Leusden

JUNE 6-8: KUNSTGEBOUW LEUSDEN, THE NETHERLANDS

We are pleased to confirm Whitsunday weekend at the beginning of June for the 2025 Leusden Institute.

The Leusden Music School is just a half hour east of Amsterdam by train, on the outskirts of Amersfoort. With plenty of piano practice rooms, the school offers you a base from which you can combine piano studies with a vacation in one of Europe's most vibrant cities. Don't miss this institute!

Kunstgebouw Leusden students and staff are welcome to audit the institute at no charge, and receive a 35% discount for active participation.

Alan teaches in English or French, with Dutch translation available.

OPEN TO ALL INTERESTED PIANISTS

Many relatively inexperienced pianists hesitate to attend an institute, feeling they are not good enough or not well-enough prepared. However, we are here to learn. Alan's approach can help all of us, no matter what our ability, no matter what the state of our program. The Institute really is open to all interested pianists:

  • professionals who wish to hone their skills to the highest possible level
  • students who wish to improve their sound, agility and musicianship
  • teachers who seek new tools for work with their students
  • amateurs who wish to feel more in command of the instrument.

LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER

There is no limit to improvement - and everyone benefits from watching the other lessons. Advanced pianists learn something from lessons with the less gifted pianists - for instance, how to work with their own students - and the amateur pianists get a special pleasure out of watching Alan tell the professionals the same things they've been hearing: "Grow that hand arch more! More lateral arm movements to shape the phrase!" It's always about unlocking the hidden blocks to movement within, no matter what your level of ability.

SINGERS & INSTRUMENTALISTS WELCOME TOO

Alan's Feldenkrais-informed approach to performance also helps instrumentalists and vocalists transform their sound by making minute postural adjustments that release hidden physical blocks. If you have a friend or colleague with a specific performance issue, invite them to come along - they'll be glad you did.

SCHEDULE


The schedule may be modified according to the makeup and needs of the group.


FRIDAY SCHEDULE
17:00-21:00 Pre-Institute Private Individual Lessons
SATURDAY SCHEDULE
8:30-9:00 Coffee & Registration
9:00-9:30 Opening Session - Exchange
9:30-11:00 2 Individual Lessons
11:00-12:30 Group Awareness Through Movement (ATM)
Please bring your own yoga mat for this lesson.
12:30-14:00 Lunch
14:00-15:30 2 Individual Lessons
15:30-16:15 Coffee - Awareness Through Piano Movement (ATPM)
16:15-18:30 Remaining Lessons
SUNDAY SCHEDULE
8:45-11:00 3 Individual Lessons
11:00-12:00 Group ATM
12:00-13:30 Lunch
13:30-14:15 Group ATPM
14:15-16:30 3 Individal Lessons
16:30-18:00 Remaining Lessons; preparation for evening recital
18:00-19:00 Closing recital at a farmhouse just outside of Leusden
19:00-21:00 Evening meal, closing session at the farmhouse

Participants will be invited to select from this list of lecture topics for the daily seminar-ATPM:

POSSIBLE ATPM TOPICS
Hand Structure & Function The Celestial Hand Arch - The Voice of the Piano
Weight Technique Arm Weight, the Anti-Gravity Function, Elasticity and Biotensegrity
The Thumb I Pass And Do Not Pass The Thumb Under: It's Complicated.
Rotation Rotation at the Micro and Macro Levels
The Hand as a Mini-Body Lying, Standing, Walking & Running: Organic Development of the Hand on the Keyboard
Pianimals Use The Pianimals Exercises & Compositions in your Teaching and your Playing
Musicianship & Technique Physical Strategies to Enhance Phrase, Polyphony & Orchestration
Feldenkrais & Piano Expressively Directed Micro-Timing: A New Musical Aesthetic
Q & A Which Aspects of Piano Somatics Intrigue You... Frustrate You... Mystify You... Satisfy You?

TRAVEL




GETTING THERE


Click here for travelling directions to:

Kunstgebouw Leusden
Eikenlaan 1,
3831 XD Leusden
(Amersfoort)


ACCOMMODATION




LODGING

There are several accommodation options in the Amersfoort area.

• To book a hotel we recommend Booking.com.
www.airbnb.com also offers several listings. Book early to get the best choice and the best price.


MEALS

Frits has very kindly offered to provide a light lunch each day. There will also be coffee, tea and cookies throughout the day. There is a small charge of €10.00 per day to cover shopping costs, to be paid at the institute.


REGISTER




FEES & REGISTRATION

  • Active participants have a daily individual lesson, daily group ATM and ATPM lessons, daily seminar lectures, and observe all other lessons.
  • Passive participants take part fully in all activities but receive no individual lesson.

COMBINE ACTIVE AND PASSIVE DAYS

  • If you want to take full advantage of Alan's presence in Leusden, book two active days.
  • If two lessons over two days is too intense for you, book only one active day, and attend the other day as an auditor. To combine active and passive registrations, hit the back button on your browser to add another purchase item to the same payment procedure. For instance, if you want to attend both days but only have one individual lesson, purchase one Active Participant day and one Passive Participant day for a total of two.
At completion of your registration, please return here to fill out the PARTICIPANT QUESTIONNAIRE, indicating which institute you will be attending (Leusden), and what days.

Click on your preferred option below to pay by credit card at our retail partner, Stripe.com.

Participation 1 day 2 days
Active participant $157 $308
Passive participant $75 $145

Contact us for other registration options

If you have a particular registration request, for instance to book extra pre- or post-institute private lessons, or to receive a partial scholarship, please contact Frits Kroese or Ivona Despotovich. They will answer all your questions and do their best to meet your specific needs.



BEFORE & AFTER THE INSTITUTE




INFORMATION SHEET & FOLLOWUP QUESTIONNAIRE

We'd like to get to know you better. After registration, please come back to fill out this PARTICIPANT INFORMATION FORM.

After you've completed your institute, we'd like to keep in touch. Please return here to fill out the INSTITUTE FOLLOWUP QUESTIONNAIRE. This helps you and us to evaluate your experience, plan your ongoing regime for further pianistic advances, and fine-tune the institute structure to better meet your needs.


CONTACT




ABOUT US - CONTACT

ALAN FRASER

Canadian pianist Alan Fraser gives master classes and recitals worldwide and conducts ongoing research and refinement on the ideas put forth in his books:

He is at work on several new volumes. Visit here for more on Alan Fraser. If you have questions about your participation in the institute and would like to address them directly to Alan Fraser, please feel free to send him an email.

FRITS KROESE

Pianist and pedagogue Frits Kroese is a long-standing resident of Leusden. He teaches at Scholen in de Kunst in the Eemhuis Amersfoort, is actively involved in the Academy for Music for talented pupils, and gives recitals regularly. He first attended Alan Fraser's Piano Somatics Institute in 2015.

Frits's contact information: Email Frits


Cancellation Policy

If you must cancel your registration, reimbursement will be as follows:
Cancellations more than two months before Institute opening date: 100% reimbursement.
Cancellations more than one month before Institute opening date: 75% reimbursement.
Cancellations more than two weeks before Institute opening date: 50% reimbursement.
Cancellations more than one week before Institute opening date: 25% reimbursement.
Cancellations less than one week before Institute opening date: no reimbursement except in cases of doctor-certified illness or acts of God.
We reserve the right to cancel the institute due to insufficient enrolment; in this event, all registration fees are fully refundable.