Lausanne 2019

The “special” academy in Switzerland. Inspired by and often in collaboration with the famous N/O/D/E festivals and the Lausanne Music University (HEMU), it has its very own unique character and attires Thereminists from the whole world.

Dates:

Friday, February 01, 2019 at 14h –
Sunday, February 03, 2019 at ca. 16h

Participants:

Thereminists of all levels, from the novice to the experimented professional

Teachers

Coralie Ehinger

Coralie Ehinger is the most renowned Swiss thereminist, founder of the famous N/O/D/E festival in Lausanne, and a great expert when it comes to interfacing Theremins with Synthesizers and other electronic devices.

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Thierry Frenkel

Thierry Frenkel is, together with Carolina Eyck, the co-founder of the Theremin Academy which started in 2010 in Colmar/France. Since then, he constantly increased the academy network to make 4 or 5 academies happen in different European towns every year.

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Venue

The academy will be held at Pôle Sud, Avenue Jean-Jacques Mercier 3, 1003 Lausanne, Switzerland

Program

This academy will be held in collaboration with the Lausanne Music University (HEMU) and the N/O/D/E, rdv des curiosités sonores.

Highlights

Daniel Miller at the HEMU

Producer, songwriter, DJ, founder of Mute Records. Daniel Miller will discuss Mute’s story in an interview, the particular context that has allowed him to produce groups with unique personalities and sound identities such as Depeche Mode and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. Daniel Miller will then present a modular synthesizer masterclass reserved for students of contemporary music at the HEMU.

Students of the HEMU might attend Academy workshops by Coralie Ehinger and Thierry Frenkel, while the Academy participants might attend events with Daniel Miller at the HEMU in exchange. 

Les DiffYUseurs by Yves Usson

DiffYUseurs by Yves Usson

This is the newest invention by French synthesizer guru Yves Usson. He developed a multi-effect device which (among others) emulates in an electronic way  all the sound effects (“Résonance”, “Métallique”, “Palme”) which Prof. Maurice Martenot created around 1929 by modifying mechanically traditional loudspeaker chassis (called “Diffuseurs”) and which work very well with the Theremin.

During a workshop directed by Yves Usson himself, the academy participants will have the opportunity to build their own DiffYUseurs device from a pre-fabricated kit. 

Interested non-Thereminists might register exclusively for this workshop without participating at the Academy program if free places will remain available.

La voix du Luthier

“Onde” : Active speaker for electronic music instruments

“La voix du Luthier”, a French startup, has created two new active speakers, especially designed and optimized for electronic music instruments: The “Onde” and the “Pyramide”. Both speaker types will be presented by their developers, Christophe Duquesne and François Astier, and can be tried out exclusively at this academy.

All workshops

Important

The times indicated here are for information only and may still change! Registered participants will receive a schedule upon arrival indicating the exact times.

Interférences

Friday 01/02/2019 at 18h
Presentation of the Theremin, its history, principle of operation, and playing technique by Thierry Frenkel. Afterwards, listeners will have the opportunity to try out this rare instrument which has been invented about 100 years ago and whose particularity is that it is played without touching it. 
Included in the basic package for all Academy participants, registration required. Free access for HEMU students without registration.

Theremin and Synthesizer

Saturday 02/02/2019 at 10h00 
Dedicated to theremin players, the goal of this presentation is to explain the functionality of CV / Gate that can be found on some theremin models and how to patch them with a synth. Coralie Ehinger will go through some basic notions of sound & substractive synthesis, demonstrated how she integrate CV / Gate in her theremin playing and share some tips and tricks.
Included in the basic package for all Academy participants, registration required. Free access for HEMU students without registration.

Lecture by Daniel Miller at the HEMU

Saturday 02/02/2019 at 13h
Daniel Miller in an interview with Michel Masserey and Sylvain Ehinger
Open as part of the core program to all Academy participants upon registration.

Masterclass Modular at the HEMU

Saturday 02/02/2019 at 14h30 
Daniel Miller Masterclass Modular with the support of Sebastien Kohler and Sylvain Ehinger 
Open as part of the core program to a limited number of Academy participants as free auditors upon registration.

Build your own DiffYUseurs

Saturday 02/02/2019 at 17h30 
with Yves Usson. In case of very strong demand, a second session will be scheduled on Sunday at 10h30. You will be required to do a few solderings, but Yves and others will be there to help you with that.
Participants can book this as an extra option. Open to non-participants on specific registration.

“Onde” and “Pyramide”

Sunday 03/02/2019 at 13h 
The French musicians and makers Christophe Duquesne and François Astier (“La voix du luthier”) present and demonstrate their new acoustic speakers which are designed and optimized for electronic music instruments. 
Included in the basic package for all Academy participants, registration required.

Theremin Chamber Music class

During three sessions with Thierry Frenkel, one on Friday afternoon, one on Saturday morning, and one on Sunday morning, we will explore the challenge of multiple Theremins playing together. We’ll discuss technical difficulties and do musical ear training working on intervals before we’ll dive into Patrick Hawes (*1958) “Prayer to a guardian Angel” in an arrangement for 3 to 5 theremins and electric bass. Participants who want to sign up for this class should at least be able to play stable tones within a 1 1/2 octave range. Sheet music and mp3 files as practice helpers will be sent out to the registered participants at least two weeks before, so that everybody will arrive already well prepared.

Individual Theremin lessons and service

As usual, the participants might book their desired amount of individual theremin lessons. Thierry will be available, too, for servicing and upgrading instruments.

Social program

  • Pizza, video (“Theremin, an electronic Odyssey”), and music (DJ Alexis) night on Friday from 20h at Pôle Sud. AlexisFaucomprez is very renowned for producing excellent musical saws and might be an interesting discussion partner.
    Included in the basic package for all Academy participants.
  • Common dinner around a traditional Swiss Cheese Fondue at a nearby restaurant on Saturday at 20h30.  
    Everybody pays their own bill.
  • “Open stage” on Sunday at 14h. The chamber music class and voluntary individuals may play for all participants. Players will be given the opportunity to play through the new “Onde” and “Pyramide” speakers by “La voix du Luthier”.
    Included in the basic package for all Academy participants.

Information for participants

What you will need to bring with you

  • Theremin
  • Cables
  • Amplifier
  • Music stand
  • Theremin stand

In case you can’t travel with an amplifier and/or a theremin stand, please contact us before registering. In most cases, a solution can be found.

You will most probably need a wall plug adapter, since these are quite different in Switzerland. The mains voltage is 230V, though.

Please try to be present during all days of the academy, so that we might schedule lessons and classes without constraints.

Stay and food

Participants book their stay traditionally at the Lausanne Guest house, or via AirBnB. Food can be found either in one of the little shops and restaurants in the nearby “Flon” shopping mall, or in one of the restaurants in the city which is at a 8 minutes walking distance. There is also a cafeteria directly in the Pôle Sud building, open at specific hours, offering coffee, beer and soft drinks.

Registration

Please fill the form below and submit it as soon as possible to ease our planning, but latest on January, 15th, 2019

    The participation fee for the Build your own DiffYUseurs workshop is 178EUR or 200CHF including all materials and tuition.

    We might wait until mid January to confirm your participation since we want to prioritize the full academy participants and have to see how many places will be left. Until then, we'll hopefully be able to tell, too, if you get your place in the Saturday or in the Sunday workshop.

    The participation fee for the Full Academy participation is 69EUR or 78CHF including

    • The pizza, beer, video, and music night,

    • The final "Open stage",

    • As well as the optional participation in the following workshops which are included for our participants.

    Optional workshops included in the basic package


    The few places we have for the Audition Masterclass Modular at the HEMU are already all taken.
    Please select the ones you are interested in partaking, so we can set up your individual time table and coordinate your wishes with optionally booked additional activities like individual lessons, further workshops or the chamber music class.

    Additional workshops and other options


    The chamber music class = > is full.
    Individual lessons with Thierry => All sold out

    Social program

    I want to bring additional friend(s)/guest(s)/partner(s) to the pizza, beer, video, and music night (32EUR/36CHF per additional person)
    Please reserve place(s) (including myself) at the restaurant for the common Fondue dinner on Saturday night

    Theremin service

    Acceptance of the terms and conditions *
    , I've registered the details, the pricing and the conditions of this academy announcement and I accept these without reservation by submitting this registration form. I commit to paying the requested amount via PayPal immediately after reception of my invoice.