Erik Sohn
Choir Camp
COACHING CAMP 2025
“Whether you're an amateur or a professional group, at any point in our careers it's important to keep evolving, to be open to feedback, to never stand still. With the Real Group, we were very lucky to have mentors early in our careers who helped us as a group find our own path and expression.“ (Peder Karlsson, ex The Real Group)
The vocal festival Black Forest Voices is once again offering a coaching camp in summer 2025, in which four selected bands and four selected choirs can develop musically in a protected environment and at the same time be part of Black Forest Voices. The camp is extremely practice-oriented.
The bands and choirs will each work closely with two world-class coaches - and receive individual coaching from two additional coaches from the festival. Two bands/choirs are coached by one coach at the same time and are equally divided between active and observing participants within the camp. The group constellations and coaches will be mixed during the festival days so that the choirs and bands can get to know each other and work with both coaches. The Band Camp starts on Thursday afternoon, the Choir Camp starts on Friday afternoon.
COACHES
Erik Sohn (Cologne) grew up in Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance and studied music and German language and literature in Cologne. After his state examination, he studied singing in Dortmund. In addition to his work as a classical concert singer, Erik Sohn is in demand in popular vocal music as a coach for vocal ensembles, a cappella bands and choirs. He is a professor of choral and ensemble conducting for popular music at the Cologne University of Music and Dance. There he directs the "Vocal Journey" choir and the annual "voc.cologne" festival.
Katarina Henryson
Band Camp
Katarina Henryson (SWE), co-founder and long-time member of The Real Group, is known for her flexible alto voice and stage presence. As a singer, artist and educator, she explores and develops a field of expression that could be described as ‘sonic performance art’. She tours extensively with cellist Svante Henryson performing cross-genre chamber music. Katarina directs the Eric Ericson International Choral Centre, the concert series ‘360°’ in Stockholm and conducts workshops for choirs and vocal groups. She also conducts two choirs in Visby on Gotland.
Panda van Proosdij
Choir Camp
Panda van Proosdij (NLD) studied at the Rotterdam Dance Academy. She taught at Codarts Music Theatre in Rotterdam, worked with the Dutch Children's Choir, Youth Women's Choir and Wilma ten Wolde and developed the "Voice & Physique’" method, which promotes voice through body awareness. She gives workshops worldwide, creates "Choireography" for choirs and contributed to the success of the Aarhus Pigekor at international competitions. She has published books and e-books on her methods.
Peder Karlsson
Band Camp
Peder Karlsson (SWE) studied classical composition, arranging, guitar and vocal group performance. He was a co-founder and long-time member of the a cappella group The Real Group, with whom he has recorded over 2000 concerts all over the world and 16 CDs. From 2011 to 2014 he directed Perpetuum Jazzile and is now the group's mentor. Since 2015 he has been teaching choral conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in Aalborg. Peder is a founding member of the European Voices Association and part of the activism network End Ecocide Sweden.
FACTS
| Location | Kirchzarten, Festival campus Talvogtei |
| Fee Band Camp |
up to 4 people: 1.100€ The price includes all offers of the festival from Thu - Sun. |
| Fee Choir Camp |
160€ each person The price includes all offers of the festival from Fri - Sun. The workshops and the concert on Thursday can be booked later if desired. |
| Accomodation | self-organized at your own expense |
| Catering | at your own expense; food trucks on our festival meadow |
| Application deadline | December 23, 2024 |
| Application procedure |
Application via email to coachingcamp@blackforestvoices.com with the following documents: |
The Coaching Camp is open to bands and choirs of all levels who are interested in further training, exchange and development. Repeated participation is not excluded. We look forward to receiving your application!
Schedule
| Band Camp June Th 12 - Sun 15, 2025 |
|
| Th 1:30 - 2:00 PM | Opening Session (official festival opening) |
| Th 2:15 - 3:45 PM | Session 1 - Get To Know |
| Th 4 PM | Soundchecks |
| Th 8 PM | Performance at the Future Night at Talvogtei Kirchzarten (Opening Concert) |
| Fr 8:45 - 9:15 AM | Warm Up |
| Fr 10 - 13 AM | Session 2 - Coaching |
| Fr 3 - 6 PM | Session 3 - Coaching |
| Fr 8 PM | Concert visit |
| Sat 8:45 - 9:15 AM | Warm Up |
| Sat 9:30 - 11 AM | Session 4 - Special Workshop |
| Sat 11:30 - 13 AM | Session 5 - Special Workshop |
| Sat 3 - 6 PM | Session 6 - Coaching |
| Sat 8 PM | Concert visit Big Vocal Night |
| Sun 8:45 - 9:15 AM | Warm Up |
| Sun 10 AM | Session 7 - Closing |
| Sun 12 PM | Concert visit Matinee |
| Sun afternoon | individual participation at the workshop program |
| Sun 7:30 PM | Concert visit |
| Choir Camp June Fr 13 - Sun 15, 2025 | |
| Fr, 2 - 4 PM | Soundchecks (2 choirs) |
| Fr, 4 - 5:30 PM | Session 1 - Get to know (all 4 choirs) |
| Fr, 6 PM | Soundchecks (2 choirs) |
| Fr, 8 PM | Performance at the Talvogtei Kirchzarten |
| Sat, 8:45 - 9:15 AM | Warm Up |
| Sat, 9:30 - 12:00 AM | Session 2 - Coaching (each 2 choirs parallel) |
| Sat, 2:15 - 3:45 PM | Session 3a - individual coaching (each 2 choirs) |
| Sat, 4:15 - 4:45 PM | Session 3b - individual coaching (each 2 choirs) |
| Sat, 8 PM | Concert visit Big Vocal Night |
| Sun, 8:45 - 9:15 AM | Warm Up |
| Sun, 9:30 - 11:00 AM | inidividual participation at the workshop program |
| Sun, 12 PM | Concert visit Matinee |
| Sun, 2:30 - 5 PM | Session 4 - Coaching (each 2 choirs parallel) |
| Sun, 5:30 - 6:30 PM | Session 5 - Closing (all 4 choirs) |
| Sun, 7:30 PM | Concert visit |
TOBI HUG STIPENDIUM
In memory of the late festival founder Tobias Hug, the "Tobi Hug Scholarship" is now being awarded for the second time. Tobi was always very keen to promote young talent and international connections. With this in mind, we would like to enable an international ensemble to take part in the Band Camp again this year - with financial support from the Hug family. The participation fees will be waived as part of the scholarship. The application for the scholarship is made via the normal registration for the Coaching Camp.