Giving Form to the Inaudible through Listening with Master Lyrist, Composer, and Teacher Christian Giersch

Monday–Friday, July 20–24, 2020 Hawthorne Valley School, Ghent, NY

Christian Giersch

Christian Giersch will be traveling from Germany to North America to work with members and friends of the Lyre Association of North America on the experience of the lyre as a pathway to the space between the tones. He will integrate lyre, movement, and singing into our large group sessions. In addition, small groups of 3-5 participants of mixed playing levels will have intensive working sessions on a chosen piece of music. (Conference participants are welcome to send musical suggestions to lyrists@gmail.com.) Christian and other lyre teachers will also offer private lessons for anyone who wishes to have an individual session.

Our Lyre Teacher:

Born in Thuringia, Germany in 1951, Christian studied church music and composition in Stuttgart and has been playing lyre and composing since 1978. He worked as a Waldorf teacher from 1982 to 2014. Presently, Christian works with ensembles and gives interactive concerts with composed and improvised music. In 2018, Christian joined lyrist Martin Tobiassen to co-found an international summer lyre academy in Germany.

The modern lyre

is a unique stringed instrument that is distinguished by its purity of tone and harmonic potential. By playing, listening, and exploring together through our work with the lyre, conference participants will develop our “musical listening capacities” in an effort to work toward greater social understanding.

Pre-registration Now Open!

A $100 deposit secures your place at the conference and helps us plan. The full amount of the deposit will be applied to your conference fee. Visit this page to pre-register: http://lyreassociation.org/2020-registration.

Conference Fee: $325-$425 (tiered pricing for members’ and early bird discounts before June 20). The conference fee includes snacks. Limited financial aid will be available.

Meals: $110 all meals, Monday supper–Friday lunch (breakfast on your own). Suppers only: $50 / Lunches only: $60. Conference Location: The conference will take place on the campus of Hawthorne Valley School in Ghent, NY, located about 50 miles southeast of Albany International Airport.

Lodging information: See LANA’s website (link below). (AirBnBs can be found in Ghent and Hillsdale, NY. Some rooms are available in private homes (contact Catherine Decker at chdecker2@gmail.com). Or you can stay at Holiday House Motel (518-325-3030) and Silvanus Lodge (518-325-3000).

Christian Giersch comes to us with extensive musical experience and is an outstanding teacher for all levels of players. Whether you already play the lyre or are just at the beginning of your journey, this will be a great opportunity for everyone. Check out LANA’s website for more conference information: http://lyreassociation.org/conference.