Workshop
STEP 1
On its 11th edition, Virtuoso&Belcanto expands its educational offerings with two prestigious workshops in addition to the usual master classes and competitions.
Students admitted to the master classes can participate in the workshops free of charge, while external students can register by paying a fee. You can apply for workshops at this link.
Deadline for applications for admission: April 30th, 2026.
lecturer: Adrian Brendel
guest lecturers: Yejin Gil, Joanna MacGregor
module 1: July 22nd-27th
module 2: July 28th-30th
language: english
For years this innovative workshop taught by Adrian Brendel has been dedicated to exploring contemporary repertoire.
V&B Contemporary offers students the opportunity to add three collective sessions to their training and the chance to play in a dedicated event. Two modules are offered in 2026, one for each week: each student can decide whether to apply for just one or both.
conductor: Nabil Shehata
orchestral training: Jan Bjøranger
period: July 23rd-August 2nd
language: english
The foundation of this workshop lies in the concept of the orchestra as both a metaphor and a practice of coexistence. In a global context marked by conflict, Virtuoso & Belcanto actively brings together young musicians from different countries – including regions affected by war and tension such as the Middle East, Ukraine, and Russia – to build an orchestral program together.
The project is carried out in close collaboration with the Barenboim-Said Akademie in Berlin and the Fundación Barenboim-Said in Seville. The prestigious academy founded by Maestro Daniel Barenboim and the Palestinian intellectual Edward Said, together with the Spanish foundation (home to the activities of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra), has long represented a concrete model of dialogue through music, bringing together young artists from conflict areas and transforming artistic collaboration into a space for encounter, creation, and mutual understanding.
The orchestra will be composed of:
- Virtuoso & Belcanto students (strings)
- students from the Barenboim-Said Akademie
- students from the “L. Boccherini” Conservatory in Lucca
- students from the Fundación Barenboim-Said
Rehearsals will take place throughout both weeks of the Festival and may include intermediate performances. The workshop will culminate in an orchestral concert on Sunday, August 2, at the Church of San Francesco, conducted by Nabil Shehata, Principal Conductor of the Barenboim-Said Akademie Orchestra in Berlin. Orchestral training will be led by Jan Bjøranger, long-time head of orchestral projects at Virtuoso&Belcanto. Artist-in-residence Ruben Micieli, pianist and conductor, will assist both maestros throughout the workshop.
Concert program:
Ralph Vaughan Williams, Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
(Jan Bjøranger, vl. – leader)
P. I. Tchaikovsky, Variations on a Rococo Theme Op. 33
(Claudio Bohórquez, vc.)
L. v. Beethoven, Symphony No. 2 in D major Op. 36
Selection will take into account experience, motivation and balanced distribution of opportunities. It is possible to apply for multiple workshops, consistent with one’s stay in Lucca and other activities attended. For example:
- A student attending the Festival for at least 10 days, with only the solo course, will have more opportunities to participate in one or more workshops.
- A student who is present for only one week and enrolled in multiple courses (solo and chamber music) will have less opportunity to be admitted to a workshop, to avoid organizational overlap.
External students can participate in workshops by applying by April 30, 2025 using the dedicated form.
Participation fees:
- Contemporary V&B 45€ (per single module)
- V&B Chamber Music Orchestra 45€
Workshop participants will be able to purchase a subscription to the concerts of the first or second week of the Festival at the special price of 15€.
You can apply here.
