Vadim Mazo and his Czech friends founded Ameropa in 1993 in Prague, Czech Republic. From the beginning, it creates an environment where musicians from many countries, cultures, and different ages work together, learning from each other and collaborating in the interpretation of chamber music performances. Professionals, students and musical amateurs discover differences in cultures; enrich themselves with new knowledge and information in a stimulating atmosphere. Ameropa collaborates with good number of professional music specialists who can coach all instruments used in chamber music.

The Solo Master Classes take place one week before the Chamber music festival. The location is Brandýs nad Labem, about 20 minutes outside of Prague easily reached by public transportation. During this week, the participants get five private lessons, possibility to prepare performance for concert with pianist, plus there are Master classes for each instrument. Participants can also attend creative workshops focused on all music instruments on Ameropa courses.

Solo week is the perfect opportunity to concentrate on one´s individual playing, prepare the parts for the coming Chamber music festival on the following week, and to elect the players into the orchestra. The Solo week will be opened by a faculty concert, followed by guest concert, and closed by three concerts of participants.
Details and faculty for solo week you could find here: »»»

The Chamber Music Courses, which takes place in Prague during the last week in July and the first week in August, is the central part of Ameropa. Activities take place at the Jan Hanuš Music School, where there are numerous studios, and two concert halls. There are several performance dates, including several outside the school, in some prestigious concert venues in Prague and vicinity in the frame of international music festival "Praha, klasika.. / Prague, Classics.." On several evenings, there are master classes, workshops and/or lectures.

There are several programs taking place simultaneously. Therefore, one can mix several programs. For example: One can choose to participate in up to 4 ensembles where they can get more coachings but then have less time to rehearse and/or practice. One can also choose to be in one ensemble plus an orchestral program second week. For the more advanced players, there is the Intensive Chamber Music program, where they choose to be in one ensemble and work with more details and depth. The other option is Youth Program for children up to age 14. Faculty list you could find here: »»»

Even though the schedule is very busy, one can find time to visit Prague (one of the most beautiful cities in the world) and enjoy being a tourist for a few hours. Ameropa also has a special provision for Passive participants. Please read more details below.

All students participate in some form of chamber music. Depending on age and level of playing, one can choose between more or less intensive programs. Most players are placed in more than one ensemble (string quartets, quintets, sextets; piano trios, quartets, quintets; woodwind quintets; mixed ensembles with strings, winds, piano, harp, even including vocal).

It is essential that the participants in the chamber courses are adequately technically equipped for chamber playing. In the application and in the “Userarea” you will find the boxes of the basic division according to the interpretation group and artistic maturity. Please pay attention to this section. Your satisfaction with the courses depends on the completion of this information. If it is necessary, consult this with your teacher or Ameropa faculty. For your information, we provide a basic division into groups:

     1. Elementary / Beginner (basic level, no chamber music experience)
     2. Pre-intermediate / Slightly advanced (some chamber music experience)
     3. Intermediate / Middle level (f. e. high school)
     4. Advanced (f. e. university)
     5. Superior / Masterly (f. e. university & masters programs, professional)

For participation in Chamber music course, please, send us your music recording. Is it possible to send a link or paste it into “Userarea” section until the end of April 2019. You will be transferred to this page just after apply to courses.

However, to be accepted to the chamber music program, they must register for the 2 weeks in Prague, since the program does not accept participants for one week. In special cases, you can attend only first week of Ameropa chamber program, please ask us for agreement. Youth program members could attend one week only. For detailed information about Chamber music program click here: »»»

The most experienced players who are experienced in chamber music are encouraged to participate in the Intensive Program (no extra payments needed). They receive more (sometime longer as well) coaching daily and rehearse several hours to really develop their ensemble skills and get to know the music very intimately. We recommend to concentrate on one work and to bring it to high level. Sometimes a group learns more than one work, but usually they learn a good part of each and do not complete both. There are performance opportunities. Members of the Intensive Program are encouraged to only participate in that program, in order to maximize their rehearsal and practice time for the ensemble.

The best option for intensive ensembles is to arrive as a pre-formatted group (even if they have gathered for this festival). Participants who know each other and can do good work together usually has the biggest benefit from this program. Otherwise, one can request in the application to be placed in an intensive program, and we will place him/her only if we can find a very good match. Sometimes we create an ensemble that includes faculty members (often for one movement).

Please deliver a recording of 2 movements of contrasting styles, from different works, and different composers (one movement each). Audio or video have to be sent in electronic form via Internet in Ameropa Userarea until April 15, 2019.

Admittance of an ensemble to the Intensive Program requires an approval by a faculty committee to May 30, 2019. Participants will be informed and the music material for the courses will be announced. Participants who will not be accepted will be placed in another chambergroups and they can then decide for other activities offered by Ameropa.

On the field of orchestral playing, Ameropa co-operates with a Summer Orchestral Academy Filarmonietta Praga (SOAFP) www.filarmoniettapraga.cz. In the summer of 2019 SOAFP offers one week of an orchestral program during the second week of the Ameropa which you can choose when you fill in the application form.

Jiří Havlík, conductor, composer, music organizer and long years member of the Czech Philharmonic orchestra (French horn) will led this program. There will be 2 concerts with one program, one in Prague (Thursday, August 1), and second in Kutná Hora, UNESCO city (Sunday, August 4th).

If one chooses this program, they can have a mix of orchestra and smaller amount of chamber music (so called "mixed studying program") during second week of chamber program, or attend only second week orchestral program. Ameropa participants, who will chose to play in the orchestra, will have possibility to read and prepare their parts during the first week in some common rehearsals.

There will be several professional players from Czech Philharmonic and other orchestras, who will lead the sections and offer sectional rehearsals in the authentic interpretation in the preferably Czech or European most important symphonic repertory. For all participants who come from other countries it should be interesting and beneficial to perform the works of great composers with them.

Nic Raine, special guest conductor of Summer Orchestral Academy Filarmonietta Prague and international music festival Prague, classics.. is British arranger, composer and conductor. As a specialist, film music conductor has performed with leading orchestras in all over the world. He has also conducted more than 100 recordings of film music and won numerous awards. In January 2013, he undertook a successful concert tour of China. Nic Raine is in the unique position of being a practitioner of the film music genre (as composer and arranger) on a daily basis and brings that experience to the concert hall. Having worked with some of the greatest composers, he has a unique insight into the medium. He also moderates and has many amusing anecdotes about composers, their working and private lives, and the ‘hazards’ of music recording.

Festival Prague, classics.. final festive concert and Summer Orchestral Academy Filarmonietta Prague will bring his art to Prague in Film music concert, Wednesday, August 7, 2019 in Prague's Rudolfinum, Dvořák Hall. Rehearsals will happened after Ameropa chamber courses, so artists can apply just for this program or could stay with additional scholarship price.Nic’s mission is to have as many people as possible hear the ‘sound’ of a symphony orchestra and believes that film music is the best way to achieve this.
    "For me, the most beautiful sound in the world is the sound of a Symphony Orchestra and I would like as many people as possible to hear and enjoy this sound too.
    Of course this sound cannot be created without the talent and dedication of musicians.
    Learning an instrument requires many hours of not only tuition but solitary practise which is why it is important to have events like Prague, classics.., Summer orchestral courses Filarmonieta Prague or chamber music events like Ameropa which bring people together, from all over the world, to share their talents and enjoy the comradeship of playing with others.
    To play in the very heart of the music - to create it, bring their collective energy to it, turn sound into magic, expression and feelings and pass that on to the audience so that it becomes a shared experience and a treasured memory. I am proud to be a small part of this collaborative experience."

Debashish Chaudhuri, conductor from India living in ČR, will lead the special program for conductors. He is known for his in-depth interpretations and powerful renditions. In addition to years of teaching and several years of conducting major symphonies in Europe, you will get a first-hand view of what it is like to conduct at this level. How to prepare, what to think about, techniques and above all lots of experience to actually conduct. Maestro Chaudhuri always believes in conducting the orchestra from within and the energy needed for this approach is far more than the usual methods. The classes are divided into score preparation, watch rehearsal video and discussion, taped conducting with 4 hands piano and with piano quintet which will be taped and later debriefing. Conductors will have possibility to watch concert evaluation of well-known conductors, and attend rehearsals or performed in symphony orchestra programs.

Music material for orchestral concerts are available on request.

Part of international courses Ameropa is program for students, ages 7 - 14 (born after August 1, 2005). Participation of younger child needs to be consulted individually »»». The program promotes musical and cultural exchanges by involving students from many countries. The Youth Program is designed individually for each children depending on musical and technical experience.

Youth program begins in Brandýs nad Labem during solo week, July 13 - 20. Students are involved in solo program - individual lessons, preparation of the chamber music for following program. International students could be part of social events, sport activities or art program.

In the "chamber" part of Ameropa, held in Prague July 21 - 28 or July 21 - August 4, children are part of the chamber music program. They have a chance to play in several international chamber ensembles and occasionally to play with older students or professionals. Advanced children students could play second week in the orchestra program. Contact us »»» for advice.

Ameropa provides adult supervision for students, accompanying them on transportation to concerts. Furthermore, Ameropa provides supervised housing arrangements for those young students who are not accompanied by a parent or supervisor.

One can register for the Youth Program for any of the weeks, from one week minimum, to all three weeks (Solo at Brandýs plus two weeks in Prague). Applying for chamber week 2 alone (July 29 - August 4) is not possible.

More information about the program for children you will find here »»»

The jazz/classical/improvising music program is a new program of Ameropa that has only been implemented since last year. For this program we will set up independent courses for jazz players, students, and classical music students interested in jazz and impromptu music teachers. Program main coordinator and leader is Shuwei Yuan, Cooper and Alexander Christianov. More information here: »»»

Ameropa is offering, this year for the 3rd time, Art Course in cooperation with the leading China artist Xinben Huang. His wife Sumei Yu, an artist herself and their students will come to Czech Republic, to share the traditional methods of Chinese painting, calligraphy and modern oil painting. Most of the work which will be created during Ameropa, some will be exhibit and offered for purchasing. This Unique Course is open for Ameropa music students as well. It is also possible to apply separately for only this art program.

The first week in Brandýs, Saturday July 13 - Saturday July 20, program will concentrate on the outdoor sketches of buildings and landscape. The second week in Prague, Sunday July 21 - Sunday July 28 will be added the specific plum blossom and bamboo painting, which are the traditional Chinese elements. Stay will culminate on Saturday, July 27 at a join painting in the convent of St. Agnes of Bohemia, in the center of Prague.

We truly believe that you will be artistically and educationally satisfied with the spiritual "travel of art" after the course presented by Mr. Xinben Huang.

Czech (Slovak origin) painter cooperating in program is Viktória Rampal Dzurenko. She will work mostly with Czech students and children.

Not only parents but also other people interested in work staged during Ameropa can register as Passive Participants for both Solo Week and a Chamber Music Festival. Thanks to this they can apply for accommodation provided by Ameropa as well as meal and transportation. They will be invited to attend all lessons, concerts, and other programs held throughout the programs but of course they cannot sign up as students in any of the classes. Other activities such as half-day trips to Prague and vicinity can be arranged.

In the case, you need to know more information, do not hesitate to contact us in person. »»»
««« For application, click here »»»