XXVII BELGRADE BAROQUE ACADEMY
AMADIGI DI GAULA

by George Frideric Handel

DATES TBA: MARCH – APRIL 2027

THE NEXT ACADEMY

Belgrade Baroque Academy presents AMADIGI by G.F. Handel

The captivating world of Baroque opera comes alive once again! After the great success of our last three years of Handel opera projects, featuring Rinaldo, Giulio Cesare, Alcina, Siroe, and Ariodante, of which Giulio Cesare also received the Award for the Best Concert Performance in 2024 from the music magazine "Musica Classica", Belgrade Baroque Academy is delighted to announce its next ambitious opera – the semi-staged presentation of Amadigi di Gaula by George Frideric Handel.

The Academy will be held from

approx. 1 March to 15 April 2027 and will last 10 days.

LOCATION

Perform Baroque Opera in the Heart of Europe

Experience the pulse of Europe in Belgrade, where the next Baroque Academy unfolds. This historic city, brimming with culture and vitality, invites you to its next vibrant chapter of musical excellence and international collaboration in the heart of Europe. For more information, you may visit lonelyplanet.com/serbia/belgrade

About the Opera:

Amadigi di Gaula is an enchanting drama of love, jealousy and sorcery, combining intimate emotional expression with dazzling vocal virtuosity. First performed at London’s King’s Theatre on 25 May 1715, the opera draws on the world of chivalric romance and unfolds in the enchanted domain of the sorceress Melissa.

The drama centres on the knight Amadigi and his beloved Oriana, whose fidelity is tested by Melissa’s magical powers and consuming passion for Amadigi. Their predicament deepens when his companion Dardano, himself in love with Oriana, becomes his rival. Through enchantments, deception and confrontation, Handel explores the conflicting desires of four vividly drawn characters, giving musical expression to their tenderness, jealousy, anguish and hope.

The score contains some of Handel’s most moving and brilliant music, including Dardano’s lament Pena tiranna. Each role offers singers an exceptional opportunity to develop vocal agility, expressive depth and dramatic characterisation. Belgrade Baroque Academy’s semi-staged presentation brings this magical world to life on period instruments, within an immersive programme dedicated to historically informed performance.

How to apply:

We are seeking singers for all principal roles: We are seeking singers for all four principal roles: Amadigi, Oriana, Melissa, Dardano and Orgando.

Preparations will take place over ten days, offering participants a unique opportunity to work with leading Baroque specialists and educators. We will also be joined by members of the award-winning period instrument ensemble New Trinity Baroque, who will share their expertise as the official orchestra in residence of the Belgrade Baroque Academy.

This intensive masterclass is intended for advanced singers and baroque instrumentalists (pitch: A=415 Hz). For those instrumentalists who don't have their own baroque instruments, one can be provided through the generous support of the Makris Institute of Music.

The primary language during the Academy will be ENGLISH, but our mentors also speak many others (Italian, German, Russian, French...).

Participation Details:

• Fee*: £1,200 GBP (€1400 EUR) for singers, and £600 GBP (€700 EUR) for instrumentalists. Opportunities for conductors may also exist by special arrangement (please inquire).• Deadline: Until full, but priority will be given to those who apply and pay a deposit of at least 25%. Payment in instalments is also possible – please inquire at application.

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Scholarships:
Limited number of partial scholarships are available to applicants for whom the fee is a challenge. Please inquire at application.

Accommodation:

While the accommodation is not included, we can offer assistance in finding suitable options (e.g. AirBnB, hotel recommendations).

Who should apply?

We welcome young, passionate singers and instrumentalists eager to explore the richness and expressive depth of Baroque musical interpretation.

Our mentors

With the guidance of distinguished experts this Academy offers a rare opportunity to refine your artistry and express yourself fully on stage. Past mentors included Handel opera expert, contralto Sonia Prina (La Scala, Italy); Academy's founder, harpsichordist, conductor and baritone Predrag Gosta; baroque violinist Simone Pirri; countertenor Sandro Rossi; flutist Meila Tomé; harpsichordists Dušan Toroman and Bojana Dimkovic; and others.

Participants will receive expert coaching in Baroque style and ornamentation, Italian diction, stage movement, and historical vocal and instrumental techniques. Instrumentalists will be coached in style, technique, ornamentation and the art of the accompaniment. Singers are expected to learn their roles in advance so that we can begin coaching and staging immediately.

Focusing primarily on the music, two final semi-staged performances with two different casts will be presented in Belgrade and in Novi Sad, and will be professionally recorded on video, providing a record of your participation and artistic development which you may use for your portfolio or future engagements. Professional photography will also be provided. Click here to see videos from previous Academies on our YouTube channel.

Day-to-Day Schedule

• Days 1-3: Intensive individual coaching focusing on recitatives, Italian diction, arias and ornamentation, with Predrag Gosta, and Sandro Rossi
• Day 4-5: Singers are undertaking additional vocal coaching with Handel expert, contralto Sonia Prina. Rehearsals with continuo section, focusing on recitatives, while orchestra rehearsals and coaching with Simone Pirri begin.

• Day 6: Italiana (Sitzprobe) with the full orchestra, focusing on arias. Integration of movement and dramatic elements within the semi-staged setting, directed from the harpsichord by Predrag Gosta, in preparation for the final days.
• Day 7: General rehearsals of the complete opera.
• Day 8-9: Final performances in Belgrade and Novi Sad (venues TBC, but in the past we performed at the Atrium of the National Museum and the Novi Sad Synagogue).

Note: The Academy officially runs from March to April 2027 (10 days), but all participants should arrive by the evening of the day before, as activities will begin the following morning at 10 a.m.

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