Quotes about us
Here is some feedback from the attendees of the Helicona courses
First of all I want to say thank you for organizing it. I didn’t expect to discover so many new things for me, not only fencing or horse riding, but all similitude these different disciplines can have with the music. During the course I have also noticed that improvising is actually leading to a reflexion of ourselves and therefore an amazing « therapy » to discover who I am, how I am behaving and what I want. That was maybe the strongest feeling I had!
Antoine, Verona 2019
With the assistance of many highly-skilled and knowledgeable tutors, Davide coalesces and transcends a raft of seemingly disparate academic, physical, and musical knowledges into practical tools for refined musical expression. To me, this was astonishing. Within eight days I was shown a multitude of connections that I had never seen before, and given the intensity of the course, I am certain that I grasped only a handful of those. From a performing perspective, this intellectual development was supported by practical musical instruction in basic improvisation techniques (for both harmony and melody). In combining both of these aspects, Davide and the Helicona team have created a truly unique and genuinely exciting learning experience, which I would strongly recommend to any musician.
Kirsten, Verona 2019
This course was unlike anything I could have imagined or expected, and it has pretty much changed the way I listen to and make music forever. Thank you for creating such an experience.
I loved every minute! It stretched me but in such a supportive way I felt that I was exploring all the time.
Verona 2019
"Thought on Davide's visit with horses and his project: I was wondering, since he wants to translate the performance practice with horses, learning from their responses to human audiences, whether he would be interested in trying pigs - old breeds, free-range ones. Pigs are very intelligent and physiologically more akin to humans than horses."
Christiana, Mildura 2019
"Thank you for inviting me to perform with Camerata for the Viva Vivaldi season, and as a consequence to be a part of the professional development workshops with Davide Monti.
I found the two weeks to be the most intense, most exciting and most enjoyable experience I have ever had. Davide’s professionalism as a musician and educator brought the best out of each player. He himself personified Baroque performance techniques and rhetoric. As a result of participating in the workshops I have found:
- my personal practice and performance habits have already changed for the better.
- I have included newly learnt concepts into my studio teaching.
- I have a renewed sense of confidence in my performance and teaching.
- Being based on the Sunshine Coast I am therefore able to bring all of the above to my audience and students to a region outside of Brisbane.
As a guest player I find Camerata a vibrant cohesive orchestra willing to take risks and to try different musical genres, traits necessary to survive in today’s society. Having professional development opportunities such as this with leaders of the calibre of Davide Monti is vital for the continuing development of “classical” music organisations and the health of the community.
Many thanks again for giving me the opportunity to be involved."
Janet, Brisbane 2018
"Volevo ringraziarti per avermi coinvolto in questa esperienza indimenticabile, ci sono stati momenti colorati da una gioia che non sentivo da anni! Un abbraccio a te e a tutti gli altri che hanno reso possibile tanta magia in così pochi giorni!"
Alessia, Verona 2017
"Un'esperienza molto preziosa quella che ho vissuto insieme alla School of improvvisation diretta da Davide.
Vedere la passione e l'entusiasmo negli occhi e nei corpi al susseguirsi delle diverse materie, ai miei occhi essenziali per arricchire entrambi studenti e docenti.
Tutti spinti a dare il meglio di sé. Con gentilezza e fermezza e tanta creatività, Davide orchestra il mondo dell'arte musicale chiedendo a tutti, studenti e docenti, di partecipare con tutto l'essere, vivere a contatto delle muse ispiratrici di tante arti, dando spunti armoniosi per intelletto, corpo e cuore. Grazie ancora."
Marco, Verona 2017
"I wish I have been taught in such an imaginative and creative way when I was learning music. I think they are doing a fabulous job of making alive a music that somehow is both contemporary and historical."
Catherine, Pavia 2015
"It was such a fantastic learning experience; it was such a good opportunity to try out new things, make a lot of mistakes, get lost along the way, and then come back!"
Valerie, Pavia 2015
"I really liked this course because I am not a very open person, and I found it allowed me to let down my walls quite a bit, and do things outside the box"
Keiley, Pavia 2015
"We had a fantastic time with Davide, amazing influences from all sorts to give us ideas about improvisation and making music. Highly Recommended!"
Ben, Pavia 2015
"I can't look any more at the score as I used to do before."
Mathew, 2014
"I had a marvellous time at the three-day improvisation workshop in Melbourne, and feel that my ears are just beginning to open to this new world of music making. Each step along the way was challenging yet still accessible, and extremely useful in building the necessary skills to begin approaching improvisation. Although I was continually confronted by my many failings, I learnt a huge amount and had a wonderful time. I could have happily continued along this journey for many more days. Thank you!"
Ubert, 2014
