Villanelle, Aria and Dance music in the 17th century
Nicholas Spanos – singing
Johanna Seitz – harp, basso continuo
Elisabeth Seitz – psalterio
Jörg Meder – Viola da gamba, Violone
Dates: September 24 – 27, 2026 (date of arrival 23, date of departure 28)
Active participants cost: 220€ for adults, 150€ for students
Passive participants cost: 25€ per day
Lunch for 4 days: 50€
Registration form
Deadline of applications: August 30
Description:
We explore the diverse music of 17th-century from Italy and Spain including popular arias and villanelles, the origins of dance forms such as the chaconne and the folia and their influence on music across Europe.
Compositions by Claudio Monteverdi, Andrea Falconieri, Tarquinio Merula, Luis Milán and others offer opportunities to perform using a wide range of instruments and vocal parts
In various ensembles and evening jam sessions. We sing and play together with a wide variety of instruments of early music.
Concerts by the lecturers as well as by the participants round off the workshop.
We enjoy fresh local food, explore nature on hikes in beautiful Pelion, enjoy the sea and much more.
ELISABETH SEITZ studied hammered dulcimer, psalterium and early music in Linz, Austria, Munich and The Hague. With her instrument, she has contributed significantly to re-establishing the hammered dulcimer in the European art music landscape. Concerts, CD and radio recordings in the fields of early music, new music and world music.
After studying concert harp, JOHANNA SEITZ specialised in historical harps. She now has around 20 harps at her disposal, which she uses depending on the repertoire (from the Middle Ages to the Romantic period, with a focus on multi-row Baroque harps). She has a preference for chamber music projects with unusual instrumentation and experimental formats.
Jörg Meder studied viola da gamba and violone at the Universities of Music and Drama in Hannover and Hamburg. He performs with various ensembles and orchestras of the early music.
As a cultural manager he organises innovative concert formats as well as music theatre and opera productions. His interest in interdisciplinary projects has brought Jörg Meder together with musicians such as pianist Michael Wollny, saxophonist Heinz Sauer, singer Elva la Guardia (Hamburg) and singer Theodora Baka (Athens). He currently plays in a duo with the french saxophonist Eric Plandé.
Jörg Meder is a lecturer for violone and 17th-century string bass at the University of Music and Theatre in Leipzig since 2007. His focus on project management and interest in jazz also led Jörg Meder to the University of Music and Theatre in Hamburg in April 2025, where he is responsible for interdisciplinary and projects and international collaborations of the jazz department. www.joergmeder.com
Nicholas Spanos is an internationally famous countertenor. His lifelong passion for singing began in childhood and led him to study with renowned teachers, including Aris Christofellis in Greece and Linda Mabbs and Leon Major at the University of Maryland, where he earned a Master of Music in Voice/Opera Performance. He further refined his craft with a postgraduate course in Lied & Oratorio in Vienna. He has performed as a soloist in opera, oratorio, and recitals worldwide and been acclaimed for his vocal and stage presence. He has collaborated with prestigious ensembles and orchestras, such as the Vienna State Opera, National Opera of Greece, Venice Baroque Orchestra, and Les Talens Lyriques, and has graced iconic venues like the Musikverein (Vienna), Théâtre des Champs-Élysées (Paris), and Sydney Recital Hall. A regular collaborator with early music ensembles like “Ex Silentio” and “Pandolfis Consort Wien,” Spanos has received numerous accolades, including the “Best Young Artist of the Year” award in Greece (2002) and First Prize at the “TECHNI” National Competition for Opera Singers (2006). His discography includes acclaimed recordings of Handel’s Oreste and Tamerlano, as well as albums like Adoration (2016) and Vivaldi: Nisi Dominus & Stabat Mater (2021). Based in Vienna, Spanos continues to captivate audiences worldwide with his artistry. https://nicholas-spanos.com