SienAgosto 2025
A video tribute to SienAgosto 2023, produced by the Siena Art Institute
Produced by Siena Art Institute
Camera: Gabriele Clementi
Editor: Francesco Bicci
See also on YouTube
Non ho paura del buio / I'm not afraid of the dark
A new video by the Siena Art Institute, with the participation of the SienAgosto 2023 team.
A MESSAGE FROM MICHAEL:
Tuesday, August 19th to Friday, August 29th 2025
Arrival Monday, August 18th. Departure Thursday, August 30th
Michael Chance’s annual residential summer music academy for singers and continuo players will be hosted once again by the renowned school of humanities, the Siena Art Institute in collaboration with the Siena School for Liberal Arts.
Students are invited to apply for eleven days of intensive teaching, coaching, workshops and masterclasses, as well as public concerts, in the intensely stimulating city of Siena, where senses are bombarded, minds altered, and aspirations raised. In 2025 the programme will be crowned with an extra-special production: Claudio Monteverdi's Vespers for the Blessed Virgin, SV 206 (1610), a performance first for the city of Siena.
This course offers world-class tuition in vocal communication. Singers are most effective when they show clear intention, and a need to communicate meaning, in addition to the mere beauty of sound. SienAgosto covers all periods of classical repertoire, but shows how mastering the vocal craft through the study and celebration of earlier repertoire greatly enhances the understanding of all song. We welcome applications from instrument players, whether they’ll be playing piano, harpsichord, lute, theorbo or guitar, etc., who would also like to work with singers.
Over 160 students from some 30 countries around the world have been warmly received in the courses so far held in Siena. Teachers, coaches and accompanists make up the SienAgosto international faculty of highly experienced performers and instructors.
ENSEMBLE
Ensemble rehearsals will be included in the schedule. Repertoire will be detailed after all applications have been submitted. It is hoped to work on both a cappella repertoire and also with instruments, using all the students on the course.
SIENAGOSTO 2025 EXTRA-SPECIAL EVENT: Vespers for the Blessed Virgin, SV 206 (1610)
As Michael announced, we are adding the performance of an outstanding landmark work, Claudio Monteverdi’s 1610 Vespers. SienAgosto participants will form the heart of this extra-special production. We welcome the Chamber choir of RNCM in Manchester and an ensemble of virtuoso Italian instrumentalists as collaborators with us for this inspiring project.
Please see the Application Form for information about possible solo parts.



Join SienAgosto 2025
The price of the summer academy is €1000 and covers teaching and all related activities, plus 2 group dinners.
Participants may organize their own lodging, or else the Siena Art Institute in collaboration with the Siena School for Liberal Arts, hosts to this programme, can help you arrange shared accommodation in apartments, if requested, at advantageous rates. (See the Application Form below.)
Applications must be submitted by 15th June 2025. It is expected, as in the past, that demand will be high. A non-refundable registration fee of €200 will be requested following acceptance to the academy. This sum will be deducted from the full price of €1000.
APPLICATIONS
You are invited to send your application for SIENAGOSTO ACADEMY 2025 by 15th June 2025 using the following application form (e-mail address provided within):

TEACHERS
Lynne Dawson - Lyric Soprano - Head of the School of Vocal Studies and Opera at RNCM, Manchester
Lynne Dawson is the RNCM’s Head of the School of Vocal Studies and Opera and has been one of Britain’s best-loved and respected sopranos for more than 30 years. Before becoming a singer, she trained as a translator and interpreter and spent several years in industry before studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She was very fortunate to work with many conductors and ensembles at the forefront of the Historical Performance movement, including the Deller Consort, the Hilliard Ensemble, John Eliot Gardiner, Roger Norrington, Christopher Hogwood, Trevor Pinnock, and with them made many recordings for most of the major labels. » more
Elisabeth Priday - Soprano
Elisabeth Priday studied at the Royal Academy of Music, and whilst there she joined the Monteverdi Choir under John Eliot Gardiner. This marked the beginning of her career as a specialist in Early and Baroque music, both as a soloist and as an ensemble singer. She is a member of the Deller Consort, and has sung for Christopher Hogwood and Trevor Pinnock, and also with the Tallis Scholars. She's now keen to pass on her expertise and enthusiasm to the next generation of singers. » more
Michael Chance, CBE - Countertenor - Professor at the Royal Conservatory, The Hague - Professor at the Royal Academy of Music, London - Artistic Director and CEO of The Grange Festival, Hampshire
In opera, oratorio, recital and in recording, Michael Chance has been singing to worldwide acclaim for over thirty years. His success has helped spread the appeal of counter-tenors, and foster the explosion of interest in baroque music. In addition, he has sung the first performances of a large body of new work by living composers. He teaches at the Royal Academy of Music in London, and the Royal Conservatorium in The Hague. He received the CBE in 2009. » more
Daniel Taylor, O.C. - Countertenor - Head of Historical Performance at The University of Toronto, Faculty of Music
An exclusive recording artist for Sony Classical, Daniel Taylor is one of the most sought-after countertenors in the world. Daniel appears on more than 100 recordings which include Bach Cantatas/Monteverdi Choir/Gardiner (for Deutsche Grammophone Archiv and SDG). As an educator, Daniel has offered master classes at the Beijing Conservatory, the Sao Paolo Conservatory, at the Royal Academy, the Guildhall and the Royal College of Music. The University of Toronto recently appointed Daniel Taylor to the position of Head of Historical Performance in the Faculty of Music. » more
Paul Beier - Lute - Professor at the Civica Scuola di Musica Claudio Abbado, Milan
Paul Beier graduated from the Royal College of Music in London. He has performed in Europe, North and South America and Australia as soloist, director of Galatea, member of various groups and as continuo player in orchestral and opera productions. His solo lute repertoire extends from the Italian Cinquecento to the music of Bach and Weiss. Since 1981 Paul Beier has taught lute, continuo and ensemble at the Scuole Civiche di Milano. » more
Giulia Nuti - Harpsichord - Head of the Early Music dept. of Scuola di Musica di Fiesole
Harpsichordist Giulia Nuti has appeared in venues throughout Europe as a soloist and continuo player. A specialist in Italian music and treatises of the baroque, her book "The performance of Italian basso continuo" (Ashgate 2007) is cited as an essential text for performers and scholars of basso continuo. Giulia teaches harpsichord at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole, where she leads the department of Early Music; she also holds a research post at the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano. » more
REPETITEURS
Rebecca Taylor - Piano
Born and educated in North Yorkshire, Rebecca made her concerto debut at the age of 17 performing Shostakovich's 2nd piano concerto. Under the tuition of Jeremy Young of the RNCM, she was awarded a performance scholarship to the annual Birmingham International Piano Academy in 2005 and the following year she won the Piano Academy's concerto competition. She is currently playing as accompanist for Celine Forrest, who is taking part on the Cardiff Singer of the World Competiton, currently taking place, and being shown on BBC Television, on BBC 4. » more
Richard Leach - Piano and Harpsichord
Richard is a pianist, organist and conductor based in London. He has played at the Wigmore Hall, St Bride's Fleet Street, St James's Piccadilly, for the Concordia Foundation, and as a staff accompanist at the Royal Academy of Music. He has worked as an accompanist and répétiteur for The Grange Festival, The English Concert, the Philharmonia Chorus, The Monteverdi Choir, the English Baroque Choir and OSJ Voices. He is the organist of Ealing Abbey Choir. Richard studied at Oxford, Cambridge, and the Royal Academy of Music. » more
Thank you all for joining SienAgosto 2024! Please have a look at some of the photos that Jeff Shapiro kindly shared with us from this marvellous event.
Siena 2024: | Photos | |
Siena 2024: | Testimonials | |
Siena 2023: | Photos | |
Siena 2023: | Testimonials | |
Siena 2022: | Photos | |
Siena 2022: | Testimonials | |
Siena 2019: | Testimonials | |
Siena 2018: | Photos | |
Siena 2018: | Testimonials | |
Siena 2016: | Concerts | |
Siena 2016: | Testimonials | |
Siena 2015: | Photos | |
Siena 2015: | Testimonials | |
Siena 2014: | Photos | |
Siena 2014: | Testimonials | |
Candili 2013: | Testimonials |
For any queries about SienAgosto, please use the contact details in the Application Form (MS Word file) above.
For all communication regarding Michael's other teaching projects, please use the form below.