Fornace Early Music

Fornace Early Music: historical practice in the heart of Trentino

Fornace Early Music is an immersive experience dedicated to the rediscovery and living practice of the Renaissance and Baroque repertoire, hosted in the small town of Fornace, in the province of Trento, in the heart of Trentino-Alto Adige. Promoted by the Vox Cordis Musical Training Association, the event is designed as a high-level masterclass for musicians, singers, and enthusiasts who wish to deepen their knowledge of historically informed performance practice through direct contact with internationally renowned teachers and performers.

A complete journey between individual study and ensemble music

The project combines individual study and ensemble music, offering a path that enhances both the technical growth and the artistic and professional dimension of the performer. Activities are organized into specialized courses ranging from Renaissance and Baroque singing to historical instruments and dance, with particular attention to the 17th and 18th-century repertoire. Alongside the lessons, concerts and performances are held in evocative local venues, transforming the week of study into a true widespread festival.

Courses and historical instruments

The educational program covers a wide range of early music disciplines:

• Renaissance and Baroque singing and recitar cantando, the heart of historical vocalism;
• Renaissance and Baroque dance, to rediscover the gestures and movements of the period;
• Ensemble music for voices and historical instruments;
• Wind instruments: recorder and traverso;
• String instruments: Baroque violin and cello;
• Basso continuo and keyboards: harpsichord, lute, and double harp.

Vox Cordis and its bond with Fornace

The Vox Cordis Musical Training Association, based in Piazzetta Salvadori in Fornace, is an important resource for the community and has collaborated for years with the Municipality of Fornace to spread knowledge of the territory through music, particularly choral singing. The artistic direction is entrusted to Mauro Cristelli. Thanks to constant historical-musical research into lesser-known repertoires, the association has made Fornace a point of reference for early music in Trentino, attracting students and teachers from all over Italy and abroad.

Fornace, a Trentino village

Nestled on the south-eastern slopes of Monte Piano, the village of Fornace likely owes its name to the ancient furnaces used for processing minerals extracted from local mines. Immersed in the landscape of the Piné Plateau and a short distance from Trento, it offers the ideal setting for an immersion in the great music of the Renaissance and Baroque eras.