Ávila, Spain
Wednesday 15 – Tuesday 21 July 2026
Exiles & Echoes
Experience renaissance choral masterworks born of faith, flight, and cross-cultural dialogue
Directed by
Rupert Damerell
with members of
stile antico
«From Josquin to Padilla»
This year’s repertoire traces the footsteps of Renaissance composers who left their homelands and reshaped musical traditions across Europe. Whether driven by ambition, exile, or spiritual calling, these artists absorbed foreign influences and forged new stylistic paths — creating music that speaks of longing, transformation, and cultural dialogue.
Participants will explore repertoire by Renaissance composers who lived and worked beyond their native lands, including Tomás Luis de Victoria, whose austere Spanish mysticism met the expressive warmth of Roman polyphony; Orlando di Lassus, a Flemish master who flourished in Munich, blending northern counterpoint with Italian lyricism; Josquin des Prez, whose travels through France and Italy shaped a legacy of clarity and emotional depth; Jacobus Gallus, whose sacred works reflect both Habsburg grandeur and Venetian daring; Peter Philips and Richard Dering, English Catholics who found refuge on the continent and infused their music with cross-cultural nuance; and Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla, born in Spain but active in colonial Mexico, whose compositions echo both Iberian tradition and New World innovation.
The course will also reflect on the institutional and material networks that enabled this musical exchange. Court chapels — such as the Spanish Capilla Flamenca, which moved with the Habsburg court across Europe — played a vital role in disseminating repertoire and fostering stylistic fusion. These itinerant ensembles carried not only singers and composers, but also musical ideas that shaped the sound of sacred and secular life in diverse regions.
Before music printing became economically viable in the early 16th century, manuscript copies were painstakingly prepared and exchanged across borders. These fragile artefacts — copied by hand, annotated by performers, and passed between chapels and patrons — were the lifeblood of musical transmission. The advent of printing revolutionised this process, allowing works to circulate more widely and consistently, and enabling composers like Josquin to achieve pan-European fame.
What Awaits You in Avila:
– Daily full choir rehearsals, focusing on large-scale motets and mass movements.
– Consort singing, allowing participants to explore intimate repertoire in small ensembles.
– Historical context sessions, illuminating the cultural and spiritual landscapes these composers inhabited.
– Vocal technique classes, tailored to Renaissance style and ensemble blend.
– Evening reflections or informal sharings, offering space to connect the music with broader themes of exile, belonging, and artistic identity.
The programme will culminate in two public concerts in Ávila’s historic venues, where both the full choir and selected pre-formed groups will present repertoire shaped during the week.
Pre-formed Groups: Deepen Your Ensemble Identity
We warmly invite pre-formed vocal ensembles — consorts, quartets, chamber choirs — to apply together. Groups will have dedicated rehearsal time with tutors from Stile Antico, focusing on ensemble technique, interpretation, and stylistic nuance. Throughout the week, these groups will work intensively as a unit, receiving tailored coaching that builds on their existing cohesion.
Each pre-formed group will also be featured in one of the course concerts, offering a chance to present repertoire that reflects the course theme of musical migration and stylistic exchange. Whether you are a student ensemble, a professional consort, or a long-standing amateur group, this is an opportunity to refine your sound, deepen your repertoire, and perform in Ávila’s resonant sacred spaces.
Groups should apply together and indicate their interest in ensemble coaching and performance. Repertoire suggestions aligned with the theme are welcome.
Course Highlights:
– Directed by members of Stile Antico, internationally renowned for their interpretation of Renaissance repertoire.
– Full choir sessions focusing on major polyphonic works.
– Consort singing in small ensembles, with coaching from tutors.
– Individual and group vocal technique classes tailored to the Renaissance style.
The week includes various activities in the programme:
Individual vocal technique sessions. Each student should bring a prepared piece to work on applied vocal technique with the teachers on a one-to-one basis. Members of the pre-formed groups will have group sessions rather than individual classes.
Group vocal technique sessions. These are held with the various teachers, including warmups, posture considerations, breathing, relaxation techniques, etc.
Full choir sessions. The whole group rehearses the polyphonic music programme.
Small groups or “consort” sessions. So that the students become accustomed to singing alone or with just one or two singers per part, within a small group that will work on other works of the period, under the direction of the teachers.
Students who come as pre-formed groups will also be able to work in their own group.
Formal concerts. The group will perform the course repertoire in two concerts at the end of the week.
Programme
Example of a typical day:
09.15 – 10.00 Warm up and group vocal technique
10.00 – 11.30 FULL CHOIR (during which there are individual lessons and coaching for preformed groups)
12.00 – 14.00 Consort Groups (directed by members of Stile Antico)
16.30 – 18.30 Consort Groups
19.00 – 20.30 FULL CHOIR
At the end of the course, there will be a public concert
The first session will be WEDNESDAY, 15 July at 4.30 pm. The course ends on TUESDAY, 21 July at 21:30 pm.
Participants may arrive the previous evening.
In addition to the concerts, the course will have approximately 35 teaching hours.
The course will be held primarily in English. There will be a translation into Spanish of the main points in rehearsals.
Student profile:
Choir directors, section leaders and choristers
Level – This course is aimed at experienced, advanced students with good reading skills
Scores will be sent in advance for prior study.
The course organisers reserve the right of admission to the course.
The course fee is €400. This fee includes the tuition cost and the scores in digital format. It does not include board and lodging. See below for more information in this respect.
Alonso Lobo «Kyrie de la Misa Maria Magdalene». Curso 2017 dirigido por Rupert Damerell
Accommodation:
The course will take place in Avila, at the Colegio Mayor Magistral Honcala, http://magistralhoncala.com, very close to the historic city centre. A former Seminary, now it is used as a university hall of residence, boasting all the facilities – teaching rooms, dining room, wifi throughout, recently refurbished sleeping areas, parking, etc.
There is full board accommodation in the Hall for those course students who wish it. The grounds have fine gardens and shady areas, also to enjoy with family if you would like to come accompanied. In addition, it is very close to the centre of the city, with the historic and cultural heritage that this city enjoys. Ávila boasts a wide variety of hotels and other accommodations available to participants.
The participants do not have to reserve the lodging in the residence directly, in the case of staying there. The organisation of the course already has a block booking of rooms to allocate to the students who would like them. The lodging is paid directly to the residence, and the price for full board is 56,75 euros/ day per person in a single room, and 54,26 euros/ day per person sharing a double room (2025 price, we will update once the 2026 rate is known). A separate form will be sent to participants for the residence a month before the course.
The dates for registration and matriculation are the following:
Registration: From 1 November 2025
The pre-registrations received will be evaluated by the Musical Director, and applicants will be informed of their admission to the project. The organisation may request a CV, an audition or a voice recording from candidates.
Sending of scores. Once an application has been accepted, and a deposit paid, scores will be sent digitally (from about March)
There is a limit of places. The organisation reserves the right to admit students and the right to change or cancel the programme due to force majeure.
For any queries, please contact us by email at info@zenobiamusica.com
PLEASE COMPLETE THE REGISTRATION FORM BELOW.
Please contact us at info@zenobiamusica.com for more information
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