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Academy

Every year, the Contius Foundation organizes an Academy at which promising and talented organists are immersed in a specific repertoire for their instrument. They are coached by the best European and American organists and organ teachers such as Léon Berben, Kimberly Marshall, Maude Gratton, Benjamin Steens, Jeremy Joseph, and many others. The 2025 edition will take place from July 3 to 12 in Leuven and you can register either per session or for both sessions. This academy will be a perfect opportunity to prepare the ECHO competition that will take place on those organs in Leuven in July 2026.

Contius Bach Academy in 2025: J.S. Bach and the North-German composers

Session 1: 3 to 8 July

Teachers: Kimberly Marshall (USA, organ), Benjamin Steens (BE/FR, organ & clavichord), Léon Berben (NED/GER, organ), Bernard Foccroulle (BE, organ)

Repertoire:

  • Kimberly Marshall: J.P. Sweelinck and his North-German students, e.g. Onder een Linde groen (J.P. Sweelinck), Toccata in C 1 (first piece in Lynar MS A1) (J.P. Sweelinck)
  • Benjamin Steens: H. Scheidemann, N. Bruhns and J.S. Bach (organ) and Scheidemann, Buxtehude, Böhm and Bach (clavichord)
  • Léon Berben: D. Buxtehude, V. Lübeck and J.S. Bach, e.g. Praeambulum ex a, BuxWV 158 & Praeludium ex g, BuxWV 163 (D. Buxtehude), Ich ruff zu dir Herr Jesu Christ, LübWV 13 (V. Lübeck)
  • Bernard Foccroulle: M. Weckmann, D. Buxtehude and J.S. Bach, e.g. Magnificat II. Toni (M. Weckmann), Fantasia und Fuge in g, BWV 542 (J.S. Bach)

Other pieces of those composers are welcome too!

Final concert: Tuesday July 8 at 20.00 at the St. Michiel Peace Church

Session 2: 8 to 12 July

Teachers: Maude Gratton (FR, organ), Jeremy Joseph (South Africa/Austria, organ), Wim Winters (BE, organ & clavichord), Bernard Foccroulle (BE, organ)

Repertoire:

  • Maude Gratton: N. Bruhns, J.S. Bach, e.g. Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (N. Bruhns)
  • Jeremy Joseph: N. Bruhns, J.S. Bach, e.g. Praeludium G major and Praeludium e minor (great)
  • Wim Winters: F. Tunder, J.S. Bach, e.g. Inventions n°1 (or 7, 8,11) (J.S. Bach) (clavichord), Christ lag in Todesbanden (F. Tunder)
  • Bernard Foccroulle: D. Buxtehude and J.S. Bach, e.g. Fantasia sopra Gelobet seist du, Herr Jesu Christ (D. Buxtehude, J.S. Bach)

Other pieces of those composers are welcome too!

Final concert: Friday July 11 at 20.00 at the St. Michiel Peace Church

 

Participate

The participation fee is:

  • € 300 for one session (including free entrance for all concerts of the festival)
  • € 400 for both sessions (including free entrance for all concerts of the festival)

Deadline to register is May 31st using this form.

Access to all the concerts and the symposium organised during the Contius Bach Festival is free of charge.

For accommodation, we offer the possibility to find a host family for you during the length of your stay in Leuven. We will do our best to find a family for everyone but we will work on a first come, first served basis. Priority will be given to the organists coming from a foreign country. If you prefer another type of accommodation (hotel, youth hostel, etc), this will come at your own costs.

Daily meals and travels are at the cost and the responsibility of the participant.

This academy will be a perfect opportunity to prepare the ECHO competition that will take place on those organs in Leuven in July 2026.

Participate