Project Overview
A project of the baroque orchestra Il Pomo d’Oro and Maurice Steger (Recorder).
Maurice Steger, Recorder
Section leaders of the Baroque Orchestra “Il Pomo d’Oro” (baroque violin, baroque viola, baroque cello):
Zefira Valova, Violin; Stefano Marcocchi, Viola; Ludovico Minasi, Cello;
Vanni Moretto, Double Bass
n.n., Harpsichord, Piano accompaniment, ensemble direction
With Swiss flutist Maurice Steger and the Zurich-based baroque orchestra Il Pomo d’Oro, participants will have the opportunity to engage with highly experienced specialists in Baroque music interpretation and research. The course center will be housed in one of the festival’s main venues, Ascona’s Collegio Papio (a former monastery complex, now a middle school with a Renaissance church), which offers ideal conditions for public workshops, individual study, Academy concerts, and catering services.
Key points:
Educational offerings
The Baroque Academy’s educational offerings include individual and group lessons, as well as workshops, for both recorder (Maurice Steger conducting) and string instrumentalists (baroque violin, baroque viola, baroque cello, and violone). An integral part of the course is the study of orchestral repertoire under the guidance of “Il Pomo d’Oro” section leaders. Workshops and rehearsals with the Academy’s flutists and baroque orchestra culminate in two final Academy concerts.
The academy’s founding principle is an ensemble culture, cultivated in the afternoons through orchestra rehearsals, ensemble music in mixed formations, and collaboration with continuists. The highest level of instrumental training is offered in the morning as individual lessons with the respective teachers. Each participant receives four individual lessons spread throughout the week.
Thematic Focuses
In the first three editions, each year will present an Italian city and its musical life in the Baroque era, analyzed from multiple perspectives. The focus is on instrumental music (winds and strings), with special emphasis on chamber music in solo and consort ensembles, as well as the orchestral repertoire.
Examples:
2026: Naples
2027: Bologna
2028: Venice
Students
- 8 flutists, 1/3 of whom are students at the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano.
- 12 strings (baroque instruments: 6 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos, 1 violone), 1/4 of whom are students of the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano
Selection: The jury consists of Maurice Steger and the 4 section leaders of “Il Pomo d’Oro”.
Participation fee: Participation in the Academy is free of charge. Accommodation and course costs are covered by the project budget, equivalent to a scholarship. However, an administrative fee of CHF 50 (non-refundable) is required for the application.
Masterclass schedule
Tuesday, September 22 – Sunday, September 27, 2026
Day 1: Arrival and welcome meeting, orchestra rehearsal, and workshop
Day 2: Individual lessons, workshops, orchestra rehearsal, and concerts
Day 3: Individual lessons, workshop, orchestra rehearsal, and excursion
Day 4: Individual lessons, workshop, orchestra rehearsal, and concerts
Day 5: Individual lessons, workshop, orchestra rehearsal, and concerts
Day 6: General rehearsals, final concerts of the ensembles and the orchestra of the Ascona Baroque Academy
In partnership with the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana
A bridge between the public and the festival
The courses will be held at the Parkhotel Emmaus and will be open to the public and free of charge. The detailed schedule will be posted on this website later this summer.
Registration is now open.
Entry deadline: June 30, 2026
