Music Retreat in Italy

Music, Cooking, Culture & More

JULY 24 - 31, 2017

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Via Berria, 14 - Borgomale 12050

Province of Cuneo

Langhe Region

The INSPIRATION behind the RETREAT

My father Gil Guerrero's memory & legacy

The creation of this music retreat was inspired by my father Gil Guerrero and by the legacy of music he lovingly passed down from his father, Longinos Guerrero (Composer of the Corridos and traveling Mexican troubador) to his grandchildren and me. The July 27 concert is dedicated to his memory and to everything in life he savored: his family & friends, meeting new people, traveling the world, the Italian landscape, Italian food & wine, and the wide range of music that seemed to run in his veins...salsa, opera, jazz..from Puccini to Pink Martini...from Mariachi to Miles Davis. Come share this experience with us savoring the good and true things life has to offer. Whether you are a composer, musician, writer, artist, foodie, nature lover, or someone who just needs to get away from it all, we invite you to participate in this loving tribute. May your soul and gifts be fueled and inspired by the beauty of the peaceful location and by the spirit of sharing and community.

LOCATION: Le Stanze della Musica

Sandra and Andrea want to warmly welcome you to “Le Stanze della Musica” (The Rooms of Music), neither a mere Bed & Breakfast nor a hotel, but rather a place open to all keen travelers, particularly inclined to “playing music on holiday”. All this remaining deep in the green and wonderful territory of the hills of Alba and the district of Langhe (which were recently declared a world heritage by UNESCO - www.paesaggivitivinicoli.it), where history, arts, nature, wine-making, and cooking art live together in perfect harmony.


Via Berria, 14 - Borgomale 12050 (Cn)
T. +39 01731996453 , +39 347 7175496 | M. info@lestanzedellamusica.com

What exactly will happen in this retreat?

TWO PUBLIC CONCERTS

SAMPLE ITINERARY & COSTS

MONDAY-THURSDAY; SATURDAY
9am - Breakfast
10am - Noon - Assigned Practice/Lessons*
12:30pm - Lunch
2pm - Music History Class
3pm -6pm - Assigned Practice/Lessons*
6pm - Social Time/Swimming
7pm - Dinner
8:30pm - Performance Jams


In addition, those who are interested can sign up for a cooking class and excursion to Alba Underground both scheduled for Friday, July 28th.

COSTS

  • Tuition for 7 Days of Music Retreat is $350.
  • Accommodations are approximately $75/double or $95/triple and includes breakfast.
  • We will share in the cost of car rentals to get around this remote village.
  • Meals, cooking classes and excursion costs are purchased separately. There is a restaurant on campus as well as a good selection of nearby restaurants and markets.
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Cooking Class INFO (updated 6/29/17)

PER TUTTI I GUSTI TYPICAL WORKSHOP


Half-day hands-on cookery course at 'Per tutti I gusti' in English with the 3 chefs of the laboratory.

Website: www.pertuttigusti.com/en/


Program of the course

2PM Welcome by the chef and morning session dedicated to the preparation of a traditional Piedmontese menu in both vegan and non-vegan version.

Minimum 5-course.


6:15PM Light dinner in the private garden of the workshop (aperitif, tastings of the dishes prepared, min. 2 glasses of white or red wine, water, coffee and dessert).

(Juice instead of wine offered at a 5€ discount.)


Time at leisure after dinner with a visit to the Barbaresco historical centre.


Per tutti i Gusti is an artisanal family-run company, located in the rolling hills surrounding the small village of Barbaresco.

The passion for traditions linked to genuine, local food and wines has led us to realise all that for many years was just a dream: the production of specialty craft niche. In our kitchen you can follow the food making process, while in the adjacent store you can taste and buy our delicacies.

Passion for good cuisine has always been the foundation of our family; traditional recipes are handed down from mother to daughter.

We scrupulously select the best raw materials to offer high quality and authentic products.

Cost:

For 6-12 persons: Net price per person: 120.00€
For 2-6 persons: Net price per person: 130.00€

(Take off 5€ for those opting for juice instead of wine)


IMPORTANT: TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT in the COOKING CLASS, EMAIL ME AT FINDAPIANIST@GMAIL.COM by 6/23/17.

Let me know if you will take the vegan or non-vegan class.

About me

Born in Santa Clara, California, pianist Renée Guerrero was introduced to music at an early age by her father who taught her to read music. Her grandfather, Longinos “Lonnie” Guerrero, was a self-taught musician who began his career as traveling troubadour throughout Texas in the 1930s. Longinos was known as the Composer of Corridos having composed over 100 works in his lifetime. Many of his songs were recorded between 1960's and 1980's by well-known Tejano artists. In 1983, he was inducted into the Tejano Music Hall of Fame in Austin, Texas for his outstanding efforts in this style of folk music dedicated to the tradition of Mexican culture. Renée's uncle Louie Guerrero, a trained violinist and composer, composed one of the most popular and enduring pieces in the Mexican communities, the international hit Peanuts. Early on, Renée's musical influences were profound with exposure to many styles of music: mariachi, jazz, classical, and popular. When Renée was 12 years old, her family moved to Austin, Texas where her piano studies resumed with esteemed pianist and composer Kathryn Mishell. Renée received her Bachelor's Degree in Piano Performance from Texas State University under the tutelage of Dr. Timothy Woolsey. She received many honors and awards including winning a solo debut with the Texas State Orchestra in a performance of Prokofiev's Third Piano Concerto. Renée and her husband Lawrence met while students at TSU and in 1990 were married. When her husband was invited to study at the Metropolitan Opera, the couple seized the opportunity and relocated to New York City just a few months after they married. Renée then attended the Manhattan School of Music where she received both a Master's Degree and Professional Studies' Certificate in Piano Performance under the tutelage of Phillip Kawin. For several years she served as an assistant to Professor Kawin in both the college and preparatory divisions. She made her New York City debut in 1990 as a soloist in the Yamaha Young Artists Showcase and since has appeared in important venues including Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, Lincoln Center's Merkin Hall, Faust Harrison Pianos, and venues in northern and southern Italy including a performance of Rhapsody in Blue in a 12-century ship arsenal off the coast of Amalfi in Italy as part of the Young and Jazz Festival at L'Arsenale. As collaborative pianist, Renée has performed with Bronx Opera, New Rochelle Opera, VoiceExperience with Sherrill Milnes, the Altamura Arts Festival as well as numerous performances under the baton of Maestro Anton Coppola. From 1999-2006 Renée founded and directed both the Community School of Music at St. Brendan's and community concert series Cantabile Concerts featuring local and international performers and groups serving north Bronx audiences. Renée's piano students have ranged from the young beginner to the professional performer. She has prepared her students for important debuts in such venues as the Library of Congress, Steinway Hall, Alice Tully Hall as well as recital debuts in the tri-state area. Many of her high-school students have been accepted into the highly competitive LaGuardia High School for Performing Arts as well as acceptance into prestigious music colleges throughout the country. Her middle and high school students also participate and have been awarded in local and national competitions. She is a member of the piano faculty at The Westchester Conservatory of Music in White Plains, New York and Music Director of Leonia Presbyterian Church. In the summer of 2014, Renée Joined the Piano Faculty of the Narnia Festival in Umbria, Italy. That same year, Renée was designated a Steinway Educational Partner. Renée and her husband baritone Lawrence Harris were awarded Best Record of the Year at the 2014 Native American Music Awards for their first commercial CD, Romanze: Songs of Francesco Paolo Tosti. The CD is now available on iTunes, Amazon, & CD Baby. They are the proud parents of a daughter and son, Sydney and Quintin, emerging musical artists.

VERY EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR AYUN HALLIDAY WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR ONE-ON-ONE TUTORING for TEENS & ADULTS!


Ayun Halliday is the author of seven books, including No Touch Monkey! And Other Travel Lessons Learned Too Late and the graphic novel, Peanut. She is the founder and sole employee of the award winning autobiographical zine The East Village Inky. As a member of the NeoFuturists she wrote and performed in hundreds of short plays and several full length solo shows. As a playwright, her most recent work includes Zamboni Godot, Fawnbook and The Mermaid’s Legs. She is a regular contributor to Open Culture and Tokyo’s Mainichi Weekly, and served as BUST Magazine’s “Mother Superior” columnist for nearly a decade.


As a teacher, Ayun has ten years of experience helping teen and adult writers find their narrative voices, harness their powers of observation, and vanquish the vermicious knids of writer’s block and self-doubt. Her past creative writing classes have explored collaborative storytelling in a graphic novel format, personal zines, fanzines, comic scenes, using the rules of improv to generate writing, and creating plays and books from modular scenes. She cultivates a culture of positive feedback that allows writers to hold on to what they love about their work, while seeking to improve it overall. She is also available for one-on-one sessions.


"What would you like to work on together?"

For more information and rates, contact Ayun at her email: ayun.halliday@gmail.com


Website:

http://ayunhalliday.com

About the region

LANGHE & ROERO DISTRICT OF ITALY


Thanks to the improvement and enhancement of the resources of the territory, the districts of Langhe and Roero have an extraordinary natural calling to excellence in all that refers to food and wine. Local products that are the real treasures of one of the foodies’ paradise. It is therefore no chance that the SLOWFOOD (www.slowfood.it) movement was founded just in Bra “to promote the right to pleasure, defend the centrality of food and its correct value”. The movement commits itself to protect bio-diversity against the homogenization of culture and taste, mass agriculture, and genetic manipulation.



GREAT VINEYARDS FOR GREAT WINES


The vineyards and the landscapes of Langhe and Roero, due to their “outstanding universal value” were recently declared a UNESCO Human Heritage Site. In this region, from man’s clever and capable encounter with nature, most of the great wines of Piedmont are produced. The prince of red wines, Nebbiolo, originates in turn two of the most prestigious Italian wines (Barolo and Barbaresco), in a position to compete at par with the most famous French wines. To be also mentioned: Barbera d'Alba, Dolcetto (d'Alba, di Diano d'Alba, di Dogliani). Among the white wines it is worth mentioning the world-famous Moscato, Arneis (the Roero Arneis originates from), and Langhe Favorita.


Great nearby sites to visit including Turin, Genoa, Cinque Terre, the Italian & French Rivieras and too many other magical places to visit.

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Castles, Strongholds and Towers

Situated on top of the hills of the Langhe and Roero district, these ancient buildings have been for centuries one of the basic elements of the historical and cultural identity of the territory. Among the many still existing structures, we wish to point out the Tower of Barbaresco, the castles of Castiglione Falletto and Grinzane Cavour, the castle of king Carlo Felice of Savoy at Govone.


The festival Castelli Aperti (Open Castles, www.castelliaperti.it) allows visitors having access from April to October to many private structures that otherwise would not be accessible.

CONCERT INFORMATION

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Celebration Birthday Concert dedicated to Gil (Concerto di Pianoforte e Canzoni)

Thursday, July 27th, 8:30pm

14 Via Berria

Borgomale, Piemonte

Dedicated to Gil Guerrero on what would have been his 73rd birthday, and to the legacy of music he lovingly passed down from his father to his daughter pianist Renée Guerrero and grandchildren soprano Sydney & baritone and jazz pianist Quintin Harris in a program of classical, jazz, cabaret and opera including Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. This free concert event is sponsored by the L'associazione Culturale Audite Omnes.
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Concert Finale

Sunday, July 30th, 5pm

14 Via Berria

Borgomale, Piemonte

Featuring student pianists, singers and actors in a free concert. Performers include Hannah Chen, Emily Fernandez, Robbie Fernandez, Quintin Harris, Sydney Harris, Milo Kotis, Archer Lim, Felicity McKenna, Naomi Murphy & Isabelle Pflanz under the musical direction of pianist Renée Guerrero. This concert is sponsored by the L'associazione Culturale Audite Omnes.

FAQ'S

  • Maximum capacity for this retreat is 15 participants.
  • History of region: www.paesaggivitivinicoli.it
  • Borgomale's temperatures average 67-80 degrees in July. Fans available upon request.
  • Local travel by car.
  • In case of emergency: There are two hospitals within a 25-minute drive.
  • The town of Borgomale is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont. (See map below for general area.)
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~ La Dolce Vita ~