Hurdy-Gurdy Workshops & Festivals

Early Music in Motion
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Location: Indiana, US
Takes Place: September
About: Yearly HG workshop that takes place in the countryside of Indiana. Multiple days spent in an intensive, total immersion gurdy playing in a secluded retreat center.

Chants de Vielles
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Location: Québec, Canada
Takes Place: Early Summer
About: Event that celebrates traditional, folk and acoustic music, songs and dances and brings together national and international artists. Featuring riverside concerts, workshops, and exhibitions.

Lark Camp
Website
Location: Mendocino, CA
Takes Place: The last week of July
About: A weeklong world music and dance event in the idyllic redwood forest of Mendocino, California. Workshops in French hurdy gurdy music taught by Scott Gayman, time for private lessons, and opportunities to play for French dances and spontaneous jam sessions. All experience levels welcome.

GurdyWorld Workshop & Retreat
Information
Location: Moultonborough, New Hampshire, USA
Takes Place: August 25-29th, 2024
About: A 4-day hurdy-gurdy workshop and retreat on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire perfect for practicing, making friends, and connecting with the community. We welcome all skill levels – complete beginner to advanced player, age 18 and older.

Das steirische Treffen der Dudelsack- und Drehleierspieler auf Schloss Limberg
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Location: Austria
Takes Place: Early Fall
About: Yearly Workshop that takes place in an old castle in the countryside of Styria. From Friday till Sunday, you can learn hurdy-gurdy or Bagpipes in beginner or advanced groups.

Das Tiroler Bordunmusik-Wochenende mit Spielkursen für Dudelsack & Drehleier
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Location: Austria
Takes Place: Early Winter
About: Yearly Workshop that takes place in an old monastery hotel in the mountains of Tirol. From Thursday till Sunday, you can attend different classes like for hurdy-gurdy, Bagpipes or Akkordeon.

Das Bordunseminar Augustin
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Location: Austria
Takes Place: Mid Fall
About: Yearly Workshop that takes place in Salzburg. From Thursday till Sunday, you can attend private lessons for up to two different instruments. Next to hurdy-gurdy you can also have lessons for different kind of bagpipes. This workshop is not held in groups but in several one-to-one sessions (maybe two or 3 half hour sessions a day).

BordunMusikTage
Website
Location: Austria
Takes Place: Mid Spring
About: Yearly Workshop that takes place in upper Austria, recently on different locations. From Thursday till Sunday, you can attend different classes for hurdy-gurdy or different kind of Bagpipes in beginner or advanced groups.

Akdt
Website
Location: Belgium
Takes Place: Throughout the year
About: Hosts many music workshops and events throughout the year.

Heuvelsven stage
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Location: Belgium
Takes Place: Mid Summer
About: Small, rural festival featuring ensamble and other instruments as well

Stage Gooik
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Location: Belgium
Takes Place: Mid Summer
About: Stage Gooik offers a workshop for novice and beginner players. Rental instruments avalible for the event. Also offers a children’s workshop for children insterested in getting started on the instrument.

Dronemusik Danmark
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Location: Denmark
Takes Place: Throughout the year
About: An association offering rental instruments and multiple events involving the HG and other drone instruments. You can find them at folk festivals throughout the country.

Le Son Continu (LSC)
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Location: France
Takes Place: Early Summer
About: Located in Central France, one of the largest and oldest hurdy-gurdy events in the world. Primarily based around the “Instrument Makers Exhibition” – a large gathering of instrument makers from inside and outside France. Perfect place to try instruments, speak directly to the luthiers, and place orders.

Les Brayauds “Les Volcanics”
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Location: France
Takes Place: Mid Summer
About: Summer festival that supports music and dance. Classes and festival events in Central France.

Fete des Chavans
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Location:France
Takes Place: Mid Summer
About:Yearly festival that requires an invite. Festival celebrating traditional french culture, including music and dance.

Marc Anthony Workshops
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Location: France
Takes Place: Mid Summer
About: Marc runs regular classes throughout the year. Follow him on Facebook or his website for information.

Bordun e.V.
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Location: Germany
Takes Place: Throughout the year
About: Bourdun e.V. hosts six events over the course of the year: Fürstenecker Bordunale, Hummelkurs, Sommerbordunale, South-Folk-Festival, Burgbordunale, Mücke-Treffen

Borduntage Sommercamp
Website
Location: Germany
Takes Place: Mid Summer
About: Located in Eastern Germany, a summer counterpart to Nürnberger Borduntage. With courses for beginner to advanced players, they also offers ensemble courses to play with other instruments.

Lißberger Leiertage
Website
Location: Germany
Takes Place: Late Spring
About: Located in Southwest Germany, this weeklong course will have classes from beginner to advanced players, there are also courses with focuses on specific topics with multiple professional gurdy teachers.

Lizzy Blau HG Courses
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Location: Germany
Takes Place: Mid Fall
About: Located in western Germany, a course weekend in English with multiple instructors for learning in small groups.

Nürnberger Borduntage
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Location: Germany
Takes Place: Early Winter
About: Located in Southern Germany, this weekend workshop offers courses from beginner to multiple levels of advanced.

Spielkurs Agatharied
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Location: Germany
Takes Place: Early Spring
About: Located in Southern Germany, aimed at total beginners all the way through advanced players. They will lend you an instrument for free for the event.

Spielkurs Bad Homburg
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Location: Germany
Takes Place: Late Fall
About: Located in north of Frankfurt in Germany, provides classes for all levels of students. They will help connect you to an instrument and get you started on your journey.

Spielkurs Mühlhausen
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Location: Germany
Takes Place: Mid Winter
About: Located in central Germany, a course weekend for traditional and historical music. They will help you take your first steps into playing the HG. Also has a focus on ensemble playing and giving you a deeper knowledge of traditional music.

Spielkurs Passau
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Location: Germany
Takes Place: Early Fall
About: Located in Southeastern Germany, a course weekend offering muliple courses for different skill levels.

Spielkurs Pipenbock
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Location: Germany
Takes Place: Late Fall
About: Located in Northern Germany, this weekend workshop will put a focus on different techniques of the “coup de poignet”, alongside playing in odd time signatures in the Spanish music tradition.

Spielkurs Torgau
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Location: Germany
Takes Place: Early Spring
About: Located in Eastern Germany, with courses for beginner to advanced players. They also offers ensemble courses to play with other instruments.

aCentral Folque
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Location: Spain
Takes Place: Throughout the year
About: aCentral Folque hosts many workshops, festivals, and classes throughout the year in Galicia – including Zona de Zanfona and Rianxo.

Zofingen
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Location: Switzerland
Takes Place: Spring + Fall
About: Two workshops, taking place on opposite sides of the calendar in Switzerland.

Draailier & Doedelzak (DnD)
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Location: The Netherlands
Takes Place: Throughout the year
About: All the HG events in The Netherlands are hosted by DnD. They range from serious workshops, regular lessons, “try out” events, sessions, or festivals.

Halsway Manor
Website
Location: UK
Takes Place: Mid Winter
About: Located in Southwest England, this is an intensive HG weekend of masterclasses, workshops, and sessions. Hosts beginner to advanced classes.

Les Panards Dansants
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Location: UK
Takes Place: Early Fall
About: Located in Northwest England, this festival featurs music of French and Breton music and dance. They provide HG beginner and advanced classes, alongside more general classes on different types of French music and ensembles.