Kurt Thomas Cursus

Kurt Thomas Course 2022, for conductors and choristers!

Are you a professional or amateur conductor at a choir or orchestra? Would you like to further your development or explore conducting? Or perhaps you are a chorister? If so, the Kurt Thomas Course may well be for you. This brief and intensive course is tailor-made for professionals and amateurs who can participate at various levels and across a range of musical genres. The course runs from 11 through 16 July 2022 at the Utrecht Conservatory.

The duration and intensity of your participation is entirely up to you. There are many different options. The Kurt Thomas Course is a cooperation of HKU and Dirigentenwerkplaats Utrecht.

View the course offer

Who is it for?

You may be a professional or amateur conductor. Or maybe you want to simply explore conducting. Either way, please select the level that suits you. Looking at the repertoire and what the teacher brings to the table will allow you to choose a workshop (series) that interests and attracts you. You are the one who decides how long and how intensely you will experience the course. There are 4-day and 6-day workshops; you can take part as a course participant or as a trainee! To put it succinctly, you can compose your very own Kurt Thomas Course!

What is the learning process?

You can immerse yourself in (multiple) workshop series for four days or six days. You will learn about conducting under the guidance of an enthusiastic team of experienced and knowledgeable teachers. You will gain new ideas and walk away with plenty of practical tips and tools

As a participant in one of the workshop series, you will sing in the grand choir and you can also participate for free in all of the stand-alone workshops about new repertoire, children's choir, early music, and folk music. And you will have the chance to sing in the Gregorian Schola!

Days at the Kurt Thomas Course are scheduled as follows.

10:30am – 12:30pm Workshop
11:30am – 12:30pm Gregorian Schola
1:00pm – 4:00pm Afternoon workshop (part of the series)
4:00pm – 6:00pm Kurt Thomas grand choir (all participants + guest singers)
7:00pm – 10:00pm Evening workshop (part of the series)

Sheet music

The sheet music for all of the modules (the workshop series, the stand-alone workshops, and the Kurt Thomas grand choir) is available on the secure part of the website. Either as a PDF or via a link to the publisher where you can order the documents. Following registration, you will receive a code that gives access to the secure part of the website. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have a complete (and correct) set of sheet music for the duration of the course.

Registration

The registration form lists all of the modules, workshop series, stand-alone workshops, and the Schola. You can select the components that you want to take part in. Don't forget to check the times as some of the activities may overlap. Following registration, you will receive a confirmation email with information on how to pay and about the code that will take you to the secure part of the website. Once we receive your payment, you will be registered officially.

Contact

Questions? Send an e-mail to ktc.muziek@hku.nl.

Workshop series: levels, repertoire, and ensemble types

The workshop series are offered at three different levels.

You will work in the afternoons or evenings with a group of six to 12 participants. There will be sufficient opportunities to get an individual turn and you will receive personal tuition and feedback. You will be able to choose between various styles, repertoires, and ensemble types. The results will be presented at a public concert on Saturday 16 July in the Nicolaïkerk in Utrecht.

Please note:

• To give everyone a chance to present individually during the workshops, the groups will comprise approximately 6-12 conductors. There may also be openings for dedicated choristers who are commited for the duration of the workshop series.
• When international participants attend a workshop (series), it will be conducted in English

These individual workshops are structured in such a way that you can attend them on a day-by-day basis. There is a different one each day around a range of topics. The workshops are interactive and comprise singing, conducting: movement, and more. Essentially, there will be no presentations by the individual participants but you will have plenty of opportunities to ask questions.
Workshop leaders: Nico van der Meel, Fokko Oldenhuis, Luc Anthonis, Rachel Munneke, Luc Anthonis, Caro Kindt

Dates: Monday 11 July through Friday 15 July
Times: Daily from 10:30am-12:30pm
Price: € 30 (free for participants in a workshop series)

Content

The workshops will acquaint you with a specific repertoire or subject(s) that are within the specific field of expertise of the teacher in question! As you sing and/or conduct, you will get to know novel music, musical fields, or tools, find out more about a style or composer, and be given fascinating background information. After attending a workshop, you are sure to have a wealth of new ideas for your next rehearsal!

Dates and Times

• Monday 11 July, 10:30-12:30: Choral music from van Heinrich Schütz, workshop leader Nico van der Meel
• Tuesday 12 July, 10:30-12:30: Latin-American choral music, workshop leader Fokko Oldenhuis
• Wednesday 13 July, 10:30-12:30: Choral music from Flanders (Belgium), workshop leader Luc Anthonis
• Thursday 14 July, 10:30-12:30: Working with a youth choir, workshop leader Rachel Munneke
• Friday 15 July, 10:30-12:30: Children's choir, workshop leader Daniëlle van Lieshout

Schola

For fans of Gregorian music there is the Schola, where you can delve deep into the wonders of monophonic chant (plainsong). There will be individual pieces to work on as well as chants associated with Tomás Luis Da Vittoria - Ut queant laxis (included in the repertoire of workshop series 6). The Schola can take up to 20 experienced singers.

Teacher: Adrián van der Spoel
Dates: Monday 11 July through Saturday 16 July
Times: Daily at 09:30-10:30pm, Saturday 2:00-10:00pm
Price: € 50 (free for participants in a workshop series)

As a chorister, you can participate in the Kurt Thomas Course in various ways.

• As part of a workshop series. You will sing in the choir for four or six days (depending on your choice) during the selected workshop series so you will have the chance to sing often. You will obtain insights into choral singing from different perspectives and learn more about how a conductor operates. Perhaps simply out of curiosity. Or you may want to see if conducting is for you. Or, maybe you already are a conductor and you want to experience what it feels like if the shoe is on the other foot!
  Price: € 70

• As part of a stand-alone workshop. Each workshop is open to choristers. Particularly in the workshops that focus on repertoire, you will be introduced to interesting and exciting (new) vocal repertoire, guided by a workshop leader who knows the territory inside out.
  Price: € 30
• As part of the Kurt Thomas grand choir. Every afternoon from 4:30-6:00pm, you will be conducted by the course participants under the supervision of teachers Rob Vermeulen and Louis Buskens. The repertoire will feature in workshop series 2: John Rutter - Gloria for choir, brass players, percussion, and organ and Roman Hurko - Movements of the Vespers for a Capella choir. There will be a final rehearsal on Saturday 16 July in the afternoon and an evening concert when you will perform the pieces in the Nicolaïkerk. A wonderful experience!
  Price: € 50
• As part of the Schola. If you love Gregorian chant the Schola, facilitated by Adrian van der Spoel, may be just the ticket. It sings every morning at 11:30am-12:30pm in the Chapel of the Conservatory. The final rehearsal and the concert will take place on Saturday 16 July (afternoon and evening).
  Price: € 50