2026 Workshop Registered Attendees, please use this link for information and schedules
Join us for a 4-day hurdy-gurdy workshop and retreat on beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee at Geneva Point Center in New Hampshire. This secluded 200-acre campus is perfect for practicing, making friends, and connecting with the community. We welcome all skill levels – complete beginner to advanced player, age 18 and older. Each year the Workshop focuses on a different subject provided by the Guest Teacher.
This year the Workshop focus is on playing, playing, playing! We welcome the incredibly gifted hurdy-gurdy virtuoso and teacher Steve Tyler from England! We will be focusing all classes from absolute beginner to intermediate on how to play your instrument given different types of tunes. We’ll also be running Sessions everyday so there will be lots and lots of playing.
Every day, we have classes and ensembles for absolute beginners to advanced players as well as classes in music composition, theory, arrangement and Hurdy-gurdy maintenance. There is also time during the day to take advantage of Lake Winnipesaukee with our own private beach, hiking trails on the campus, or just soaking up the views of the Ossipee mountains. Every night, we have activities including dancing, beach side bon fires, games, open mics and more. So, don’t miss this one of a kind event!
Please note, registration is closed for this event as we are FULL!
The Workshop will take place August 23-27th, 2026.
Already registered for the Workshop but still need to pay? Go to the Payment Page.
Tuition, Room & Board
Pricing for Tuition, Room & Board is listed below. We offer several types of housing to meet each student’s needs and budgetary requirement. If you want to bring your non-gurdy playing partner along for the Workshop, the prices are also listed in the chart below. Please note that “Single” occupancy means one person in a cabin or room, whereas “Double” occupancy means you share the cabin or room with another.
| Lakeview Cabin (Single) | Lakeview Cabin (Double) | Chapel Line Cottage (Single) | Chapel Line Cottage (Double) |
| $1,499 | -* | $1,349 | -* |
| The Inn (Single) | The Inn (Double) | RV/Campground | Commuter Fee |
| $999 | $799 | $699 | $599 |
*Please email us for pricing, planned attendee roommate required
All prices are per person – includes all meals, access to the campus, Workshop classes and events each evening. Non-gurdy partners are also very welcome to tag along to all the evening events! There is a 3% discount on these prices if you pay by check. Please email us if you would like to pay by check (including Canadian checks!).
Registration Policy
Registration due by August 1
Refund Policy
We understand that your plans may change. Please be aware that we rent the space from the campground, Geneva Point Center, and we must provide the fees for food, housing, and rental spaces by July 1st. Therefore, if you need a full refund of your Registration payment, please be aware that you can receive a FULL REFUND BEFORE JULY 1st. There are no refunds after that date. Thank you for understanding!
About the Workshop
This East Coast Workshop and Retreat was created so that alumni “campers” can return again and again each summer, where people interested in the hurdy-gurdy can learn, grow and eventually intern and teach if it so moves them. Our mission is to create something where people can grow their skills, share them with others, and realize their dreams if they want to be a player, luthier, or teacher. For the USA, it’s something definitely lacking and we need to start cultivating the skills and people – that’s what this Workshop and Retreat are all about.
The Workshop will take place August 23-27th, 2026.
Class information and schedule coming soon 🙂
Can I come if I am a complete beginner?
Yes! We welcome all skill levels, including complete beginners. If you have never touched a hurdy-gurdy before, this is the perfect place to learn. We even have instruments to loan if you don’t own a hurdy-gurdy but want to give it a try! Email us if you are interested in a loaner instrument!
About the Teachers
Steve Tyler
Steve Tyler is well known as a hurdy-gurdy player, renowned for his rhythmic and inventive playing, and is equally at home with early music, traditional melodies or modern compositions.Â
He has performed with such diverse artists as English folk singer Jackie Oates, German industrial/electronic musician F.M.Einheit and South African puppeteer John Roberts, and has played for theatrical productions (such as The Globe’s Sam Wanamaker Playhouse), historical and traditional dances, and mixed media performances (An English Journey Reimagined, Playstation European tour…).
He is currently playing with bagpiper Katy Marchant and working on dark multitrack music mixing hurdy gurdies with dulcimer, reed organ and diverse instruments, inspired by patterns in nature, mathematics and the imagination.
Some Notes from Noelle for Students
Steve Tyler is one of my favorite HG players. He’s modest, kind, and uniquely talented. He has the ability to transform the mundane into the insane. His trompette technique is without equal. Here is Steve playing the traditional tune, Chypre, taking this simple tune and transforming it into something completely incredible, and that is what I am hoping students will really enjoy this year at the Workshop – learning to play a tune and make it their own by learning proper technique and having fun with it!
Noelle Beaudin
For many years Noelle Beaudin worked as an independent composer in Boston, Massachusetts and taught composition, music theory, and performance in the greater Boston area. She attended The Boston Conservatory of Music at Berklee College of Music majoring in conducting, music composition and piano performance and is a member of the MTNA and National Guild of Music Teachers.
Over the last twenty years, she has worked for several private schools, the Upper Valley Music Center and the New Hampshire Independent School of Music where she conducted chamber ensembles, orchestras, folk groups, and piano ensembles as well as teaching courses on music history, theory, and composition. She currently teaches hurdy gurdy, voice, piano, music theory and composition from her studio in Center Sandwich, is the choral director for the Unitarian Universalist Society of Laconia. A fun and charismatic teacher, she has a special ability to understand issues a student or ensemble group may have and be able to clearly explain the best way to work through that problem.
She regularly performs throughout the New England area as a soloist or accompanist and loves a good contra dance when she can find one.
Max Enloe
For the past 5 years, Max Enloe has immersed himself in the world of the hurdy-gurdy, focusing not only on playing but also on understanding its mechanics. Having learned much by experts such as Scott Marshall, Scott Gayman and Sergio González Prats, Max has developed a keen sense for the instrument’s nuances.
Max has had a lifelong passion and affinity for teaching. Knowing the difficulty that comes with maintaining the hurdy-gurdy, Max offers a unique class dedicated specifically to hurdy-gurdy adjustment. With a teaching style marked by patience and enthusiasm, Max has a passion for passing on his knowledge to others.
An active contributor to the hurdy-gurdy community, Max shares insights and experiences, embodying a commitment to preserving and enhancing the rich tradition of the hurdy-gurdy. Whether playing tunes or fine-tuning instrument mechanics, Max Enloe is a dedicated hurdy-gurdy enthusiast and instructor.
Travel
Travel to and from the Center is at your own discretion and purchase. If you are flying in for this Workshop, Boston Logan Airport, Portland Airport ME, Manchester Airport NH are recommended. If you arrive at Boston Logan Airport, there is a Concord Coach Lines Bus available from Ground Transportation within each Terminal at the Airport (or take the train to the Boston South Station) that can take you directly to either Concord or Center Harbor, NH. Noelle will arrange to pick you up or coordinate carpools from that point and get you to Geneva Point Center. The other airports you may need to rent a car, taxi, Uber, or find a carpool.
If you need to arrive a day early, housing can be arranged with Geneva Point Center for extra nights. If you need this contact us and we will help you as we’ve often put up students at our home before and after the Workshop.
If you have any questions about transportation and/or accommodations, email Noelle with any questions or ring her directly at 603-677-6537.
About the Campus
Geneva Point Center is a 200-acre private campus on New Hampshire’s largest lake: Lake Winnipesaukee. There are numerous hiking trails and beaches. Attendees will be able to make use of a private beach a short distance from the Housing facility.
Housing
Attendees can choose from 4 different types of housing accommodations.
HERE is a MAP of the Accommodations in relation to the entire Campground.
Lake Shore Cabins: Nestled in the trees looking out to the lake and the Ossipee Mountains these cabins are perfect for a couple or small family. Each of the cabins houses have two separate units that share a screened front porch with lake views. The rooms have heat, carpeting, and a bathroom with a shower. Six units have two twin beds. The other two units each have a queen sized bed with a day bed. These cabins are the farthest away from the Workshop classes, but closest to the lake and very private.
Chapel Line Cabins: Located next to the Chapel looking out toward The Green, these cabins are the perfect accommodations for a small family. Each of the eight cabins have heat, carpeting, and bathroom with shower. All of the cabins have two twin beds and one bunk bed.
The Winnipesaukee Inn: The historic 19th century Inn is the hub for daily activities at Geneva Point Center. For generations, people have enjoyed the Inn’s wide porch lined with rocking chairs and views of Lake Winnipesaukee and the Ossipee Mountains. If you choose to stay at the Inn you will have a Private room with a Shared Bath. The Inn is where all meals are served and is located near the Workshop classes and also near the path to the shorefront.
Camping: Camping spots are located directly behind The Barn. There is a shared modern bath/shower house. Each camping spot has it’s own hookup. The camping spots are a short walking distance from the Workshop classes, the Inn where meals are served, and the shorefront.
Bringing a partner with you?
Not a problem. You can bring your non-gurdy partner with you on this adventure and they can avail themselves of everything Geneva Point Center has to offer as well as explore the wonder of New Hampshire’s Lakes Region and White Mountains. The charge for the partner is included in the PARTNER PRICE listed on each Accommodation segment.
Interested in Classes only with no Overnight?
No problem!
Workshop Rooms
The Chapel: Set in a pine grove, the two-story wooden structure features tall arching windows, a raised stage, balcony, sound system and a seating capacity of 250. The chapel is especially popular as a performance space for acoustic musicians.
Shaw Cottage: Shaw Cottage is another one of Geneva Point’s oldest structures. With its two meeting rooms, front porch, and convenient location next to the ice cream shop, Shaw Cottage is very popular for music classes, arts and crafts, small meetings and youth activities for up to 50 people.
Meals
All meals are included in the cost of the tuition for the Workshop. Meals are held at the Winnipesaukee Inn. The Inn is a classic 19th century lakefront inn with many of the original architectural details still present. Renovations over the decades have provided a wonderful mix of old and new for comfortable meeting and gathering spaces. During registration, you can note if you have any food allergies or special requirements and the Geneva Point Center Chef will ensure that your needs are met. You are welcome to bring in any food or snacks you want to have on hand.
