Madison Bach Musicians

12th Annual Chamber Music Workshop

Table of Contents

• Morning Small Group Ensembles
• Afternoon Classes and Large Group Ensembles
• Faculty
• Faculty Concert
• Tuition
• Join the Workshop

Morning Small Group Ensembles

All ages (13 and over), levels, and instruments are welcome. You can participate as a pre-formed ensemble, or we will create an ensemble for you with other attendees according to your level and instrument. The pitches can be A=440 or 415. We will focus on vocal and instrumental music from the Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical periods.  Scores will be provided in mid-June to practice in advance.  You will get coaching every day and you will have time to rehearse on your own every day as well.  For those groups who would like to perform, there will be a participants’ concert on Friday at 2:00 p.m.

Coaches: Lisette Kielson, Kangwon Kim, JungHae Kim, Trevor Stephenson, & Martha Vallon

Afternoon Classes and Large Group Ensembles

Classes and large group ensembles meet in four sessions between 1 PM and 5 PM on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Participants are asked to indicate on the registration form the classes and large group ensembles they wish to attend.

2026 AFTERNOON CLASSES

Bohemian Polyphony: an Exploration of Ensemble Singing and Playing through the Lens of the Late 15th/Early 16th Century Codex Speciàlnik or ‘Special Songbook’ from Prague with Geoffrey Williams
Open to ALL voices and instruments.  This collection of sacred music in 2-4 parts includes both rarities and familiar names like Josquin, Tinctoris, and Compère.  A=440.  Scores will be made available in advance but advance preparation isn’t required.

Continuo for All with JungHae Kim
Whether you play a bass, treble, or keyboard instrument, this class is for you! You will learn how to look at a piece with continuo figures from the perspective of the various instruments, and what the continuo figures might tell you about how to play your line. Harpsichordists will learn how to create different textures and dynamics while supporting the ensemble. No prior theory knowledge necessary! Bring your instrument to play along.

History of Early Keyboard Instruments with Trevor Stephenson
Class will explore the musical development and changing aesthetic aims of Organs, Clavichords, Harpsichords, and Fortepianos from the 14-18th centuries. We’ll have these instruments on-hand and can look at their construction and hear how repertoire from Frescobaldi to Beethoven sounds on each! 

Baroque Keyboard Technique with JungHae Kim
Learn how harpsichord technique differs from other keyboard instruments. Participants will learn how to create “dynamics” on the harpsichord and how to bring out different voices through articulation and learn a set of easy exercises to develop these skills. Participants may bring in specific pieces to work on or just their own curiosity! All levels welcome!

How to Play Well with Others: The Art of Good Rhythm and Timing in a Chamber Group with Sean Kleve
Beyond pitch, tone color, and interpretation, rhythm is the fundamental skill in music. Without a solid rhythmic foundation, musicians simply cannot play together. In this class, we will discuss the basics of chamber music, advanced applications of rhythmic complexity, and how to listen and adjust to others while you play. Specific practice techniques and rehearsal strategies will be discussed to help you advance to the next level of chamber music performance. 

Masterclass
Come and play for our faculty or just come and listen to these open lessons!  All solo or ensemble pieces are welcome, as well as workshop ensembles who desire additional coaching.  There will be a sign up sheet during the announcements each morning, and there will be at least two different faculty members listening and giving you constructive comments.

2026 AFTERNOON LARGE GROUP ENSEMBLES

Advanced String Ensemble with Kangwon Kim (A=440 with baroque bows)
Have you ever played in a conductorless ensemble where everyone is a leader?  Come and play some wonderful Baroque string music and learn the style and sound of an early music ensemble. You can play on your modern instruments at 440, but baroque bows are strongly encouraged.  If you have owned a baroque bow but did not get a chance to use it much, this ensemble is for you.  Kangwon has several extra baroque bows that she is happy to loan to people (first come first serve) for the week of the workshop.

Advanced Viola da Gamba Consort with Eric Miller
Join us for some consort playing on viols! We’ll explore four and five part gems from the English renaissance. Along the way, we’ll refine phrasing, articulation, and tone production. Open to intermediate to advanced viola da gamba players of all sizes.

Beginning Viola da Gamba Consort with Eric Miller
Explore the wonderful world of viols. We will cover the core essentials of the instrument including bow technique to create a flexible, singing, sound and tips for navigating the fretboard. We will spend time with choice music from the Renaissance through the Baroque and refine ensemble playing and style. Instruments of all sizes, treble, tenor, and bass, will be available for participants to borrow (free of charge).  Everyone is welcome!

Baroque Ensemble with Martha Vallon (A=415)
Play Baroque pieces from different European countries to experience, firsthand, the elements which create the varied national styles. The group will play in the final concert. Pitch will be 415; you can tune down your 440 instruments if needed. Open to all instrumentalists, with a special call out for violas!

Recorder Ensemble with Lisette Kielson
In this performance-oriented playing session, Lisette will direct music arranged for recorder consort from the Renaissance to the Baroque. The process of ‘preparing for a concert’ will go beyond the notes, and cover such wind-specific techniques as breathing, tone, and articulation, as well as address general ensemble-playing skills. Geared for intermediate and above players. Flutes and oboes welcome!

Vocal Ensemble with Geoffrey Williams
The music of Johann Sebastian Bach provides a great opportunity to examine the marriage of text and music. Participants will explore the development from plainsong chant melodies into Renaissance polyphony and the end result in the German Chorale. The repertoire for study, rehearsal and performance will include J.S. Bach’s predecessors Senfl, Isaac, Luther, Vulpius, Praetorius, Schein, Kuhnau, and Johann Michael Bach. Special focus daily will be given to studying Johann Sebastian’s unique harmonic and textual approach to the Chorale. Beginners strongly encouraged. The ensemble aims to give participants the opportunity to work closely with like-minded colleagues to refine their skill set for vocal chamber music performance.  Along the way, special attention is given to issues such as vocal production and vocal health, approaches to language in singing including diction and rhetoric, as well as development of ensemble leadership skills, including conducting gesture, rehearsal preparation, and communication. Beginners strongly encouraged!

2026 Faculty

Faculty Concert – Thursday, July 9, 7:30 PM

Our faculty concert is one of the highlights of summer in Madison. We welcome participants and the public to enjoy a unique selection of early music performed by our faculty on period instruments.

2026 Tuition

$475 – Complete workshop (9 AM – 5 PM, Tuesday – Friday, including ensembles, classes, lunch, and evening faculty concert)
$275 – Half days only (mornings or afternoons, lunch not included)
$100 – Large group ensemble
$90 – Lunch and snacks purchased separately for part-time participants
$25 – Faculty Concert, July 9, 7:30 PM

Tuition is $475 (full workshop) and $275 (half day) before April 15 and rises to $500 and $300, respectively afterwards, due upon registration. Registration for the full workshop, including the morning chamber music ensembles, closes May 1. We welcome groups that are preformed in addition to individuals that wish to be placed in groups. If you are an individual who is registering for a chamber ensemble, please send a two to five minute sample of your playing for placement to Kangwon Kim at kangwonleekim@gmail.com unless you have participated in the past. Because significant amounts of time and effort go into placing participants into suitable ensemble groups, a cancellation fee of $60 will apply. No tuition refunds are available after June 1. You may enroll in half day afternoon classes and large afternoon ensembles until June 30.

We offer a limited number of full and partial scholarships to assist those who are unable to afford workshop tuition. (Find more information under “Scholarship Opportunities” below.) Additionally, we provide instrument loans for participants who do not have their own. For information, please contact workshop director Kangwon Kim at kangwonleekim@gmail.com or Karen Rebholz at madisonbachmusicians.manager@gmail.com.