Classical Guitar Masterclass
Six days dedicated to exploring, studying and sharing the classical guitar in the hills of Alto Monferrato. The masterclass grants the possibility of having an intense experience with the professor, as well as moments of exchange and conviviality with the fellow students, in an environment specially dedicated to focusing on the music. There will be a maximum of 10 selected students.
The main focus of the course will be on soloist repertoire from all ages and styles, with a minimum of four 1-hour lessons for each participant; guitar duos-trios, chamber music groups or projects will also be welcome. Of the 4 lessons each, 2 will be open to auditors and other students of the course, the other 2 will be private – only with the teacher.
A concert by Marcin Dylla will open the masterclass, while the students will play during the final day of the course in a public concert organised by Foresty International Music Festival.
Finally, meetings will also be organised with luthier Mario Grimaldi, with the opportunity to ask questions and try out his instruments (both restored originals and his latest creations).
Casa della Musica structure offers a live-room with a modular acoustics, several spaces for studying, a garden and a Spa for relaxing – an ideal place for learning and music.
Marcin Dylla
Hailed by the Washington Post as “among the most gifted guitarists on the planet” Polish guitarist, Marcin Dylla is a rare phenomenon in the recent history of Classical Guitar. Many music critics, connoisseurs, and music lovers certify that Marcin Dylla is among the world’s elite of classical guitar players. He has earned this position, among others, to the unparalleled number of awards including 19 First Prizes from 1996-2007 at the most prestigious international music competitions around the world.
His last triumph was the Gold Medal of the ‘2007 Guitar Foundation of America International Competition’ in Los Angeles known as the most prestigious guitar contest in the world followed by tour of over 50 cities in North America, Mexico and Canada during 2008-09 season, live recital video recording for Mel Bay Publications and CD recording for Naxos that reached the Naxos ‘Top 10 Bestselling Albums’ in September 2008. His live recital DVD “Wawel Royal Castle at Dusk” was nominated for 2010 Fryderyk Award (equal to American Grammy) in the category of Solo Classical Music Album of the Year.
Mr. Dylla made his Concertgebouw recital debut in November 2016 during a busy 2016/2017 season where he was also the appointed faculty in residence at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music for the Fall 2016 semester.
Recent tour highlights included return invitations to Mexico, Chile, and recitals throughout Asia including Japan in Tokyo, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, and Hokkaido. In Taiwan at Taipei National Concert Hall with Taipei Symphony Orchestra, and Carnegie Hall debut during a two-month tour of North America with recitals covering both coasts. In Europe, he returned to Konzerthaus in Vienna and is invited to appear at the Koblenz International Guitar Festival and Competition, a major festival for the classical guitar each year, where he’s a beloved regular.
Regular recital invitations in the U.S. have taken Mr Dylla to Cincinnati, Lexington, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sonoma, Cleveland, New York, Utah, Miami, Boston, New Jersey, and Seattle as well as appearing with Riverside Symphonia in Piazzolla’s double concerto for guitar and bandoneon.
In Europe, extensive tours take him regularly to the U.K., Norway, Spain, Hungary, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, and Italy where he returned to serve on the distinguished jury panel of the 42nd edition of Michele Pittaluga’s International Classical Guitar Competition.
Mr. Dylla’s orchestral engagements included subscription concerts with the Warsaw Philharmonic conducted by Christian Arming performing two concerti (Ponce’s Concierto del Sur and Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez) on two consecutive nights, in addition to recitals throughout Europe every year. In the U.S., he performed as soloist with the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra during their new music director search. Furthermore, he has appeared as soloist with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra led by JoAnn Falletta, Orquesta Sinfónica de Radio Television Espanola (RTVE Madrid, Spain), St. Petersburg Philharmonia Orchestra (Russian Federation), Orchestra Filharmonica di Torino (Italy), the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra at Stuttgart Liederhalle, in Romania with the National Romanian Radio Orchestra in Bucharest, and the Essen Chamber Orchestra (Germany).
In 2006, Cecilia Rodrigo, daughter of the legendary Spanish composer, Joaquin Rodrigo, chose Mr. Dylla to perform the world premiere of a lately discovered new guitar work by her father entitled ‘Toccata’ (1933) at Reina Sofia Museum of Modern Art in Madrid. In 2002, at the 7th International Guitar Convent in Alessandria, he was granted a “gold guitar” musical critics’ award for the best coming young guitar player.
He has appeared in a number of distinguished concert halls including Konzerthaus, Musikverein and Palais Lobkovitz in Vienna (Austria), Auditorio Nacional and Auditorio Conde Duque in Madrid (Spain), St. Petersburg Philharmonic Hall (Russian Federation), Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo (USA), Villa Hügel in Essen (Germany) and the Palazzina Liberty in Milan (Italy). Apart from his guest performances at virtually every major European and North American guitar festival, he has been regularly invited to appear at Festival Internazionale Settimane Musicali di Stresa (Italy), Don Quixote Music Festival (Paris, France), Burghofspiele Eltville (Germany), International Festival Musical Olympus (St. Petersburg, Russian Federation), Inverno Musicale (Alzano, Italy), Central European Music Festival (Zilinai, Lithuania), Festival Internacional de Música (Toledo, Italy), and Musique Dans la Rue (Aix-en-Provence, France).
Marcin Dylla was born in Chorzow in 1976 and received his first guitar lessons at the Ruda Slaska Music Conservatory in his native Poland. From 1995 to 2000 he studied at the Music Academy of Katowice with Adi Wanda Palacz and later completed his studies with Oscar Ghiglia, Sonja Prunnbauer and Carlo Marchione at the Music Academies of Basel (Switzerland), Freiburg (Germany) and Maastricht (The Netherlands), respectively. He is currently a Professor of Guitar at the Music Academy in Katowice and Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster.
Attendance as an actual student is €380; free access for auditors (subject to availability). Lessons begin on 25/08/2023 and end on 30/08/2023 (total no. 6 effective days). The course will be held in English. Lessons will be held at CDM’s premises.
The cost of the course includes:
- 4 individual lessons
- The possibility of attending some of the lessons and all seminar and lectures held during the course
- The performance of the pieces presented during the masterclass in a public concert organised by Foresty International Music Festival
- The use of study spaces, whose hours will be self-managed by the students and coordinated with the activities taking place.
- Issue of certificates of participation authenticated by the teacher and the organisation
- The possibility, in the days following the course, to stay at CdM San Michele to professionally record at an advantageous price. For further information, please write to cdmsanmichele@gmail.com
Deadline for registration is: 10 July 2023.
A fee of €50 must be paid at the time of registration.
Payment details
Account holder: APS Montaldeo Musica
IBAN: IT02V0326848450052776248700
BIC/SWIFT: SELBIT2BXXX
Reason of payment: Name and Surname, music masterclass
By 17 July you will be informed about the selection of the participants to the masterclass; in case of non-selection, the registration fee of €50 will be refunded. Payment of the fee, amounting to further €330, must be made by the 24 July. The accommodation fee of €300 will be paid on site, upon arrival. Any payment and bank charges are the responsibility of the applicant.
In the event of late payment, for which bank transfer date of sending is decisive, a late payment fee of €75 will be charged.
Casa San Michele offers accommodation in affiliated facilities (flats) in the village of Montaldeo (AL). If necessary, the structure is available to those who wish to stay the nights before or after the beginning and the end of the course (upon reservation) at an additional cost of €25 per night. The cost includes accommodation in a shared flat with a room with bed linen and dinner (the latter at the CDM facility), served in the dining room or in the garden. Water is always available in the common area of CDM; other consumptions will be considered extra. The lunch break is at your own discretion: two affiliated restaurants and a grocery shop are within easy walking distance, so you can choose from sandwiches to traditional dishes. The cost of lunch is not included in the cost; however, the use of the SPA is included, limited to the times agreed on the occasion of the course and in accordance with current regulations. Rubber slippers (non-slip) and a swimming costume are compulsory for use of the SPA.
The balance of any extras can also be paid on the spot by credit or debit card or bank transfer.
Please note that in the village of Montaldeo there are no tobacconists, pharmacies or ATMs; all necessary services are easily accessible by car or bicycle in the neighbouring villages.
The nearest railway stations are Ovada, Novi Ligure, Arquata Scrivia; a transfer service is available from the arrival station to Montaldeo at a cost of €15. The nearest airports are Turin, Milan, Genoa, with respective train connections. For those travelling by car, Google Maps shows the exact location by searching for “Casa San Michele Montaldeo”; the nearest motorway exits are Ovada (A26), Novi Ligure (A26/A7), Arquata Scrivia (A7).
Registration fees, net of bank charges, will not be refunded under any circumstances (save for the initial fee of €50 in case of non-selection), except in the event of cancellation of a course due to force majeure or failure to reach a minimum number of participants. The accommodation fee will not be charged in the event of cancellation by the member.
CdM San Michele, in addition to taking all possible precautions and necessary equipment on site to prevent contagion and to comply with current regulations, will communicate after the registration the protocol to be followed for a course and a stay as safe as possible.
