VII INTERNATIONAL CLARINET COURSE

Prades (Tarragona), 30 July - 6 August 2006

(A note on the 7th edition of the International Clarinet Course) This year our international Clarinet Course, in the delightful town of Prades, celebrates its seventh anniversary. This shows how popular the course has turned out to be. We created a course aimed at all levels of clarinet study which we believed would appeal to the public and our loyal students and increasing enrolments are proof. of our success. This year we incorporate also the collaboration and participation of an invited clarinetist which will offer us a concert and a masterclass. We would like to thank all the participants, the parents of our youngest musicians and the inhabitans of Prades together with its local council, which have given us their full support. Quartet "a4"

Advanced Course
Advanced course by Eduard Brunner oriented towards high level students, graduates or professionals, who would like to further their knowledge.
Students will be accompanied by a pianist during the lessons. All students, including those on this course, are expected to participate in the Course Clarinet Orchestra.

Course contents:

• Professor: Eduard Brunner
• Masterclass with Josep Fuster
• Clarinet Orchestra
• Alexander Technique with Bibiana Goday

Course contents:

• Professor: Philip Cunningham
• Masterclass with Josep Fuster
• Chamber music with members of "Quartet a4"
• Clarinet Orchestra
• Alexander Technique with Bibiana Goday

Beginners Course
This Course, given by members of "Quartet a4", is intended to motivate students so as to increase their awareness of the instrument in all fields of music (technique improvement, chamber music, repertoire, etc.). The course affords students the opportunity to take part in group ensembles. All students, including the ones of this course, are expected to participate at the Course Clarinet Orchestra.

Course contents:

• Chamber music with members of "Quartet a4"
• Lower Level Course Clarinet Orchestra
• Course Clarinet Orchestra
• Alexander Technique with Bibiana Goday
• Leisure activities

Leisure
In parallel to the studies allocated to each level, participants at the Lower Level Course may enjoy activities such as games, excursions, swimming, etc. in an extremely beautiful resort.
All non-musical activities will be supervised by qualified tutors.

Concerts
Students may attend the daily evening concerts held at the Parish free of charge.

Pre-Programme

Sunday 30	"Mozart, an evening with the Jacquin - Solistes de Santa Maria la Major.
Monday 31	Recital Josep Fuster
Tuesday 1	"Nosferatu" Live music played by "Quartet a4"
Wednesday 2	Recital Philip Cunningham
Thursday 3	Recital Eduard Brunner
Friday 4 and Saturday 5	Students concerts
Sunday 6	Morning, Commemoration by the Professors and Students of the Birth of the Prades composer: Mateu Fletxa (1481-1553). Evening, Final Concert of the Course

Professors

Eduard Brunner Eduard Brunner He was born in Basel in 1939, und he siudied both in his native city and with Louis Cahuzac in Paris. He is the principal clarinet of the Symphony Orchestra of the Bavarian Broadcasting Company. Eduard Brunner's international concert activities as a soloist includes, among other things, chamber music concerts with Gidon Kremer, Alfred Brendel, Heinz Holliger, and the Amadeus Quartet as well as performances with large orchestras and chamber music orchestras. Moreover, he is a regular quest performer of the festivals in Salzburg, Vienna, Warsaw, Lucerne, Lockenhaus etc. He is an advocate of modern music and commissions leading composers to write pieces for him. Thanks to his initiative, significant compositions of modern clarinet literature were created, e.g. by Lachenmann, Yun, Francoix, Denisov, Bloch, Meyer etc. He has also mode numerous recordings as soloist and chamber music player with important orchestras, quartets, and musicians such as Kremer, Brendel, Holliger, Nicolet, Oppitz, etc.

Philip Cunningham Born in Los Angeles, California. Graduated at the Interlochen Academy and the Oberlin Conservatoire. Postgraduate studies with Alan Balter, Rosario Mazzeo, Leon Russianoff and Karl Leister. Soloist at the Sinfónica de Guadalajara, Orquesta Filarmónica de la Ciudad de Méjico and the orchestra of Teatro de Bellas Artes (Ópera Nacional de Mejico). From 1988 he is soloist at the Orquestra Simfònica del Gran Teatre del Liceo (Barcelona).

Josep Fuster Born in Castelló de la Ribera (Valencia). Studied at the Barcelona and Valencia Conservatoires under J. Panyella and J. Tordera. Later he studied clarinet and chamber music with Anthony Pay and the Albion ensemble. He has broadcasted for Catalunya Musica, Radio France and recorded for the labels Hyades Arts, Stradivarius, Ediciones Moraleda, Ars Harmonica etc. Recently he has recorded the complete works of J. Rodriguez Picó. He is member of the Harmonia Quintet de Vent, Barcelona 216 and Solistas de Ibercámera. Josep Fuster is professor of clarinet and chamber music at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya (ESMUC) and member of the Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona (OBC).

QUARTET DE CLARINETS "a4" Xavier Castillo Xavier Castillo completed advanced studies at the Conservatoire of Barcelona. Postgraduate studies at Bobbio with Hans Deinzer. Diploma in Musical Teaching by the University of Barcelona. Clarinet teacher at the Professional Conservatoires of Badalona and Sabadell. Miquel Gaspà Miquel Gaspà is a graduate of the Conservatoire of Barcelona and First Prize at the Brussels Royal Conservatoire. He is a founder member of Trio and Group Bartók. He is currently member of the "Banda Municipal de Barcelona". Francesc Navarro Francesc Navarro completed his advanced music studies under Michel Lethiec. He was awarded Gold Medal at the "Conservatoire National de Nice". He currently plays clarinet with the "Orquestra Nacional de Catalunya i Ciutat de Barcelona". Joan Plaja Joan Plaja completed his advanced music studies under Anthony Pay and Alan Hacker at the Guildhall School of Music, London. He currently teaches clarinet at the "Conservatori Professional de Manresa".

Lluïsa Viñas - Piano accompanist

Lluïsa Viñas completed her advanced piano studies at the Liceo Conservatoire under Pere Vallribera, and chamber music under Àngel Soler.
She is currently a piano lecturer and repertorist of the clarinet class at the Conservatoire of Manresa.

Bibiana Goday--Alexander Technique-- Studied at the Constructive Teaching Centre of London under Walter Carrington. Teacher at the Escola de Música Municipal Victòria dels Àngels de Sant Cugat del Vallès and at the Estudi de Tècnica Alexander of Barcelona.

Course Fees

Advanced

• Active students: 320 euros
• Listeners: 150 euros

Fonda Espasa (Phone: 34 977 86 80 23)
Campsite Prades (Phone: 34 977 86 82 70)
Youth hostel "Casa de Colònies": full board, group rooms - 225 euros

• Course price without accomodation: 220 euros
• Course price including full board in Youth hostel "Casa de Colònies": 445 euros (students under 16: 385 euros).

• Course price without accomodation: 175 euros
• Course price including full board in Youth hostel "Casa de Colònies": 400 euros (students under 16: 340 euros).

Quartet "a4"
Camí can Torres, 9
08242 Manresa
Spain
Phone: 34 93 873 76 55 (from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
Phone: 616 163 123
E-mail: plajago@teleline.es

Registration will follow a strict order of form reception and it will only be formalised and validated after a 120 euros deposit in the account of: la Caixa de Pensions 2100 2985 36 0200009520 has been made.

Documentation needed:
• Bank transfer receipt for the amount of 120 euros
• Photocopy of passport
• Two photographs
• Completed Application form
  Address where all these documents must be sent by post:
  
     Quartet "a4"
     Camí can Torres, 9
     08242 Manresa
     Spain

No participant will be deemed as registered until all documentation required has been presented.
There will be a waiting list for applications once the 10th registration has been approved at the Higher Level and after the 25th for the rest of the courses.
There will be no pre-payment refunding for cancellations made after June 30th, 2006.
Full payment must be effective before July 20th, 2006, following the same instructions as for pre-payments. When ordering the bank transfer, please include the student's name.
Once documentation is received, a letter will be sent to the student with the approval of the pre-registration, and additional information.

Dates

• Students welcome:
     July 30st, at 5 p.m. (Youth hostel "Casa de Colònies")
• Starting concert:
     July 30st, at 7 p.m. (Parish)
• Course starts:
     July 31st, at 10 a.m.
• Closing concert:
     August 6th, at 5 p.m. (Parish)

Organizers

Sponsoring

Collaborators

Participants at the VI International Clarinet Course 2005: