L'Académie

L'Académie

«Practice makes Perfect!»

The academy in historically informed performance practice with teachers from the orchestra is aimed at instrumentalists: Younger, older and timeless amateurs, students and professionals.

Baroque instruments are preferred, but players of modern instruments are also welcome. Without fear of contact, we dive side by side into practical performance questions, whether in individual lessons, chamber music lessons (for existing groups) and at our orchestra academy (compulsory for all participants) as well. Meret Lüthi will lead the academy orchestra.

Course dates:
17.08. - 22.08.2026

Accompanying events: 
Sat · 15.08.2026 · 5.00 pm
Teachers' concert, Orangerie Elfenau Bern

Fri · 21.08.2026 · 7.30 pm
Participants' concert, Zunftsaal zur Schneidern Bern

Sat · 22.08.2026 · 5.00 pm
Final concert of the Academy Orchestra, Musikschule Konservatorium Bern

Music

Private lessons and chamber music: baroque and classical works.
Orchestra academy: The works will be adapted to the participants. Announcement in July 2026. The course lecturers will perform side by side with the course participants in the orchestra, and they will work together on the final concert.

Tuning pitch: 415 Hz

Costs

Amateurs up to 26 years and students: 200 CHF* / 150 CHF** per person
Amateurs and professionals: 600 CHF* / 550 CHF** per person
* Orchestra academy and 2 private lessons
** Orchestra academy and 2 ensemble lessons

Additional private lesson:
Amateurs up to 26 years and students: 75 CHF / lesson per person
Amateurs and professionals: 100 CHF / lesson per person

Additional ensemble lesson:
Amateurs up to 26 years and students: 140 CHF / lesson per group
Amateurs and professionals: 180 CHF / lesson per group

Passive participation: 
60 CHF per day

REGISTRATION

In 2026, «L’Académie des Passions» will be held from August 17th to 22nd. You can register via the links below:

Individual registration
Registration for chamber music ensemble

Application deadline: 03 mai 2026; number of participants limited, a definite confirmation can only be made after the registration deadline. 

By registering, participants agree that photos and videos may be taken by the organiser and used for non-commercial purposes. By registering, participants agree that their data may be forwarded to the lecturers and stored by Les Passions de l'Âme for the organisation of the Académie.

Service and contact

Participants are responsible for their own accomodation, meals and travel. We will be happy to help you find centrally located accomodation that suits your budget. We also provide host families. Please contact us if you are interested.

The organiser is not liable for any damages. We recommend that participants take out health, accident, instrument and luggage insurance.

Meret Lüthi, Artistic Director Académie

Meike Olbrich, Organisation Académie
or +41 (0)31 558 39 85

Scholarships

Les Passions de l'Âme can award partial scholarships on application. For this purpose, please send an email with the following information to :
- short curriculum vitae
- a short letter of motivation explaining why you wish to attend the course
- the amount you can pay for the course

OUR LECTURERS

MERET LÜTHI

Violin • Viola • Chamber Music • Conducting

Meret Lüthi, violinist and artistic director of Les Passions de l'Âme, celebrates highlights throughout Europe with her orchestra. As a lecturer for baroque violin and historically informed performance practice, she teaches at the Bern University of the Arts. In 2017 she received the Music Prize of the Canton of Bern and in 2020 the Culture Prize of the Bürgi-Willert Foundation. In 2024, she was awarded the «Golden Bow» bestowed by the Foundation of the Swiss School of Violin Making in Brienz. Her artistic work has been awarded Diapason d'or, OPUS KLASSIK, Premio Abbiati and Choc de l'Année 2023.

SABINE STOFFER

Violin • Chamber music • Orchestra coaching

In addition to her active concert activities in Switzerland and abroad (Ensemble Il Caravaggio, Les Passions de l'Âme, Ensemble Meridiana, Rachel Podgers Brecon Baroque, Ensemble Otium, Le Concert de la Loge and others), Sabine Stoffer is also a teacher and organiser. She teaches baroque violin at the Musikschule Konsi Bern egularly invited to teach masterclasses, orchestra academies and chamber music courses. She was awarded the «Coup de Cœur» prize of the Canton of Bern.

JONAS KREBS

Viola • Violin • Chamber music • Orchestra coaching

Jonas Krebs studied baroque violin/viola at the Bern University of the Arts and then at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam with S. Sato, A. Lohmann, S. Yamagata and E. Resche-Caserta. He plays regularly with Les Passions de l'Âme, 18th Century Orchestra, Concerto Köln, Anima Eterna and Holland Baroque. He is particularly interested in 19th century repertoire. Jonas runs a course in the Netherlands with individual lessons/chamber music/orchestral coaching with the amateur orchestra Leids Barokensemble.

LINDA MANTCHEVA

Violoncello • Chamber Music • Orchestra coaching

Bulgarian cellist Linda Mantcheva grew up in a family of musicians. She studied music in Sofia and at the Cologne University of Music. This was followed by postgraduate studies in historical performance practice, baroque cello and baroque chamber music in Cologne and at the Berlin University of the Arts. She has won awards at chamber music competitions in Germany, Italy and Bulgaria. Linda plays in ensembles such as Les Passions de l'Âme, Harmonie Universelle (Cologne), Musica sequenza (Berlin), Berlin Baroque and Sofia Baroque Arts Ensemble, with whom she performs in and outside Europe. In 2021, she founded the ‘Crossing points collective’, with which she creates concert programmes with baroque and jazz music and performs regularly.

ANNE PARISOT

Historic transverse flutes and woodwinds • Chamber music • Orchestra coaching

Anne Parisot studied modern and historical flutes in Paris, Germany and Switzerland with P. Gallois, R. Aitken, K. Kaiser and M. Hantaï. She performs with Les Passions de l'Âme, the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, Le Cercle de l'Harmonie, Les Siècles, Ensemble Pygmalion, Ensemble Ausonia, Les Musiciens du Prince and others.
She has also participated in several CD productions for Deutsche Grammophon and Harmonia Mundi. As a professor for historical flutes, she teaches at the Conservatoire in Avignon.

BENOÎT LAURENT

Oboe • Chamber music • Orchestra coaching

Benoît Laurent studied recorder, baroque oboe and modern oboe in Belgium. He performs regularly with renowned orchestras and ensembles and has taken part in several CD productions - including with his own ensemble «Lingua Franca».
In 2008, he won the prestigious Musica Antiqua competition in Bruges. Benoît Laurent has a doctorate on Giuseppe Sammartini and his repertoire for wind instruments and is professor of baroque oboe and ornamentation at the Brussels Conservatoire Royal.

IEVA SALIETE

Harpsichord solo • Correpetition • Orchestra coaching

Ieva Saliete is a lecturer for harpsichord and fortepiano at the Latvian Academy of Music in Riga. She received her musical training with Prof. Dr Robert Hill at the State University of Music Freiburg i. B. and at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis with Jörg Andreas Bötticher. Since then, she has performed as a harpsichordist with international ensembles and orchestras throughout Europe - with Les Passions de l’Âme since its founding in 2008. In addition to historical performance practice, she also specialises in new music and has commissioned compositions and had numerous compositions dedicated to her. In 2018, she received the highest honour in Latvian musical life for her musical activities: the «Grand Music Award», for which she was nominated again in 2023.

A look back at the Académie des Passions 2024

Cette semaine restera un souvenir inoubliable, sans doute la plus belle expérience musicale de ma vie.
Teilnehmer:in der ersten Akademie von Les Passions de l'Âme
Als „zeitlose“ Liebhaberin habe ich gestaunt, dass aus meiner Sicht diese Heterogenität zu einem so sympathischen, spielfreudigen Zusammenkommen wachsen konnte.
Teilnehmer:in der ersten Akademie von Les Passions de l'Âme
Ich werde mich noch lange an die unglaublich gute, freundliche und stressfreie Atmosphäre während des Kurses erinnern.
Teilnehmer:in der ersten Akademie von Les Passions de l'Âme
L’ensemble LES PASSIONS DE L’ÂME porte bien son nom.
Teilnehmer:in der ersten Akademie von Les Passions de l'Âme
Merets autentische, direkte, motivierende und positive Art, das Orchester zu leiten, machte für mich diese Kurswoche einzigartig. Ich hatte den Eindruck, dass sich diese positive Haltung auf den ganzen Kurs übertragen hat.
Teilnehmer:in der ersten Akademie von Les Passions de l'Âme
Irgendwie war es in dieser Woche gar kein Thema, wer unter den Teilnehmenden Amateur oder Profi ist. Und das hat mich sehr erstaunt. Ich denke, jeder Mensch ist sowohl Amateur als auch Profi, je nachdem welcher Aspekt betrachtet wird. Und daher können alle voneinander
profitieren, sei es musikalisch, menschlich oder energetisch.
Teilnehmer:in der ersten Akademie von Les Passions de l'Âme
Ich werde mich noch lange an diese schöne Woche in Bern erinnern, das Leben in den Gassen, das Proben im Orchester, die Gesamtentwicklung, die Einzelstunden, ans Gesamtpaket, das für mich stimmig, anregend, lustvoll und liebenswürdig war, daneben aber durchaus ernste und gewissenhafte Arbeit.
Teilnehmer:in der ersten Akademie von Les Passions de l'Âme
Grossartig, wie die Dozierenden auf die verschiedenen Niveaus eingehen, wie sie die Werke bildreich erklären, ganzheitlich spieltechnische und interpretatorische Aspekte analysieren, Körper, Bewegung, Tanz ins Zentrum stellen, und wie sie so in einer Stunde Beachtliches erreichen. Für manche Teilnehmer:innen sind es wohl Schlüsselerlebnisse gewesen.
Teilnehmer:in der ersten Akademie von Les Passions de l'Âme
Ich habe gestaunt über die in kurzer Zeit erreichte Qualität des Orchesterspiels und das gute Gelingen des Konzerts.
Teilnehmer:in der ersten Akademie von Les Passions de l'Âme
Mir gefiel die heterogene Mischung der Gruppe sehr gut. Faszinierend zu beobachten wie schnell wir zusammengewachsen sind, über alle Alters-, Sprach- und Berufsunterschiede hinweg. Ich kann mir gut vorstellen, dass alle Teilnehmenden mit einer grossen Offenheit und Neugier an diesem Kurs teilgenommen haben.
Teilnehmer:in der ersten Akademie von Les Passions de l'Âme
Ich habe gestaunt, wie ernsthaft und konzentriert jedoch gleichzeitig leichtfüssig eine sehr heterogene Schar von Musiker:innen gemeinsam zu einem erstaunlichen Resultat kommen kann.
Ebenfalls habe ich über die perfekte Organisation gestaunt, die sich zeigt, wenn sich die Teilnehmenden gar nicht bewusst werden, welche Anstrengung und Mühsal dahinter steckt.
Teilnehmer:in der ersten Akademie von Les Passions de l'Âme
Ihr habt es uns sehr einfach gemacht, zu einer Gruppe zu werden, weil ihr sehr empathisch, liebevoll und positiv durch die Proben geführt habt.
Teilnehmer:in der ersten Akademie von Les Passions de l'Âme

Many thanks

We express our thanks to the Guilds and Klingendes Museum for the wonderful rooms: