00 to be deposited in two instalments:
• 480,00 € (60% of the overall total) at the start of session 1;
• 320,00 € (40% of the overall total) at the start of session 3.
Those who wish to pay the full amount at the start of session 1 are entitled to a 10% discount, and will pay 720,00 € instead of 800,00 €.

LISTENERS are NOT committed to attend the entire academic year (they are entitled to participate even to one session only if desired). Participation fees for listeners are as follows:
• € 80,00 (eighty/00) for the 1st session;
• € 80,00 (eighty/00) for the 2nd session.
• € 150,00 (one hundred and fifty/00) for the 3rd session.

These fees should be paid in cash to the administration office of the Accademia, or by banker’s order to the bank account addressed to ‘Fondazione ‘Paolo Grassi’’, c/o BANCA PROSSIMA, with the following bank details:
• IBAN: IT95 M033 5901 6001 0000 0002 715
• BIC code: BCITITMX
• Reason for payment: “Quota frequenza Accademia del Belcanto - A.F. 2016”

Should the student (whether admitted to the courses as an actual participant or as a listener) fail to complete the Course for reasons not attributable to the organisation, he/she will not be entitled to reimbursement of the enrolment fee. The fee may be reimbursed only for serious and documented health reasons.
No candidate will be admitted to the course, work-experience, or Festival collaborations without having paid the tuition fees.

LOCATION OF THE COURSE

Lessons will take place mainly at the ‘Fondazione ‘Paolo Grassi’’ in Martina Franca. Practical work experience will take place, apart from the above-mentioned location, in the areas dedicated to the Festival della Valle d’Itria.
Staff of the ‘Fondazione ‘Paolo Grassi’’ and the Artistic Direction will be happy to help with indications and support with solutions for accommodation at established rates.

COLLABORATION CONTRACT

The students selected to take part in the 41st edition of the Festival della Valle d’Itria will be signed up by the Direction of the Festival; they will be entitled to a collaboration contract, and will be paid according to the level of engagement required by their role.

ATTENDANCE CERTIFICATE

At the end of the courses, the ‘Accademia del Belcanto’ will issue an attendance certificate for those students (both active and listeners) who have successfully completed the course.

INFO AND CONTACTS

Accademia del Belcanto "Rodolfo Celletti"
c/o Fondazione Paolo Grassi
Via Metastasio, 20
74015 - Martina Franca (TA), Italy

telephone: +39 080 4306763
e-mail: accademia@fondazionepaolograssi.it
website: www.fondazionepaolograssi.it

How to reach Martina Franca