Leymen Early Music Course
THE KALEIDOSCOPE
Kaleidoscope, the Leymen Early Music Summer Course, returns in 2026, with the wonderful Catalina Vicens joining Mara Winter, Anna Danilevskaia, and Jonatan Alvarado for six days of intensive exploration of Medieval and Renaissance music.
We have named this fourth edition "Sine Nomine", deliberately a somewhat theme-less theme. Through it, we hope to speak to the curiosity, breadth of outlook, and proactive spirit of those who have taken part in the course so far, by proposing repertoire drawn from an equally wide and diverse range of provenances, periods, functions, and styles.
Curious about our approach and interested in sharing and trying out yours? Willing to take a go at any of these daunting but—believe us—extremely fun and rewarding pieces of music? Then feel free to apply by sending a motivation letter, a short CV, and optionally, a recording of yourself to leymenmedandren@gmail.com. You can also inquire for more information there, if you should need it. We welcome applications until April 15th.
We look forward to hearing from you!
DATES & DEADLINES
COURSE DATES: July 14 - 19, 2026
Application deadline: April 15, 2026
Selection notification: May 1, 2026
APPLICATION PROCESS
Materials to be submitted via email:
1. Brief artistic CV (max. 250 words)
2. Statement of intention (max. 200 words)
3. Video recording of an unedited performance of Medieval or Renaissance musical repertoire (Direct streaming link).
Please submit all materials to:
FAQ's
What is the cost of the course?
The total cost to participate in the course is 450 Euros, which includes daily lunch and dinner meals. Course participants are responsible for the cost and booking of lodging for the duration of the course.
Where can I stay during the course?
Hosting possibilities in or near Leymen:
La Grange Bleue (60-110 EUR/night)
Youth Hostel in Mariastein (4,5km from Leymen through via a forest path, or accessible by bus and tram):
https://www.youthhostel.ch/en/hostels/mariastein/
Several Airbnb's are available in or near Leymen:
https://www.airbnb.com/leymen-france/stays
Course participants are also encouraged to find housing in Basel if they prefer. The village of Leymen can be reached easily from Basel by a direct 35 minute tram which runs every 30 minutes until after midnight, 7 days/week.
How will meals be arranged?
A catered lunch and dinner are provided to participants every day. For those staying in Leymen, there is a small supermarket and bakery in the village for groceries and other supplies. There are also three restaurants in Leymen: La Couronne d'Or, Landskron, and L'Echelle.
How can I travel to Leymen?
By plane: Basel/Freiburg airport, exit on the CH side of the airport, then take Bus 50 to Basel SBB and transfer to tram 10 (direction Rodersdorf), stop: Leymen.
By train and tram:
From Basel Badischer Bahnhof: take tram to Basl SBB or Bankverei, then transfer to tram 10 (direction Rodersdorf), stop: Leymen.
From Basel SBB: take tram 10 (direction Rodersdorf), stop: Leymen.
By car: parking spots are available near the Mairie, near the school and the tram station.
