Application deadline March 22, 2025
We are excited to present Prof. Nicolás Pasquet and Prof. Johannes Schlaefli masterclass for professional conductors and advanced conducting students.
A maximum of 14 active participants will have podium time of approximately 130 minutes each. Besides the sessions with full orchestra, there will be conducting lessons with chamber ensembles.
The individual needs of each participant will be addressed in video analysis sessions, class meetings, and coachings in front of the orchestra. Conducting techniques, presence in front of the orchestra, understanding of the score, and rehearsal techniques will be explored in individual lessons as well as in group meetings.
On the last day of the masterclass, participants will have the opportunity to create their own publicity video recording during two recording sessions.
Masterclass Fees:
- Application fee: €75 (non-refundable)
- Course fee for active participants: €1950
- Course fee for passive participants: €300
- Deposit: €1300 payable due April 07, 2025
- Balance: €650 payable due May 26, 2025, or in cash on the first day of the masterclass.
Please note that these fees DO NOT include travel and accommodation.
The selection of the active participants will be communicated via email within seven days after the application deadline.
The organizer reserves the right to postpone or cancel the masterclass in case of force majeure or other unforeseeable circumstances such as governments restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, travel bans, etc. The organizer will immediately notify participants of such changes and will refund the paid fee in full in case of event cancelation. Participants may not assert any compensation claims for travel, visa, accommodation costs, etc.
Prof. Johannes Schlaefli
Johannes Schlaefli is currently serving as “artistic director” of the Swiss Youth Symphony Orchestra and of “Alumni-Symphony-Orchestra Zürich”. He acts as Principal Guest Professor for the Conducting Classes at the Music Universities in Zürich and Frankfurt.
As one of the most highly sought after conducting teachers, Schlaefli is in demand throughout the world and was invited by institutions such as the Sibelius Academy Helinski, the Juilliard- School New York, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Aspen music festival and many others. He also serves as “head of teaching” at the Gstaad Menuhin Festival Conducting Academy, and works together with the prestigious “Dirigentenforum” in Germany as well as with the Norwegian “Dirigentloftet” in Oslo. As a guest professor, he has taught throughout Europe at the Music Universities of Vienna, Berlin, Leipzig, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Manchester, Copenhagen, Helsinki.
Johannes Schlaefli was the co-founder of Basel Chamber Orchestra in 1984. From 1995-2013 he was chief conductor of Bern Chamber Orchestra before leading the Mannheim chamber orchestra as chief conductor from 2013-2019. Since 2018 he was chief conductor of the symphony orchestra “Collegium Musicum Basel” and will end his tenure in summer 2024. As a guest conductor, he has performed in his home country with orchestras such as the Tonhalleorchester Zürich, orchestra della Svizzera Italiana Lugano, symphony orchestras in Biel, Bern, St. Gallen, Lucerne, Kammerphilharmonie Chur, Zürich chamber orchestra, Argovia philharmonic an others. Internationally he also guest conducted Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Knoxville symphony orchestra, Munich Radio Orchestra, Janacek Philharmonic orchestra Ostrava, Philharmonia Prague, Allegra Festival orchestra Sofia, südwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz, symphony orchestra Göttingen, Berlin sinfonietta etc.
Prof. Nicolás Pasquet
Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía, Madrid
Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester
Professor Nicolás Pasquet was born in Montevideo, Uruguay where he studied Violin and Conducting at the State Music Academy. Later he completed his studies at the Music Academy in Stuttgart and Nürnberg, Germany.
In 1984 and 1986, he won the National Selection for Young Conductors of the German Council of Music, and in 1987, Mr. Pasquet was the Winner of the First Prize at the 37th International Conducting Competition in Besançon, France.
From then on, Nicolás Pasquet has been working with several renowned German and foreign Orchestras.
He has led several international concert tours to Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, South America (Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, Colombia), USA, Australia, South Korea, and Namibia, and several countries of the South East Asia.
In 1993 he became Chief Conductor at the Symphony Orchestra of Pécs, Hungary with which he led concert tours in Germany and Switzerland, along with the regular concert series in Pécs and Budapest. Pécs Symphony under the baton of Pasquet also recorded the complete series of the Symphonic Works by the Hungarian composer Lászlo Lajtha for the label Marco Polo (total of 7 CDs). In 1998, honouring Mr. Pasquet’s support, promotion, and performing of Hungarian music, he was awarded the Béla Bartók/Ditta Pásztory Prize and the Lászlo-Lajtha Prize in Budapest. Following that appointment, Prof. Nicolás Pasquet was Chief Conductor at the Philharmonic Orchestra in Neubrandenburg, Germany (Neubrandenburger Philharmonie), where he conducted concerts, concert tours in Germany and abroad, and several CD recordings. There also was a regular co-operation with the Deutschlandfunk Köln (National Broadcasting) and the Deutschland Radio Berlin (National Broadcasting).
Nicolás Pasquet was also Chief Conductor at the Coburg State Theater Orchestra, where he was responsible for the concert series. Since then, he has had a close relationship with this Bavarian Orchestra.Mr. Pasquet has recorded (and continues so) a large discography for the labels Marco Polo, Naxos, and Beyer. His last production was the recording of Pierre Rode’s complete works for violin and orchestra with the violinist Friedemann Eichhorn and mainly the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 1994 Nicolás Pasquet was appointed Professor in Conducting at the University of Music FRANZ LISZT in Weimar, Germany where he coached an international conducting course and served as Chief Conductor of the symphonic orchestra. He retired from this postion in Summer 2024.
He also has led master courses in Spain, Austria, Brazil, Great Britain, and Czech Republic. He is a member of several national and international competition juries. Prof. Pasquet works intensely with youth and student orchestras, such as the Baden-Württemberg, Bavarian Youth Orchestra, and Hessen State Youth Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra Belvedere in Weimar (with which he was two times Winner of the 1st Prize at the German Youth Orchestras Competition), and the Interregional Youth Orchestra Baden-Württemberg/Ochsenhausen (IRO). He has conducted the South-East Asian Youth Chamber Orchestra, and the OJCA, Youth Symphony Orchestra from Central America and Caribbean.
From 2008 to 2023, Nicolás Pasquet was Chief Conductor of the Youth Symphony Orchestra of the State of Hesse, Germany (LJSO Hessen). For his work with this orchestra he was awarded the Medal of Honour of the State of Hessen, in 2024.
Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 8
1st movement
Wolfgang A. Mozart
Ballet music to “Idomeneo” KV367
Nr. 1 Chaconne, Nr. 2 „Pas seul“
Felix Mendelssohn
Symphony No. 4 in A major „Italian”
2 and 3 movements
Gustav Mahler
(Farrington-Arrangement)
Symphony No.1
1st and 2 movements
Richard Wagner
(Farrington-Arrangement)
Tristan Vorspiel
30.05.2025, Friday
10:00-12:00h First class meeting
14:00-17:00h Ensemble
18:00-21:00h Ensemble
31.05.2025, Saturday
14:00-16:30h Full Orchestra
17:30-20:00h Full Orchestra
01.05.2025, Sunday
14:00-17:00h Ensemble
18:00-21:00h Ensemble
02.05.2025, Monday
14:00-16:30h Full Orchestra
17:30-20:00h Full Orchestra
03.05.2025, Tuesday
Video recordings*
14:00-16:30h Full Orchestra
17:30-20:00h Full Orchestra
DISCLAIMER:
Please note that quality audio and video equipment is provided free of charge to all participants for the recording of their sessions for the duration of each masterclass. Allegra Academy also offers a dedicated video recording session on the last day of each masterclass in a dress-rehearsal-mode; these recordings are the only ones from the whole masterclass, which participants are allowed to publicly broadcast and publish on social media and other platforms.
