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The new career training programme specialized in period instrument playing
With Balthasar NOVA, we offer young professional musicians from all over Europe the opportunity to develop as independent musicians in a profound, resilient, and futureoriented way. NOVA is a career training programme, specialized in period instrument playing for musicians who share our perception of music as a source of storytelling. It is designed for musicians who want to know what they play and why. Programme participants (“NOVIs”) will explore the meaning of each work through the lens of authentic and historically informed performance practice.
We, the Balthasar Neumann Orchestra (BNO), formed 1995 in Freiburg by Thomas Hengelbrock, are one of the world’s leading historically informed orchestras. We create free spaces for radical interpretations and outstanding artistic experiences. To ensure that passion, knowledge and enthusiasm are carried forward to the next generation, we train gifted young musicians. With support from the European Union, we have now founded the first long-term academy programme for period instrument playing: Balthasar NOVA.
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Projects and courses:
14. - 21.05.25: Fontainebleau Castle (France) – all NOVIs
21. - 28.06.25: Maulbronn Monastery (Germany) – strings + trp + timp
20. - 26.07.25: Fontainebleau Castle (France) – winds
Summer 25 (tbc): individual workshop/masterclass for trumpets and timpani/percussion
08. - 15.09.25: Hamburg (Germany) – strings
15. - 21.09.25: Freiburg (Germany) – winds
16. - 23.11.25: Baden-Baden (Germany) – all NOVIs
Jan – Aug 2026: Dates for projects in Germany, Spain, France and Cuba will be announced.
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Teaching and workshops:
From March 2025 until August 2026, monthly individual online teaching and online workshops are held whenever no course/project takes place. In addition, 8 Salons will be planned and organized in individual agreement with the NOVIs and external experts.
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Tutors and Mentors:
Tutors and Mentors are members of the Balthasar Neumann Orchestra and long-standing external tutors of the Balthasar Neumann Academy. All names will be announced until the start of the programme. The workshops will be held by external specialists of the respective fields, the Salons will be organized and developed by NOVIs together with external experts.
1st round (video)
romantic concerto / representative piece of the 19th or 20th century, 1st movement without cadenza (on gut strings preferred)
Bach: Sonata / Partita / Suite: 2 movements (period instrument & bow preferred, modern instrument with period bow possible)
orchestral excerpt: Mozart Symphonie N. 40 KV 550. 1st mov. bar 105 - 138, 4th mov. bar 48 (with the start) - 56, bar 229 - 235
2nd round (live)
preferred on gut strings or period instrument, at least with period bow, tuning: 415Hz or 440Hz
classical concert exposition + cadenza
two movements baroque sonata / baroque piece (one fast, one slow)
3rd round (live)
preferred on gut strings or period instrument, at least with period bow, tuning: 415Hz or 440Hz
improvised diminuations on a given melody
sight reading
talk
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