Empower: how to develop a music business idea

By Emilia Campagna - July 1, 2024

Among the various opportunities Theresia offers its musicians is a capacity-building programme that includes workshops, courses, and seminars designed to cultivate broader skills crucial for young musicians shaping their professional futures. One specific seminar is dedicated to coaching musicians in developing music business ideas led by Claudia Crippa, Head of Business Innovation at ICONS and Lorenzo Morelli, Junior Officer Business Innovation at ICONS
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Among the various opportunities Theresia offers its musicians is a capacity-building programme that includes workshops, courses, and seminars designed to cultivate broader skills crucial for young musicians shaping their professional futures. The Theresia Academy is training scheme that goes beyond traditional rehearsals and instrument study. Co-funded by the EU as part of the Empower project, ICONS runs this comprehensive training programme. The various modules range from improving communication skills and self-care practices, to integrating soft skills with high musical proficiency.

One specific seminar is dedicated to coaching musicians in developing music business ideas. This module is led by Claudia Crippa, Head of Business Innovation at ICONS and Lorenzo Morelli, Junior Officer Business Innovation at ICONS. We spoke with Claudia and Lorenzo to find out more about the course they teach.

What does your training module cover?

In the organisation, economic and managerial skills module, we are mainly focusing on the use of an effective business planning tool known as the “Business Model Canvas”. This tool is essentially a framework with various sections that cover goals, activities, partnerships, and other crucial aspects that need to be taken into consideration when structuring any professional or business activity.

Why do you think this business course is useful for emerging musicians?

Getting to know the inner mechanisms of a business plan can be immensely useful for emerging musicians. It helps them clarify their goals, chart their career path in the music industry, and identify the necessary steps to achieve success. These questions-and answers-can span strictly musical objectives (how to become a permanent or regular member of an orchestra, how to set up an ensemble, or how to get into teaching) and broader career strategies such as event planning and management. We also offer insights into personal aspects on how best to manage one’s energy, ensuring a holistic approach to career development.

What were the goals identified by the course participants, and how did they work towards them?

The most common goal, understandably, is achieving financial stability: which became the focal point of our workshop. We explored the steps necessary to achieve this goal, starting with identifying stakeholders – colleagues to interact with and target audiences to address. We take a closer look at the importance of improving personal skills, ranging from strictly musical and technical proficiency to interpersonal skills. Participants then identified specific needs, such as the costs associated with further education or instrument maintenance. This led to the key question: how can these financial needs be met? how can I earn the money I need to pay for a courses or instrument check-up? The responses were diverse and enlightening ranging from the most obvious “get a contract in an orchestra” to the more creative approaches such as “organising concerts and sell tickets” to “participating in public calls for grants aimed at supporting young artists”.

How were the lessons structured?

The lessons began with an introductory explanation of the model. In a next phase, participants were divided into small groups to gather feedback and stimulate discussion. This approach encouraged peer interaction, allowing diverse and innovative ideas to emerge from withing the group. Finally, we provided personalised feedback to further refine individual understanding and application of the concepts discussed.

Did the course conclude with the completion of the Business Model Canvas?

Well yes, the core components were covered in the basic part of the seminar. Additionally, there was an optional module that consisted on designing, as concretely as possible, an event: the ideas that emerged in the first phase was often general, and participants had to investigate the various economic, logistical, and organisational aspects to gain a better understanding of the practical issues involved. We offer support throughout this process to ensure practical implementation.

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Celebrating Earth Day: a glimpse into Theresia’s carbon offset initiatives

By Emilia Campagna - April 22, 2024

Today is Earth Day! It's a special day to mark the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. As we celebrate this day, we're would like to share what kind of actions we have taken to offset or reduce the carbon emissions resulting from our orchestra's activities.
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Today is Earth Day! It’s a special day to mark the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. As we celebrate this day, we’re would like to share what kind of actions we have taken to offset or reduce the carbon emissions resulting from our orchestra’s activities. We’ve connected with Matteo Molteni, Sustainability consultant at Up2You, the specialized company that has collaborated with us to device a custom carbon offset strategy for our orchestra.

Matteo Molteni, what does Theresia’s carbon offsetting activity involve?

The carbon offsetting activity spans three years, during which we quantify the emissions stemming from musicians’ travel and consumption associated with residencies and concerts. With accurate data provided by Theresia’s management, we determine the CO2 emissions and their resulting climate impact. Using this data, we compensate by supporting natural and technological projects around the world that are certified for their high CO2 sequestration capacity.

What nature projects are part of Theresia’s offset activities?

Theresia’s offset activities include two significant projects. Firstly, the Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve Project safeguards a buffer forest on Borneo Island, Indonesia. Positioned between a nature park and an industrial zone, it effectively limits the expansion of the industrial area. This project holds international recognition, certified by the non-profit organization Verra. Rimba Raya has garnered two additional certifications from Verra beyond the basic one: the first, CBB (Climate Community and Biodiversity), acknowledges its positive impact on the local community and the protection of endangered species, in this case orangutans. The second certification, ESD VISTA, assesses its contribution to the objectives outlined in the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Development: Rimba Raya aligns with all seventeen goals!

Rimba Raya protects 422 animal species including one of the last populations of wild orangutans in the world.

The second nature project is located in Uruguay and involves the restoration of the Guanarè Forest, formerly degraded pastureland that has been converted into a forest area. The ecosystem has not only been preserved but also revitalized. The project has earned CBB certification from Verra for its significant positive impact on biodiversity and the local community.

Guanaré Forest Plantation. The project is located in the north central region of Uruguay covering an area of 20,000 hectares, annually 127 thousand tons of CO₂ are captured.

What are the technology projects?

The first projects is situated in Brazil and involves the support for constructing a hydroelectric power plant. Given that Brazil, like many other South American countries, predominantly generates electricity from coal-fired power plants, establishing a facility for producing clean energy is not economically feasible without external support. In the complete absence of national public incentives for such initiatives, obtaining international certification has facilitated access to capital, enabling the coverage of construction costs.

Clean energy: inside the power hydroelectric plant

Finally, in China, the Heqing Solar Cooker Project supplies local communities with solar-powered cookers as alternatives to coal-fired ones. This initiative enables the production of clean thermal energy for heating, hot water, and cooking.

Up to the boiling point… The Solar Cooker allows residents to efficiently replace coal with solar energy

How long have you been working on this activity?

Up2You was founded in 2020 and has experienced rapid growth since then. I’ve been with the company since 2022, initially joining a team of 20 people. Now, we have expanded to a team of 50, marking significant growth both for Up2You and the industry as a whole. Our portfolio of projects and clients continues to expand, partly because of the willingness of some companies to integrate sustainable practices, and partly driven by a growing recognition of future regulatory obligations.

Do you have individual customers?

We operate primarily as a business-to-business intermediary, focusing on companies interested in implementing carbon offsetting strategies, such as the ICONS Foundation. BHowever, we’ve observed an increasing number of individuals seeking information and advice from us. As part of our future plans, we are planning to develop software that would enable you as an individual to measure your own carbon footprint.

Do you have other clients in the music industry?

We have previously provided consulting services to measure the environmental impact of music events and concerts, but this is the first time we have worked with an orchestra on an ongoing basis.

How did you quantify the orchestra’s emissions, and what advice do you give Theresia’s musicians to actively reduce their carbon footprint?

Theresia produced 40 tons of CO2 in 2022 and 34 tons of CO2 in 2023: these values are not particularly high because virtuous behaviours such as using buses and trains for transportation were already in place. If trips were made by plane, the numbers would be much higher! However, there is always room for improvement and the advice is always to carefully consider the logistical aspect, such as combining several concerts in close proximity on the same tour, to minimize travel. Additionally, we recommend the use of trains as much as possible, and if car trips are necessary, to opt for car sharing as much as possible.

Get an overview of Theresia Orchestra’s ongoing offsetting activities.

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Picking a fight… or how to survive a train journey with a double bass

By theresia - April 16, 2024

Theresia's double bass player, Ariel Walton, shares her experiences and useful tips on how to travel by train as a musician: even with a bulky companion!
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Theresia’s double bass player, Ariel Walton, shares her experiences and useful tips on how to travel by train as a musician: even with a bulky companion!

by Ariel Walton

I never thought about picking a fight with a drunk, burly tattooed and pierced guy until he almost sat on my double bass. Let’s backtrack about how I got here…

Hello lovely reader, my name is Ariel, and I have been playing the double bass for most of my life. I’m from the beautiful state of Pennsylvania in the United States of America. As much as I enjoyed living there, there were more music opportunities for me by traveling across the Atlantic to live in the Netherlands.

Beautiful Pensylvania… As much as I enjoyed living there, there were more music opportunities for me by traveling across the Atlantic to live in the Netherlands.

To say it’s been a complete culture shock is an understatement. While I could ramble ad nauseam about the minute details between these two countries, I would like to focus on one today: Transportation.

Like most of Europe, there has been an eco-friendly push to use public transit. No problem if you play the kazoo, but when you have an instrument larger than you, it can pose quite an “adventure.” This includes taking trams, subways, buses, and of course the topic of today: the train.

Honestly, I had no previous experience relying on trains to transport my instrument before I moved to Europe. When I was in youth orchestra, my parents would drive me an hour one way to rehearse in State College. Later, I would frequently go to Pittsburgh, a two-and-a-half hour commute, for private lessons. That is the norm, and it makes sense since 90% of households in the US have at least one car. The car represents flexibility and efficiency to travel wherever one needs to go. Realistically, it was the only option in the area I grew up.

Consequently, I had to quickly learn the dos and don’ts of traveling with my large and cumbersome companion when in Europe. Based on the short time I have been using European trains to travel, here’s what I recommend:

1. DO look for train cars with handicap, bicycle, or baby-stroller markings… engineers have designed them specifically for those items to fit. Your baby — ahem I mean bass will be most comfortable there.

2. DO plan on getting dirty sitting on the floor, in the aisle, or wedged into a door frame. It’s not traveling in style, but it gets the job done.

3. DO pack snacks. No one wants to deal with a hungry and stressed musician.

4. DON’T expect to make every train. Even an Olympic sprinter couldn’t make it across the platform if the area is packed full of people.

5. DON’T forget to smile and be appreciative of the transportation staff. They’re just doing their job.

6. DON’T pick a fight with a drunk burly tattooed and pierced guy in Arnhem when he goes to sit on your bass!

…sitting on the floor of a train… It’s not traveling in style, but it gets the job done.

As climatic as it would have been to tackle that man american-football-style to the ground, I quickly realized it was not worth it to try reasoning with a person who was drunk and twice my size. I simply offered him my seat, which he willingly took. While sitting on the floor was not the most comfortable position, I knew that my instrument was safe from him sitting on it. Did he learn his lesson? Probably not… (the real question that concerns me is what led him to being drunk at 10 am on a train!?)

The one positive aspect of this experience was knowing that I was being environmentally friendly by using public transportation. Furthermore, the project I was traveling for, the Theresia Orchestra, is part of a larger group called ICONS who works with an outside party to carbon-offset all the travel its musicians do. They have projects in four different countries and have already captured 74.44 tons of CO2. By choosing to take a train over a car, these emissions for each individual are more than halved. Additionally, consider that these trains can seat 450-900 people, compared to most cars only seating 5. For perspective, a single average car owner in America produces 4.6 tons of CO2 annually. While public transportation is not the most glamorous way to travel with a bass, I argue it is the sustainable thing to do for our planet.

Bass by the door: at the very least, we will be the first to go down!

Hopefully these ramblings have been insightful and amusing. I’m curious to hear your instrument travel adventures.

Your hysterical-bassist* Ariel

*@hystericalbass is my instagram handle

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Rethinking musical experiences

By Laurène Patard-Moreau - March 19, 2024

Theresia Ambassador Laurène Patard-Moreau explores innovative ways to reimagine musical experiences, aiming to captivate new audiences, with inspiring examples from France.
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Rethinking musical experiences to attract a new audience – Examples in France

Read the French version

For several years now, concert halls have been facing a persistent issue: less people are attending classical music concerts. Besides that, if we take a look at who these concert-goers are, we can also notice that they are mainly elderly people, regulars, or musicians themselves. Therefore, as an artist today, one of the most important question to think about is: how to attract a new public, especially young people? This is essential for the future of our art, and it is one of Theresia’s missions.
I strongly believe that, to be able to renew our audience and attract more people, we need to rethink musical experiences. In concrete terms, inventing new ways of involving audiences in the unique experience of listening to music, by changing the codes and format of the concert as we know it today. As you may have already read in my blogpost The day I discovered Baroque Jam Sessions, I am passionate about creating different ways to experience music, especially in HIP practice. I think the early music movement suits itself best for experimentation because it’s part of its DNA to research, explore and question. Some ensembles in France have already understood this need and I would like to highlight a few examples here.

Participatory Concerts

In Paris, the famous concert hall La Philharmonie invented Les Concerts Participatifs (participatory concerts). They offer various concepts, some in which the audience (amateurs musicians) come on stage to play within the orchestra, and others where they sing from their seats. For the former, some rehearsals are planned a day ahead.
Les Arts Florissants (Paris, France) conducted by William Christie often take part in this concept. Last Christmas, when playing the Messiah by Handel, they invited the audience to sing along the encore of the concert, the famous “Hallelujah” and “Since by man came death”. I didn’t see it in person, but it looked very moving on social media, and the musicians I know described it as a unique experience. The audience was singing from the hall (not the stage), and could download the parts on the website before attending the concert.
Link video (in French but you can use subtitles)

Concerts a la Criée

In Toulouse, The Chamber Orchestra (Orchestre de Chambre de Toulouse) invented a concept to involve the audience in a different way : ‘Les Concerts à la Criée’. In these concerts, the public instead of receiving a program, receives a Menu. During the evening people ask what they want to listen to, the same way people ask what they want in a market : by screaming ! In French this name refers to a ‘fish market’, where people need to scream to order fresh fish. This Menu is composed of categories, in each of which features a list of pieces that they can choose from. Only the first one (Amuse Bouche) is planned, on this example a piece by Mozart, and the last one (Dessert) which is the chef’s surprise.

Example of the Menu of the 2023 programme

I have been there when I was younger, and I remember it as a very unique experience. You can see people expressing themselves, allowing themselves to shout, to make noise, overall not being serious. The same goes for the musicians, whose expressions show that they enjoy seeing the audience being driven by the desire to be heard, as if the roles were reversed for one concert. In fact, the audience is louder than the musicians. I believe that is also a way for this orchestra to get to know their audience better, to test them : are they really involved ? Who are they ? Do they know the pieces we play ?
Link video (in French but you can use subtitles)

Renewing Opera productions

Another way to diversify our audience is to use crossovers in styles and repertoire. The best example I know of is the opera production Les Indes Galantes directed by Clément Cogitore in Opéra Bastille (Paris) in 2019. Besides showing how early works echoes many social issues nowadays, this production opened my eyes to the power of music to connect people in our society. I watched the documentary made by Philippe Béziat that followed the creation and explains the reasons behind the director’s ideas, and I recommend it to the reader. By mixing music of the 18th century (Rameau) with urban dances from the 20th and 21st centuries (e.g. hip-hop, krump, and many others), Clément Cogitore succeeded in the challenge of mixing audiences. On one side, he brought not only a new public but also performers to the Opera who probably would never have been there if not for the production. And on the other side, he brought a new art, the street dances, a heritage of the immigrant populations, to the regular audience of the hall, most of whom are used to classical music and dance. The result is strongly political and gives many solutions to the sociological issues of concert halls.
Link video extrait (Danse du Grand Calumet de la Paix)

Trailer of the documentary (in French)

In conclusion, there is plenty of room for experimentation c when it comes to the format of early music concerts. Some may be historically accurate, while others could be newly invented formats. Being more in touch with our audience could be a first step to bringing more diversity and making the classical music world more attractive.

French version

Repenser les experiences musicales pour attirer un nouveau public
Exemples en France

Depuis plusieurs années maintenant, les salles de concert font face à un problème persistant : le public des concerts de musique classique se réduit. En plus de ça, si on regarde attentivement qui sont ces spectateurs, on peut remarquer qu’il s’agit principalement de personnes âgées, d’habitués, ou de musiciens eux même. C’est pourquoi en tant qu’artiste aujourd’hui, la plus importante question à se poser est : comment attirer un nouveau public, et particulièrement les jeunes ? C’est nécessaire pour le futur de notre art, et c’est une des missions de Theresia.

Je pense sincèrement que pour renouveler notre auditoire et attirer de nouvelles personnes nous devons repenser les expériences musicales. Concrètement, inventer de nouvelles manières d’impliquer le public dans l’expérience unique qu’est écouter de la musique, en changeant les codes et le format du concert tel qu’on le connaît aujourd’hui. Vous avez peut-être déjà lu mon post ‘Le jour où j’ai découvert les jam sessions de musique baroque’, je suis passionnée par créer de nouvelles manières de vivre et expérimenter la musique, surtout dans le mouvement de musique ancienne (HIP). Je pense que ce mouvement est le plus à même d’expérimenter car c’est dans son ADN de rechercher, d’explorer, de questionner. Certains ensembles ont déjà compris ce besoin et j’aimerai vous montrer ici quelques exemples en France.

Concerts Participatifs

À Paris, la célèbre Philharmonie a inventé Les Concerts Participatifs. Ils proposent plusieurs formats, certains dans lesquels le public (des musiciens amateurs) vient sur scène pour jouer avec l’orchestre, et d’autres où ils chantent depuis leur siège. Pour ces derniers, des répétitions sont prévues un jour à l’avance.
Les Arts Florissants (Paris, France) dirigé par William Christie prend souvent part à l’expérience. A Noël dernier, lorsqu’ils ont joué le Messie de Handel, ils ont invité le public à chanter avec eux le bis du concert, le très célèbre “Hallelujah” et “Since by man came death”. Je n’y étais pas moi même, mais sur les réseaux sociaux ça avait l‘air très émouvant, et les musiciens que je connais l’ont décrit comme une expérience unique. Le public chantait depuis la salle (et non sur scène) et avait pu télécharger les partitions sur le site internet en amont du concert.
Lien video (en français)
https://youtu.be/mqbntpK26Rg?si=5HNX5DXh3R_RkOsm

Concerts à la Criée

À Toulouse, l’Orchestre de Chambre a inventé un concept pour impliquer le public d’une autre manière: ‘Les Concerts à la Criée’. Lors de ces concerts, à la place de recevoir un un programme, le public reçoit un Menu. Pendant la soirée ils demandent ce qu’ils veulent entendre de la même manière que dans un marché au poisson (ce à quoi le nom réfère dailleurs): en criant ! Le Menu est composé de catégories, dans lesquelles se trouvent une liste de pièces qu’ils peuvent choisir. Seule la première (Amuse-Bouche, sur cet exemple une pièce de Mozart) et la dernière (Dessert, qui est la surprise du chef) sont prévues.

Exemple du Menu au programme en 2023

J’y suis allée quand j’étais plus jeune, et je me souviens que c’était vraiment une expérience unique. On peut voir les gens s’exprimer, se permettre de crier, de faire du bruit, et surtout de ne pas être sérieux. C’est la même chose du côté des musiciens, leurs expressions montrent qu’ils apprécient voir le public crier pour se faire entendre, c’est comme si les rôles étaient inversés pour le temps dun concert. En fait, le public est plus sonore que les musiciens. Je pense que c’est aussi une bonne manière pour l’orchestre de connaître son public, de le tester: est ce qu’il est vraiment impliqué? Qui sont ses membres? Est ce qu’ils connaissent les pièces qu’on joue?
Lien video (en français)
https://youtu.be/Oth3OR2KUtI?si=ZqQJoW_tOBReZNlB

Renouveler les productions d’Opéra

Une autre façon de diversifier notre public, serait d’utiliser des mélanges et des collaborations entre différents styles et répertoires.
Le meilleur exemple que je connais à ce jour est la production Les Indes Galantes mis en scène par Clément Cogitore à l’Opéra Bastille (Paris) en 2019. En plus de nous montrer comment une oeuvre ancienne fait échos a beaucoup de problèmes sociaux actuel, cette production m’a ouvert les yeux sur le pouvoir de la musique de connecter les gens dans notre société. J’ai vu le documentaire fait par Philippe Béziat, qui a suivi la création et qui explique les raisons derrière ce projet, et je le recommande vivement au lecteur. En mélangeant de la musique du 18e siècle (Rameau) avec des danses urbaines du 20e et 21e siècles (hip-hop, krump, et beaucoup d’autres), Clément Cogitore relève le défi de mélanger les publics. Il a amené non seulement de nouveaux spectacteurs, mais aussi des artistes performers qui ne serait probablement jamais venus à l’Opéra si ce n’est pour cette production. D’un autre côté, il a amené un nouvel art, les danses de tradition urbaines, un héritage des populations immigrantes, au public régulier et habitué aux productions d’opéra de musique et de danses dites classiques. Le résultat est fortement politique et donne beaucoup de solutions au problème de mixité sociale des salles de concerts.
Lien vidéo extrait (Danse du Grand Calumet de la Paix)
https://youtu.be/TfQJZ76WR0U?si=iRwdvYqbOHnwQFpE
Bande annonce du documentaire (en français)
https://youtu.be/ImwXHgfCeao?si=LkCd43LgLmzPw7qU

En conclusion, je dirai qu’il y a beaucoup d’espace pour expérimenter avec le format des concerts dans le monde de la musique ancienne. Certains étant historiquement valables, tandis que d’autres pourraient encore être inventés. Être au contact avec notre public pourrait être un premier pas pour amener plus de diversité et rendre le monde de la musique classique plus attractif.

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Theresia Academy, a training scheme for professional development skills

By Emilia Campagna - November 21, 2023

Ready for the Theresia Academy? Our capacity building programme, a series of seminars implemented as part of the EU funded EMPOWER project, is off to its second run and we are looking forward to it.
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Ready for the Theresia Academy? Our capacity building programme, a series of seminars implemented as part of the EU funded EMPOWER project, is off to its second run and we are looking forward to it.

In today’s music industry, and especially in the freelance-heavy HIP world, musicians face numerous challenges. In response, we launched this comprehensive training initiative in 2022 with the aim of enhancing our ability to foster the development of the young talents who join our orchestra. We strongly believe that for emerging musicians to flourish, progress, and acquire the indispensable skills needed for a successful professional career, it is imperative to not only provide valuable opportunities for studying and performing music in both orchestral and chamber settings but also to provide training in communication, well-being, and management.

A glimpse into the new catalogue unveils a wealth of offerings, incorporating 14 seminars that cover excellence in artistic performance, organizational proficiency, economic and managerial acumen, digital and technological expertise, personal growth and well-being, and a special focus on ecological transition.

Participants provided positive feedback after the inaugural year of implementing this training scheme, which is led by experts associated with ICONS, the foundation overseeing and supporting Theresia. We have leveraged all the feedback received in order to improve our offerings and now present a series of courses designed for both online and in-person engagement, featuring practical tutorials and opportunities for meaningful dialogue with teachers. The improved training modules now include additional learning aids to better suit the different learning styles or our students. We provide full support to the learning experience through interviews and coaching, accompanying our students in building a complete professional profile and choosing choosing the courses that align best with their individual needs.

In short, we tried to put ourselves as much as possible in the shoes of a young musician at the start of their career, and this is what we have in store for them: a digital learning environment that allows musicians to learn at their own pace, with individual learning paths designed in response to individual needs, and there’s lots of room for one-to-ones with tutors during dedicated sessions within small groups.

Musical knowledge

The lectures focusing on musical competence and knowledge span from deepening “Specific aspects of organology of the classical period” and “How to read the ancient literary musical sources” to an in-depth analysis of Traetta’s Rex Salomon, and the influence of the Neapolitan opera on the Classical Instrumental Style. The teachers in this module are musicologists Simone Laghi, Vanni Moretto and Guido Olivieri.

Organizational, economic and managerial skills

These modules will focus on developing organizational, economic and managerial skills and includes personalised coaching on musical business ideas: for example, how to develop a creative project, or how to go about setting up your own ensemble. find performing opportunities and develop your artistic ideas. Creating a budget can be daunting: this economic management module will get you on your way with the help of Business Strategist Claudia Crippa.

Digital skills and communication

Communicating about what we do is essential to find new performance opportunities, to network and to widen our collaborations: how can you differentiate your online presence in a way that is true to yourself and your style? The communication workshops offer hands-on tips and tricks, whether you want to improve on the management of your social media presence, increase your follower and fan-base, or share your experiences in a visual or narrative form on a blog. Communication experts Charlotte Michi, Oyku Dogan and journalist Emilia Campagna can get you going.

Well-being

What about physical and mental wellness? It is often neglected in favour of multiple commitments, but only with a fit body and mind the challenges of a demanding career in terms of physical commitment, travel, and tension can be met. Training is provided in postural techniques and Gyrokinesis© classes specifically designed for musicians. There’s also a class exploring the relation between emotional intelligence and individual performance, which can evolve into a personalized coaching track if desired. Human Resources specialist and professional coach Alessandra Calzarossa and soprano and Gyrokinesis trainer Laura Catrani are teaching in the well-being module.

Ecological transition

Speaking of travel, this can be an issue in terms of carbon footprint: in our times we need to ask ourselves how we can adopt behaviours that are as sustainable as possible, but might not well know how to bring these into a professional context. With ICONS’ Corporate and Social Responsibility Manager Veronica Meneghello, we have developed a module specifically designed to explore environmental awareness and encourage behavioural change.

In short, we tried to put ourselves as much as possible in the shoes of a young musician embarking on their career, and the Theresia Academy is our dedicated answer tailored to their professional development

With this wealth of content, we are confident to empower our musicians with the skills and tools necessary for a freelance musician of today by leaving a positive impact on the shaping of their careers. Ready to get started? Follow us on our channels for more news or head over to the training section on our website.

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Ambassadorship Program part two:
meet the new Ambassadors of Theresia

By Emilia Campagna - July 5, 2023

Laurène Patard, French violinist, Ciara Sudlow, Irish/Australian violinist and violist and Javier Sanchez Castillo, Spanish bassoonist, are the musicians that will represent Theresia as part of the Ambassadorship Program.
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Theresia has three new Ambassadors!

Laurène Patard, French violinist, Ciara Sudlow, Irish/Australian violinist and violist, and Javier Sanchez Castillo, Spanish bassoonist, are the new flag bearers who will have the honour of representing Theresia in their home countries as part of the Ambassadorship Program.

What is the Ambassadorship program?

The Ambassadorship program was launched in 2022 as part of the EU-funded project EMPOWER. At the core of the project is the idea that music needs people who study and play it, but also people who can disseminate, communicate and promote music. And not necessarily they have to be different groups of people, like professional musicians on one and communication professionals on the other hand. Actually, gaining soft skills in the field of communication can empower young musicians and help them build solid careers. This is at the heart of The Ambassadorship program of which trying to engage new audiences – especially young people – is an important part. To do so, over the course of three years, a total of nine young musicians, representing nine different European countries, are asked be Ambassadors and Ambassadresses, embodying and conveying the core values of classical music and its importance for their countries. A heartfelt THANK YOU to our first three Ambassadress – Anna Krzyżak, Irina Fârtat and Lena Ruisz – who have completed their tasks. Now, it is the turn of three new Theresians to champion hip-music.

Let’s meet the new ambassadors

We have already met Laurène Patard-Moreau, French violinist who studied in Toulouse and moved to Canada in 2019 for a Bachelor in Modern Violin. Now focusing on HIP, Laurène currently lives in Amsterdam and she is passionate and curios about many things, as she told us in her interview.

Laurène Patard-Moreau

Ciara Sudlow, Irish/Australian violinist and violist, is studying a masters in historical violin and viola at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam who has a Bachelor of Music Honours (First Class) in Baroque Violin performance from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. She came to historical performance practice from a background in playing traditional Irish music. We are looking forward to knowing more about her and see her at work as an Ambassadress!

Ciara Sudlow

Last but certainly not least, we’d like to introduce you to Javier Sanchez Castillo, the very first wind player and male to be Ambassador for Theresia. He defines himself as an “enthusiastic musician who loves baroque music. Since I was 12 years old, I was sure that I wanted to achieve a life dedicated to music, particularly in early music. I am currently finishing my studies for a master’s degree in modern bassoon, combined with a minor in baroque and classical bassoon.”

Javier Sanchez Castillo

Ambassadors at work

Our ambassadors’ journey began with an intensive multi-day workshop in which communication experts of the wider Theresia team at Fondazione ICONS showed them how to use key communication tools, such as social media, blogs, filmed videos, and graphic design to promote their activities. In the coming months, they will be busy implementing communication strategies to develop, and promote HIP projects that mainly targeted at young audiences in their home country. Parts of their journeys will be published on the blog and we look forward to featuring these new voices. Follow us for more updates!

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Early recordings: the past you don’t expect!

By theresia - May 26, 2023

Elia Bianucci, Theresia's clarinet player, takes us on a fascinating journey to discover early recordings
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How was 18th and 19th century music performed 50 or 70 years ago? In this post clarinettist Elia Bianucci takes us into the fascinating world of early recordings.

Early recordings: the past you don’t expect!

by Elia Bianucci

It’s been a while since I first discovered early recordings, but I have listened compulsively to lots of them compulsively over the last period. And I must say that I kind of like them!

I am amazed at how many early recordings can be easily found on the internet, especially on YouTube and Spotify, and how much of a resource these can be for a musician interested in HIP. These recordings are such important documents from the recent past, from a time that we feel is close, musically speaking, but actually isn’t.

As musicians playing modern instruments, most of the time we find ourselves in a situation where traditions are involved: we happen to say or hear things like “traditionally this passage is played this way”, “it is a tradition to cut this part of the piece”, or “the singer traditionally makes this kind of variation at this point”. I reckon most people consider traditions to be an important part of cultural heritage, and we usually follow them without questioning too much. And I feel these people usually think these traditions were established a really long time ago, even a century or more. But by listening to the recordings, early ones and the less early ones, we can get a better picture and understand whether a tradition actually exists and when it started to exist. Nowadays we have a screen in front of our eyes, and at our ears, the drastic change that happened in the 20th century in the way of playing, singing and conducting.

Now, I don’t want to start talking about performing practices of the past inferred from listening to these recordings, first of all because I am not the right person for the job: I am not a musicologist, I haven’t taken any analytical courses on the subject, so I would be prone to make such simple mistakes that I’d be condemned never to open the case of my clarinet again if someone really involved in this field of research were to read this blog post. I just want to point out a bunch of people who made recordings I find interesting and extremely enjoyable to listen to.

The first is a conductor: Willem Mengelberg (1871-1951). I’ve listened to Beethoven’s third and sixth symphonies conducted by Mengelberg and I find them really cool.

Yes, they are not aligned to what we nowadays think was the performance practice at Beethoven’s time, in fact, these recordings are a bit post-romantic to my liking – as they should be since Mengelberg recorded in the first half of the 20th century! But who cares? I’m the first not to and you shouldn’t either! I like the way he plays with tempo to emphasise important passages or to create contrasts and how he manages to change the colour of the orchestra: and, this is even more astonishing when you think of the state of the recording technology back then.

The second and the third are singers: Fernando de Lucia (1860-1925) and Adelina Patti (1843-1919). They are two wonderful examples of how different singing styles can be and still create something truly beautiful. Adelina Patti catches me with her rubati and her portamenti. She might come across as a bit heavy at first, but after a few listens, I think she actually uses all these tools in the poshest way ever. Noteworthy is the change in the vocal register when she sings low notes: one can clearly hear thist in the recording of “Batti batti, oh bel Masetto” from Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” at the second 00:36-00:42. It always strikes me like lightning!

Fernando de Lucia is similar in his use of vibrato and rubato, and he is really wonderful at singing long notes with extreme diminuendos. I recommend everyone listen to the aria “E lucevan le stelle” from Puccini’s Tosca performed by Fernando de Lucia: I think this one is my favourite interpretation of the aria I’ve heard.

The last musician is a clarinet player: Charles Draper (1869-1952). I love how he plays, full stop. He has such a beautiful tone quality and uses tempo changes to the extreme but in such a refined way that when I discovered him, I immediately fell in love with him. I suggest listening to the recording of Brahms’ Clarinet Quintet for clarinet and string quartet, with Charles Draper at the clarinet and the Léner String Quartet. I must say that this is probably the best recording I have heard of this piece: and I say “probably” only because of my unconditional love for Sabine Meyer!

As a bonus, I leave another recording of Brahms’ Clarinet Quintet, again with Charles Draper on clarinet but this time with the London String Quartet. It’s an edited version, which means it is not the complete recording but only a few fragments linked together. The beginning in this case is even more breathtaking!

So this is the end, dear friends. Hopefully, you found this blog post interesting enough: I hope you will also dare to try and listen to some of the above suggested recordings! I’m sure you won’t be disappointed!

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Celebrating Earth Day: how Theresia is improving its impact as an orchestra

By Emilia Campagna - April 22, 2023

Every year on April 22, it is Earth Day! Find out what Theresia is doing to reduce its environmental impact as a travelling orchestra.
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Every year on April 22, Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.

What is Earth Day?

More than 50 years ago, a group of activists led by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson launched the movement in the wake of a natural disaster, the devastation of a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California in January 1969. On 22 April 1970 more than 20 million people took to the streets: the first Earth Day remains the largest single-day protest in human history and it achieved a rare political alignment. In 1990, Earth Day went global, mobilising 200 million people in 141 countries and bringing environmental issues to the world stage. Over the course of decades, Earth Day has drawn hundreds of millions of people into the environmental movement, creating opportunities for citizens to engage and volunteer in more than 193 countries.

Today, Earth Day is widely recognised as the largest secular observance in the world, marked by more than one billion people each year as a day of action to change human behaviour and forge policy changes at a global, national, and local level.

How Theresia embraces the philosophy of Earth Day

Earth Day calls people to action: we can all do something for the planet, by starting to change habits that are no longer sustainable. Of course, this also applies to Theresia! With the help of project manager Veronica Meneghello, our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) expert at ICONS, we asked ourselves how we could improve our impact as an orchestra and developed a scheme that aims to raise awareness among our musicians and offset their emissions.

We decided to dedicate one of the training modules we offer our musicians to sustainability and ecological transition as part of our capacity-building activities, a programme at the heart of the European funded EMPOWER project. ICONS’ CSR and project manager Veronica Meneghello tell us more…

How do sustainability and ecological transition issues fit into EMPOWER’s capacity building?

We decided to start by raising awareness of sustainable mobility, since travelling, especially long distances, is a fundamental part of musicians’ professional lives, and of sustainable behaviour in general in everyday life. Therefore, on the one hand, the aim is to encourage the players to reduce their ecological footprint and, on the other hand, to inform them about offsetting, namely the possibility of offsetting emissions that cannot be avoided. We created an interactive presentation with quizzes and videos to facilitate understanding of the topic and commissioned an external provider to create a digital guide explaining in detail the two aspects of reduction and offsetting, and outlining the offsetting projects available through EMPOWER.

What does Theresia’s “carbon offsetting activity” consist of?

After the training on carbon offsetting, we moved on to practical implementation. ICONS collaborates with a supplier to offset emissions from orchestra travel. The calculation is done on an annual basis and includes all travel, both from each individual musician’s home to the concert residency and any travel within the residency itself. The musicians who have participated in this year’s residencies are given a personal code through which each of them can offset their emissions, choosing to allocate them to one of the six projects proposed by the provider, which can be environmental (e.g. reforestation actions) or social (e.g. implementation of renewable energy, or training actions).

About 140 musicians got involved, and you met them partly in person and partly online. How was their response to the initiative?

They were quite aware of sustainability and impact issues, but were not very familiar with the fact that the ecological footprint can be quantified objectively, which they found very interesting. Some were a little sceptical about offsets, which is normal: these are issues that create mistrust if you don’t know how these offsets are used in practice in projects, but we deliberately involved our provider to illustrate the different possibilities and also to explain that offsets are not the solution, but only a temporary measure.

When did you first become involved in this topic, and is there a bearing on other ICONS projects?

I have a master’s degree in Environmental Economics and continued with a master’s degree in Sustainability in Law, Finance and Management. With the consent and participation of ICONS management, I started a CSR unit – Corporate social responsibility – at ICONS: we are about to launch a working group on gender equality and are also working on projects that include CSR. Offsetting is potentially applicable to ICONS as well, to compensate for all the travelling that is being done for projects, but currently this is not the case. EMPOWER could be a first experiment and then be extended to the rest of the organisation some time soon.

You can follow the progress of the offset program here. And talking about sustainability, clean energy, and climate change, how much do you know about that? Take the quizzes on the Earth Day website and test yourself!

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How to empower the youth: getting to the heart of the Ambassadorship Project

By Emilia Campagna - August 11, 2022

Not only scores and music: Theresia is much more than that, especially for musicians involved in our “Ambassador Project”.
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Not only scores and music: Theresia is much more than that, especially for musicians involved in our Ambassadorship Project.

What is the Ambassadorship Project?

Music needs people studying and playing it, but also people able to divulge, communicate and promote it. And not necessarily they have to be different people. Actually, gaining soft skills in the field of communication can empower young musicians and help them build solid careers. That’s at the core of our EU-funded project EMPOWER, an important part of which is trying to engage new audiences, especially the youth, and this is where the Ambassadorship Project catches on. To do so, over the course of three years, a total of nine young musicians, representing nine different European countries, will be Ambassadors and Ambassadresses, embodying and transmitting the core values of classical music and its importance to their countries.

First to be Ambassadresses are Anna Krzyżak from Poland, Léna Ruisz from Hungary, and Irina Fârtat from Romania, with the task of promoting HIP in their own countries and engaging new audiences through their own and/or Theresia’s activity.

Getting to the heart of the Ambassadorship Project: the workshop

Our job with the Ambassadresses started with an intense four-day co-creation workshop: initially, ICONS’ experts (Social media manager Oyku Dogan, Journalist & Blogger Emilia Campagna, Videomaker Luca Meneghel, and Graphic designer Orazio Di Maria) gave them information and explanations about various types of communication: graphic, multimedia, and written materials, included in a Handbook made available to the participants. From the golden rules in writing a blog post to how to organize graphically information, from managing the process of filming to navigating the over-crowded world of social media: the points experts dealt with in the Handbook were multiple and all of them were sharing a priority: how to define our audience and target, establish our tone of voice and then lay out the hierarchy of information we want to convey.

Particularly, we devoted the first day to jointly discussing the new target audiences, the key messages, and the channels and formats that may better reach a new audience. All three Ambassadresses decided to target different groups of young people: children for Irina, who wants to promote a music atelier; young talented musicians for Anna, who wants to reach the talented young people of the Polish Children’s Fund, a foundation that organizes courses and insights for children (up to 18 years); young musicians studying in the conservatory or university for Léna, who plans to produce in-depth materials on HIP.

Speaking of materials, Ambassadresses were invited right away to put into action what they were learning: during the workshop, they produced videos, leaflets and blog posts. Specifically, they created leaflets to illustrate and promote their own teaching activity or explain to the audience what HIP (historically informed performance) means; videos were even more creative, with tutorials about how to change gut strings and how to put on make-up before a concert. Coming to blog posts… well, you will have the chance to read them because we are going to publish them and keep a special place for Ambassadress’s contributions.

It goes without saying that the experience was extremely positive: Léna enjoyed “the friendly atmosphere and the collegiality. I learnt that I am not one for marketing on social media. I am super happy to have a platform (on Theresia’s website) where I have the chance to post in-depth and also lighter articles about early music.” Anna appreciated particularly the first day of the co-creation workshop: “That is because we worked on keywords, and we all got to know what the Ambassador Program is actually about. It was amazing to see how creative everyone was. We inspired each other, and we eventually came up with some nice and catchy sentences. It was a real brainstorm, and it somehow pushed me into creating my own idea of what I want to do as an Ambassador.” Irina was happy that “Every day we did something different, from brainstorming together to learning how to edit video and create materials to attract new audiences. It was a great experience and I love that I get to be still in contact with the creators of the workshop, so I am motivated, and my brain is constantly on fire, trying to come up with new ideas.”

And regarding expectations and possible developments of their careers thanks to things they have learnt, Irina is aware that “in a world that is constantly evolving and changing, if we want classical music to survive, we have to find new ways to bring it closer to the people, and to attract new audiences. This workshop gave me the tools to make myself heard, and to promote culture and classical music, whilst stimulating my creativity and imagination.” Léna reckons that now she has “a better overview of the marketing options thanks to the very well-together-put Handbook by you guys” whereas Anna thinks that “all the things that I learned during the workshop were hugely interesting, and I find them very useful for my musical path. The one that I find the most valuable is that I will learn how to communicate with foundations, institutions etc. Of course, it is a process that will be developed during the years, but I think that this is a very good beginning.”

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“A practice that deeply resonates in my body”.
Laura Catrani and the GYROKINESIS® method

By Emilia Campagna - June 27, 2022

Soprano Laura Catrani talks about the GYROKINESIS® method on the occasion of the workshop she's holding for Theresia Orchestra as part of the EMPOWER project capacity-building module.
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Soprano Laura Catrani talks about the GYROKINESIS® method on the occasion of the workshop she’s holding for Theresia Orchestra as part of the EMPOWER project capacity-building program.

Read the Italian version – Vai alla versione italiana

Laura Catrani escapes too narrow definitions: she is a soprano that ranges from contemporary to baroque repertoire, and is active in commissioning new works (entirely her is the recent project “Vox in Bestia”, a Dantesque Bestiary with music by Fabrizio De Rossi Re, Matteo Franceschini and Alessandro Solbiati) as well as studying ancient scores. She sings, studies, teaches but in her professional life she has also introduced a physical practice, the GYROKINESIS® method, which she will present during Theresia’s residency in Mondovì to initiate the young members of the orchestra to this practice.

How does a classically trained singer become a trainer of the GYROKINESIS® method? We asked Laura Catrani directly: “The roots start from far away, from my childhood. I have always been attracted by movement and as a girl, I practiced artistic gymnastics at a competitive level. To dedicate myself to music I had to abandon gymnastics, giving up a big piece of my happiness, and over the years I have always tried to do activities that would bring me back to that feeling of well-being and balance experienced in my youth.”

When and how did you first experience the GYROKINESIS® method?

“The meeting took place 10 years ago and was dazzling: the occasion was the preparation of a show with the dancer Valentina Moar to build a performance in which on stage I would be the music through my voice, and she would be the body. We treated ourselves to twenty days of immersive rehearsals in Austria, where Valentina lives. Our daily routine involved a body warm-up in which I was able to experiment and practice the GYROKINESIS® with her, who was already a method trainer. It was a bomb. Of course, I was physically and mentally predisposed, but I was particularly impressed; this way of moving the body resonated deeply inside me, being a forgotten athlete as well as an active singer.”

How did you develop this passion?

“Back in Italy I took courses and deepened the knowledge of this practice that 10 years ago was still little known and in a sense elite. I studied to become a trainer and got my diploma in 2019.”

Your experience as a musician has allowed you to decline this method, making it a particularly suitable practice for those who play: in what way?

“First of all, I experienced the benefits on myself: the change that gave me the practice is not only about my body in motion but also my vocal technique, which is definitely improved and the development of a more dynamic use of breathing. That’s why I thought I would pass on this experience to my colleagues and then to the music students, starting with my singing students. I filtered my experience as a singer and musician by selecting targeted exercises.”

What was the reaction?

“Extremely positive. In these years I have been able to teach in different realities, including the courses for the students of the Conservatory of Milan and Cesena, those for the singers of the Accademia Verdiana of the Teatro Regio of Parma, as well as in my singing courses receiving beautiful answers.”

What benefits can the practice of the GYROKINESIS® method give to a musician?

“Beyond all the benefits that come from having an active and conscious body, as for musicians, we must keep in mind that they are often forced to unnatural positions or to manage heavy and uncomfortable instruments. I see that they have a hard time relating to symmetry and that they tend to stiffen up and hold wrong postures. Through practice, they learn to relax their shoulders, to stretch their back, and to achieve a body awareness that remains present beyond the moment of the lesson, thus being able to manage it when they study and play their own musical instrument.”

The GYROKINESIS® workshop is being organized under the EU-supported EMPOWER project as part of the capacity-building program. After this first time, the workshop will be up again in October and November.

Italian version

Laura Catrani sfugge alle definizioni troppo strette: è un soprano che spazia dalla contemporanea al repertorio barocco, attiva nella commissione di opere nuove (interamente suo è il recente progetto “Vox in Bestia”, un Bestiario Dantesco con musiche di Fabrizio De Rossi Re, Matteo Franceschini e Alessandro Solbiat) così come nello studio di partiture antiche; canta, studia, insegna ma nella sua vita professionale ha fatto entrare anche una pratica fisica, il metodo GYROKINESIS®, che presenterà durante la residenza di Theresia a Mondovì per iniziare a questa pratica i giovani componenti dell’orchestra.

In che modo una cantante di formazione classica diventa trainer del metodo GYROKINESIS®? L’abbiamo chiesto direttamente a Laura Catrani: “Le radici partono da molto lontano, dalla mia infanzia. Sono sempre stata attratta dal movimento e da ragazzina ho praticato la ginnastica artistica a livello agonistico. Per dedicarmi alla musica ho dovuto abbandonare la ginnastica, rinunciando a un pezzo grosso della mia felicità e negli anni ho sempre cercato di fare attività che mi riportassero a quella sensazione di benessere ed equilibrio sperimentata in gioventù.”

Quando e come è avvenuto l’incontro con il metodo GYROKINESIS®?

“L’incontro è avvenuto 10 anni fa ed è stato folgorante: l’occasione è stata la preparazione di uno spettacolo con la danzatrice Valentina Moar per costruire una performance in cui in scena io sarei stata la musica attraverso la mia voce e lei il corpo. Ci siamo così concesse venti giorni di prove immersive in Austria, dove Valentina vive. La nostra routine giornaliera prevedeva un riscaldamento del corpo in cui ho potuto sperimentare e praticare con lei, già trainer del metodo, la GYROKINESIS®. È stata una bomba. Certo, io ero predisposta fisicamente e mentalmente, ma sono stata particolarmente colpita; il modo di muovere il corpo risuonava profondamente dentro di me, nel “me” atleta dimenticata oltre che cantante attiva.”

Come hai sviluppato questa tua passione?

“Tornata in Italia ho seguito dei corsi e approfondito la conoscenza di questa pratica che 10 anni fa era ancora poco conosciuta e in un certo senso d’elite. Ho studiato per diventare trainer ottenendo nel 2019 il diploma.”

La tua esperienza come musicista ti ha permesso di declinare questo metodo facendone una pratica particolarmente adatta a chi suona: in che modo?

“Innanzitutto ne ho sperimentato i benefici su me stessa: il cambiamento che mi ha dato la pratica non riguarda solo il mio corpo in movimento ma anche la mia tecnica vocale, che è decisamente migliorata e lo sviluppo di un uso della respirazione più dinamico. Per questo ho pensato di trasmettere questa esperienza ai miei colleghi e poi agli studenti di musica, iniziando dai miei studenti dei corsi di canto. Ho filtrato la mia esperienza di cantante e musicista selezionando esercizi mirati.”

Qual è stata la reazione?

“Estremamente positiva. In questi anni ho potuto insegnare in diverse realtà, tra cui i corsi per gli allievi del Conservatorio di Milano e di Cesena, quelli per i cantanti dell’Accademia verdiana del Teatro Regio di Parma, oltre che nei miei corsi di canto ricevendo risposte bellissime.”

Che benefici può dare la pratica del metodo GYROKINESIS® a un musicista?

“Al di là di tutti i benefici che derivano dall’avere un corpo attivo e consapevole, per quanto riguarda i musicisti bisogna tenere presente che spesso sono costretti a posizioni innaturali o a gestire strumenti pesanti e scomodi. Io li vedo che fanno fatica a relazionarsi con la simmetria, che tendono a irrigidirsi e a tenere posture scorrette. Tramite la pratica imparano a rilassare le spalle, ad allungare la schiena, e a raggiungere una consapevolezza del corpo che rimane al di là del momento della pratica presente al di là del momento della lezione, potendola così gestire quando studiano e suonano il proprio strumento musicale.”

Il workshop sul metodo GYROKINESIS® è realizzato nell’ambito del progetto EMPOWER, sostenuto dall’Unione Europea.

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