Smarano, 1 December 2025 — Smarano Academy is pleased to announce the opening of applications for its 2026 Summer School, a unique opportunity for organ, harpsichord, and clavichord students and performers from around the world.
With more than thirty years of activity, Smarano Academy has established itself as an international centre of excellence for early music, research, and historically informed performance practice, offering a carefully structured and renowned educational programme.
The 2026 Edition: Programme and Structure
The 2026 Summer School will take place from 23 July – 1 August in Smarano, preceded by a preparatory module in L’Aquila from 20 to 22 July.
The course is designed to explore the original sources of the organ and keyboard repertoire, understand their historical and aesthetic context, and work directly on historical instruments or high-quality reconstructions.
The curriculum is organised around three core pillars:
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Artefacts – Music Collections and Instruments
Reading, studying, and performing from major musical sources; exploring and playing historical and reconstructed instruments. -
Partimento – Improvisation and Continuo Playing
Daily workshops dedicated to improvisation, continuo playing, and the generative principles underlying different styles and periods. -
Embodiment – Gesture and Expression
Investigation of the physical and expressive relationship between performers and instruments, both in repertoire and improvisation.
The 2026 programme focuses on three major keyboard collections in which counterpoint and affect are deeply intertwined:
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Girolamo Frescobaldi – Toccate e partite d’intavolatura, First Book (1615)
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Johann Kuhnau – Frische Clavier-Früchte, 7 Sonatas (1696)
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Johann Sebastian Bach – Das Wohltemperierte Clavier, Book One (1722)
Participants will work with an outstanding international faculty, including:
Alessandro Albenga, Enrico Baiano, Salvatore Carchiolo, Armando Carideo, Hans Davidsson, Ulrika Davidsson, Bernard Foccroulle, Kola Owolabi, William Porter, Joel Speerstra, and Harald Vogel.
Who Can Apply
The programme is intended for advanced and intermediate musicians, conservatory students, and professionals interested in early music and historically informed performance on organ, harpsichord, clavichord, and fortepiano.
Applications
Applications are open 1 December 2025 – 30 May 2026.
Applicants are invited to visit the “Courses and Teachers / Admittance and Registration” section of the official website www.smaranoacademy.com, complete the application form, and upload the required documents (CV, motivation letter, video links, etc.).