Let your "Dream Course" come true, when and how you wish!
Make music together in the cultural and green heart of Italy: Umbria
by tutors of Accademia Amsterdam or your preferred coach
Deruta, Perugia - Spring 2026
for active music lovers: (choir) singers and instrumentalists
Do the dates not suit you? Make us a proposal!
Make music together and meet like-minded people.
Individual guidance from professional tutor(s).
Bring your music friends or members of your choir.
Interesting excursions or side-courses at wish.
Chamber music and (choir) singing
Accademia Amsterdam organises courses for music and art lovers in Deruta, famous for its majolica ceramics. Imagine to make music and sing in a cosy medieval “borgo”, where the arts surround you. We are sure that this will be an unforgettable experience.
We propose courses at the end of May, as the weather is ideal. But if this period isn't convenient for you, you can propose us alternative dates. The musicians of Accademia Amsterdam play together with course members in chamber music. A performance will take place in an historical and inspiring location.
The music courses concentrate on the enjoyment of ensemble music and/or singing. Everybody can participate at his own level. Whether you are a singer or an instrumentalist, we will find you a suited way to join. We are open to adapt to your propsals. Our skilled tutor(s) offer extra master classes for soloists and instrumentalists.
If you would like to participate with your own chamber choir, you can join workshops vocal ensemble and follow additional workshops to improve your singing technique. The music courses can be very well combined with side course(s) drawing & painting, or Italian cooking.
Duration of the course: 2-14 days, including at least one performance at wish.
Watch and share the video here to get an impression of the atmosphere.
Who can attend?
Who can attend?
The courses are open to (choir) singers and instrumentalists. Professional tutor(s) of Accademia Amsterdam adapt to your individual level, whether advanced or less experienced. Participants of all ages are welcome, from moderately advanced amateurs to college of music students. Though our tutors are experienced baroque specialists, “modern” players are equally welcome. They can enrich their knowledge of music performance, while musicians who are more experienced with baroque performance, will get more in-depth knowledge about interpretation.
Instrumentalists of all ages can apply: string players, wind players, harpsichordists, other keyboard players and players of plucked instruments like lute or guitar. We support both “modern” and baroque instruments (A'=440Hz and A'=4150Hz respectively). The repertoire can be tailored according to your wishes.
We invite (choir) singers to bring singing-friends or members of your choir to join a vocal ensemble. On an individual basis, you can sing in a mixed chamber ensemble, whether on an advanced or a basic level.
For who wants individual coaching or needs extra support, we organise lessons or master classes for instrumentalists and singers to get tailored tips and tricks about technique and to gain greater insight into musical interpretation.
It is always possible to combine these courses with side course(s) drawing & painting, or Italian cooking.
Presentations
If you wish to present yourself at the end of the course, we will organise at least one performance in beautiful historic location. Participants of the arts and cooking course have the possibility to show or let taste their results during the participant's performance or the final meal.
Excursions
We can organise an excursion at wish, for instance, to explore the medieval hill-top towns around, a visit to Assisi or Perugia, or an excursion on e-bike in the countryside. (An extra charge may apply). An excursion in ceramics town Deruta, one of the "borghi più belli d'Italia" is always included.
Italian kitchen
Of course we do not forget the good life: dinners are being served in the proper Italian way, on the terrace of a local Umbrian restaurant (weather permitting). All course members and their family, partners or friends can join them. During lunch or dinner you may be able to taste results of the cooking course. Before the final party dinner, the restaurant will offer you a typical Italian ‘aperitivo’.
Side programme
We offer an interesting and varied side programme for interested people of any age and level, including children, friends and partners of participants. This involves classes in painting & drawing and Italian cooking.
Where to stay?
Since the course locations offers three affordable rooms, it is possible to stay with a small group at Casa "Le tre Muse" in Deruta. There is a kitchen to cook your own meals. On the court-yard you can enjoy your own breakfast. Alternatively you can choose several affordable accommodations on walking distance of the course location. If you have your own transport, you can stay in an agriturismo in the countryside. We will advise you which accommodation, and we can help you with booking.
Tutors
Curricula
Antonio Magarelli, born in Molfetta (Bari), is graduated in Piano, Music Pedagogy, Choral Music and Choir direction, Band Instrumentation and Conducting at the Conservatory of Bari and Monopoli. He studied composition and continued his study conducting and interpretation of the repertoire with Peter Neumann, Gary Graden, Nicole Corti, Javier Busto, Bo Holten, Paul Smith. He attended the International Academy for Choral Conductors and Singers in Fano and the Laboratory of choral conducting at the Conservatory in Monopoli. He studied singing with Claudio Cavina and Steve Woodbury.
He specialized in the interpretation and practice of the Renaissance and Baroque repertoire. At the institute “S. Cecilia” in Brescia attended an annual course of Semiography and Musical Palaeography and a Laboratory of Renaissance and Baroque music.
Antonio Magarelli is frequently involved as choir and orchestra director. He has participated as a speaker at the VI National Conference at the Research Center of History and Art of Bitonto (Ba) by publishing an essay on the Renaissance composer Agostino Scozzese. He edited the transcription of some of the works of Francesco Durante and two books of madrigals of Luzzasco Luzzaschi.
Antonio Magarelli directed the world premiere of two new works by composers from Puglia: the Passio Domini Jesu Christi Secundum Joannem by Vito Antonio Raffaele Cozzoli (1777-1817) and Inno al Sole by Giuseppe Millico (1737-1802), cantata for two sopranos and orchestra. For Digressione Music he has recorded choral works by the contemporary composer Francesco Lisena and the Passio Domini Jesu Christi by Vito Antonio Cozzoli with period instruments. Since 2007 he is director of the “Cappella Musicale Corradiana” based in Molfetta.
Onno Verschoor studied recorder with Adriënne du Clou and oboe with Koen van Slogteren at the Conservatory in Zwolle, the Netherlands. In 1984 he decided to specialize in the baroque oboe, initially studying with Taka Kitazato and then with Ku Ebbinge at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. In 1989 Onno Verschoor graduated in baroque oboe and historical performance, also obtaining his recorder soloist diploma with distinction.
Currently he is active as a freelance musician with many of Europe’s baroque orchestras, including Concerto d'Amsterdam, Telemannisches Collegium Michaelstein, L'Orfeo (Linz), the Utrecht Baroque Consort, Anima Aeterna (Brussels), The King's Consort (London), Das Neue Orchester (Cologne) and Accademia Barocca Willem Hermans (Rome). With the latter ensemble he performed in 2007 as a soloist for a CD of recorder concertos by Telemann.
Onno Verschoor performs in various ensembles specializing in chamber music between 1300 and 1850. He has collaborated on radio, television and CD recordings (RAI Italy, Dutch broadcasting companies, Mitteldeutscher and Westdeutscher Rundfunk, CPO Germany, Tactus Milano).
Onno Verschoor has been artistic director of Accademia Amsterdam since 1990. This ensemble has performed at festivals in France and Italy, and in concert series in the Netherlands (e.g. at the Holland Early Music Festival) and in Germany. The ensemble is also involved with chorus accompaniments. In 1994 Onno Verschoor co-organized a project to stage the Opéra-ballet ‘l’Europe Galante’ by André Campra. In 2002 and 2010 he made a CD recording with Accademia Amsterdam of dance music from the 17th and 18th century: ‘A Choice Collection of Dances’. The ensemble has collaborated on projects with the professional chamber choir Capella Frisiae. In 2006 Accademia Amsterdam was guest at Festival Solomeo in Perugia where it gave concerts as part of the Mozart year, playing the 40th Symphony. In 2007, in collaboration with Italian colleagues he recorded a CD of Dutch and Italian chamber music from the 18th century. Since 2009 he has focused with this ensemble on the rediscovery and recording of the cantatas by Handel’s teacher, F.W. Zachow. A CD of Christmas cantatas was released in 2010.
He founded the wind ensemble ‘Fiati Amsterdam’ which performs on historical wind instruments.
He is a teacher of baroque performance practice on baroque oboe and recorder, untill 2016 he worked at a Centre for Artistic Education in the Netherlands.
Jan Pieter van Coolwijk studied violin and baroque violin at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague with Jacques Holtman, Vera Beths and Lucy van Dael. As musician he works in Europe, particularly in France, Spain, Germany and, of course, the Netherlands. He has international professional experience including the Nederlands Balletorkest, Nieuw Sinfonietta Amsterdam, La Grande Ecurie, Académie Sainte Cécile, Münchener Monteverdi Ensemble, Rheinische Kantorei, Nederlandse Bachvereniging and The New Consort (Utrecht) with Frans Brüggen, Sigiswald Kuijken, William Christie and Jean Claude Malgoire. Jan Pieter is concertmaster at baroque orchestra Accademia Amsterdam, the Spanish ensemble Capella de Ministrers (Valencia), with which he made a concert tour in Mexico, and the French baroque orchestra Le Capriccio Français.
Mariëtte Holtrop studied after her solodiplom for violin, baroqueviolin with Sigiswald Kuijken. Then she played regularly with conductors as Philippe Herreweghe, René Jacobs, Gustav Leohnard, William Christie a.o.
She has been giving concerts as making CD's in several chamber-ensembles and has been leading several orchestras in Europe such as Orquestra Reial de Valencia, De Nederlandse Opera, Capilla Reial de Madrid, Currende and Utrechts Barokconsort. For twenty years she was leader of the baroque orchestra Concerto d'Amsterdam. At present Mariette Holtrop is concert master of Accademia Amsterdam, Camerata da Fusignano and Barokopera Amsterdam. She is giving regularly courses and coaches the semi-professional baroque string orchestra Sarabanda.
Wilma van der Wardt studied cello and viola da gamba with Ben de Ligt at the College of Music in Groningen, The Netherlands. She graduated with special distinction for chamber music. She followed courses and master-classes with cellists William Pleeth and Jaap ter Linden, and with viola da gamba players Jordi Savall and Wieland Kuijken.
For some years she was a founder member of l´Orchestre des Champs-Élysées (Paris), conducted by Philippe Herreweghe.
Currently she is, nationally and internationally, playing in a number of baroque ensembles and orchestras, such as Concerto d’Amsterdam, the Northern Consort, Accademia Amsterdam and the Amsterdams Consort, and appears frequently as viola da gamba soloist with many Dutch orchestras in Bach’s Passion music. In addition she plays on many cd-recordings.
Wilma van der Wardt has an extensive teaching practise for cello and viola da gamba. She is connected with the Prins Claus Conservatorium in Groningen as coach Early Music.
