From 15 to 17 November 2019, CHŒUR3 hosted the 10th International Academy for Choral Conducting, GESTE ET SON – GESTURE AND SOUND. The academy, founded in 2009 by German choir director Hans Michael Beuerle and colleagues from the neighboring countries of Switzerland and France, brings together young French, Swiss, and German conductors each year in one of the three participating countries. Under the direction of experienced teachers, the young conductors work on their physical gestures in order to be able to evoke a richly nuanced world of sound. The focus is not only on advanced training, but also on a rich exchange of ideas transcending political and artistic boundaries.
For its tenth anniversary, the academy was held for the first time since 2014 in Freiburg/Breisgau. The team of teachers included Frank Markowitsch, Raphael Immoos and Catherine Fender. In a Final Concert on Sunday, 17 November 2019 in the Friedenskirche Freiburg, the course participants – together with the tri-national ensemble Chœur3 – demonstrated the skills they acquired during the academy courses. The concert, which was open to the public and free of charge, was enthusiastically received by listeners and critics alike.
