This year, the festival has also been expanded to include a pedagogical project, an Early Music Academy dedicated to the study of medieval and Renaissance music, open to students from all over the world, who will work with internationally renowned instructors. The central theme of this first singing course will be the polyphonic repertoire from 1550 to 1620.

Gerd Türk and Dominique Vellard (singing and interpretation teachers at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis), assisted by Eugène Ferré (lute – Conservatoire Nationale Superieur de Musique de Lyon) and Jean-Marc Aymes, the founder of Concerto Soave (continuo), will guide the 14 participants chosen for the project. The course is open to all final-year conservatory students, as well as singers undergoing pre-professional training and young professionals.

The instructors’ concert will take place on 19 August at Thoronet Abbey and the end-of-course concert by students and teachers on 27 August. The fee for the course is €420. Eight concerts have also been programmed during the Festival. On 17 August the ensemble Amarcord with perform Pierre de la Rue’s Missa Incessament. On 18 August there will be a concert by Pierre Hamon, Marc Mauillon and Viva-Biancaliuna Biffi with works by Machaut and Junko Ueda with music from ancient Japan, while the following day Chota Divana will perform music from Rajasthan.

On 20 August Noureddine Tahiri-Jouti from Morocco and Dominique Vellard will present a program of sacred music from the Muslim and Christian religions. On 21 August the ensemble Les Jardins de Courtoisie will perform works by Adam de la Halle. The ensemble Alia Música will present Jewish-Spanish songs on 22 August. On 23 August Patrizia Bovi and Gilbete Casanova will perform the program “E vatende Segnor mio”; and the Ensemble Gilles Binchois will close the Festival on 24 August with music from the times of Edward the Confessor. For further information about the courses, write to vellard-rimmt@wanadoo.fr