Management Workshop

27 September 2016

Ensemble management - between empowerment and leadership 13-15 October 2016, Liszt Academy, Room Nr. I

Workshop leaders

Tobias Rempe (general manager, Ensemble Resonanz - DE)
Tido Visser (general manager, Netherlands Chamber Choir - NL)
 
Tobias Rempe and Tido Visser - are the general managers of two leading chamber music ensembles in Europe. In an interactive workshop with their students, Tobias and Tido put the core of their organizations out in the complete open, there to be examined, to be analyzed, to be judged. 
 
They talk, discuss and argue about relevance, branding, programming, management, partnerships and funding. You will discover they are two of the most out-of-the-box thinkers in the field, and yet they each come up with completely different solutions for similar problems. And they will help you to find out what will work best for you. 
 
After all, this workshop is about you. It should enable you to think and work independently, making your own, unique choices to develope your own ensemble. 
 

4 Sessions

  • Thursday, 13 October, 16.00-18.00 (18:00-19:00 individual consultations)
  • Friday, 14 October, 10.00-13.00, 14.00-17.00 (17:00-18.00 individual consultations)
  • Saturday, 15 October,10.00-13.00
 

Preparation asked

- read the book The Barbarians by Alessandro Barrico or the summary of it (after registration we will send you the texts)
 
- a self-introduction on video of each participant, 30 seconds, with three questions to answer:
- what's your name
- what's your instrument
- what is the function of the arts in the world, according to you.
 
 

Schedule

 

Session 1

- Introduction: a quick scan of the Videos
 
- Discussion (of picked answers to question three &) about Alessandro Barrico’s book The Barbarians: differences between the students and older generations/new audiences/relevance/ legitimation/value of the arts
 
- Question: where do you think the arts will/should be in 2050? Together we make a SWOT analyses, as an outcome of a discussion.
(Some answers will be about strength, some about weakness, opportunities or threats. We can then see, where the focus is. If it is in W or T, they are somber about the future, if in S or O, they are more optimistic. That will then be the starting point of the Friday and Saturday sessions.)
 

Session 2

- Double Shot Theory: Presentation Ensemble Resonanz & Netherlands Chamber Choir. 
Two completely different ensembles, two completely different histories, different reasons to start, different mistakes. We make an analysis, of the organizations and how they are managed, about the artistic focus, how we reach new audiences, how we NOT reach new audiences. What we expect from our musicians (this was a request also from the students). 
 
- Show cases of ER & NCC projects. How did we come to those ideas? How do we develop them? What for? (back to Barrico-Thesis: barbarian or not?)

 

Session 3

- Newspaper-exercise: Everybody makes 3 projects related to articles from today’s newspaper. (We have to have international newspapers, and sufficient.) Short description of the project, etc. Every project needs to be described in one sentence.
 
- Group Working Session: Students discuss the ideas amongst each other and pick one project for themselves to develop and present. Focus: artistic idea & relevance today. But also: location, addressed audience, marketing and funding ideas, partners, organizational challenges.
 

Session 4

- Discussion: solo careers versus ensemble playing
Make links to Lied: an incredibly versatile art form that needs radical change, and has all the potential. Bridge it to duos, trio's and quartets. What can you do more, than only play the bloody pieces. We will show some examples like zapp4.com wonderfeel.nl, kronos, Norah Fischer, Trio Catch.
- How to start (your own ensemble): branding, marketing, finance, networking.
 
The workshop will be held in English and requires registration. 
 
Please indicate your intention of participation by 05 October he latest using our online application form available on: https://goo.gl/forms/XPsCQHqwCGjTF5q83
 
The deadline of sending in the videos is also 05 October.
 
The programs are tightly connected, so we can accept only the registration of those who can be present at at the entire duration of the workshop.
 
For students of the Liszt Academy the participation can be accounted as a masterclass (4 credits).