There are two entry categories:
- Open Section (for all ages – solo and/or ensemble)
- Under 18 Section (for soloists and ensembles where all members are under 18 as of January 13, 2026)
Creativity is strongly encouraged—participants may incorporate visuals, photos, or animations in their videos. However, performances will be judged primarily on musical interpretation, ensemble intonation, and presentation. All videos must be newly recorded for this competition and unpublished elsewhere.
Finalists’ videos will premiere on the Orpheus Music YouTube channel and be featured across Orpheus Music’s website, newsletters, and social media. Those not selected as finalists are welcome to publish their videos independently after the competition.
Prizes include cash awards (up to AUD $1000), interviews and features in Gecko Recorder Newsletter, video showcases at the Australasian Recorder Festival 2026, and Orpheus Music gift packs featuring digital publications, CDs, and merchandise.
Enhance your technique and ensemble playing during an intensive workshop with directors Letitia Berlin & Lawrence Lipnik, plus other stellar faculty. Two fabulous weeks - choose either week or both! Week# 1 October 26 - November 1, 2025. Week #2 November 2 - 8, 2025.
Revel in the lyrical sounds of the recorder, viola da gamba, harpsichord, dulcian & shawm as you share your musical gifts during a week-long intensive early music workshop. Enhance your skills in small classes taught by expert instructors with emphasis on improving technique and playing with ensembles. At Hidden Valley Music Seminars, An Institute of the Arts, nestled amongst oak and buckeye trees below majestic hillsides, enjoy a serene and inspiring place for playing music in the world famous Monterey/Carmel area.
Technique classes geared toward application of technique, practice to the repertoire – making music out of notes! Master class and consort classes. The 2025 theme is currently TBD and will be announced once available.
It's Hip to be Square!An interactive look into the history of the Paetzold square bass recorder family. Bring your favorite Paetzold (or any other recorder) to learn about its build, features, and play along with some Paetzold 8' quartets!
The recorder gets a bad reputation for sounding shrill and squeaky, especially the soprano. Yet both soprano and tenor recorders are capable of making sweet and lovely sounds, both as solo instruments and in ensembles. Join professional recorder teacher Laura Townsend for this class focused on sound/tone production and expressive phrasing, all while continuing to better understand the fundamentals of recorder technique. Conquer your fears and learn how expressive the recorder can be!
Attendees are expected to be able to play from low C to high G (an octave and a fifth including Bbs and F#s) and read those notes and general rhythmic patterns on the music staff. All music will be provided. You don’t need to be confident, just familiar with these skills – we’ll work on improving them further.
Dates:Monday, November 3 at 8:00pm, ET (7:00pm, CT; 6:00pm, MT; 5:00pm, PT)
Thursday, November 6 at 8:00pm, ET (7:00pm, CT; 6:00pm, MT; 5:00pm, PT)
Monday, November 10 at 8:00pm, ET (7:00pm, CT; 6:00pm, MT; 5:00pm, PT)
Thursday, November 13 at 8:00pm, ET (7:00pm, CT; 6:00pm, MT; 5:00pm, PT)
This class made possible by a generous donation from Judy Smutek of Ann Arbor, Michigan
Second Level Beginners' Class with Marea Chernoff: Continuing Technique (alto recorder) with a focus on low and high notes
Building upon the foundational techniques introduced in the beginners’ course, this 4-part series will focus on producing confident and consistent low and high notes, while reinforcing the basics and helping further develop your technique on alto recorder. The classes will address the challenges of technical issues we encounter in the lowest and higher registers. Classes will use the Sweet Pipes Method Book One, supplemented with materials from the teacher.
This class is available at no charge to ARS members, only.
Requirements:
Alto recorder
Basic ability to read music
Comfortable with basic fingerings
Materials:
This course will use the following method book: Sweet Pipes Recorder Book: A method for adults and older beginners, Book One for Alto Recorder (see purchase info below)
Supplementary material will be provided by the instructor.
Dates:
Wednesday, Nov 5, 1:00pm PST (4:00pm EST, 3:00pm CST, 2:00pm MST)
Wednesday, Nov 12, 1:00pm PST (4:00pm EST, 3:00pm CST, 2:00pm MST)
Wednesday, Nov 19, 1:00pm PST (4:00pm EST, 3:00pm CST, 2:00pm MST)
Wednesday, Nov 26, 1:00pm PST (4:00pm EST, 3:00pm CST, 2:00pm MST)
For this course, you will need the Sweet Pipes Recorder Book. Consider purchasing this from one of our business partners, and please allow ample time for mail delivery! If you have purchased the Sweet Pipes Recorder book online but are concerned that you may not receive it in time for your first class, we can provide you with a "temporary" copy for download. Instructions will be in your emailed registration confirmation notice.
Von Huene Workshop (The Early Music Shop of New England), Boston, MA: (617) 277-8690
Sweet Pipes Recorder Book 1 Alto
Honeysuckle Music, St. Paul, MN: (651) 644-8545
Sweet Pipes Recorder Book 1 Alto
This class is available at no charge to ARS members, only. When registering, use the email address associated with your ARS membership. If you are not an ARS member, you may click HERE to join. These classes are limited in size to allow for more interaction between the teacher and students. If you have already taken two or more of our Second Level classes, please wait until one week prior to the start of class to sign up, in order to allow a larger number of people to take advantage of these opportunities.
Join us for a series of Consort Studio Workshops in central New Jersey, monthly sessions in ensemble playing for intermediate to advanced level recorder players to learn to play with one another and other instruments under a skilled conductor, with professional accompaniment.
These events will be led by conductor, recorder player, and harpsichordist, Steven Russell (see below). It is an opportunity to play a variety of Baroque literature for small ensembles, through rehearsal, instruction, and demonstration, in a supportive environment, with a focus on ensemble playing, and end with the option to play the lead alto part with a professional ensemble. We will have opportunities to warm up on Renaissance music with SATB recorders, so bring all sizes. Register early to receive the music well in advance. Auditors welcome to attend. Sessions culminate in a performance.
Dates: One Saturday of the month, 1:00 – 5:00 P.M. w/ a 15-min. break
Nov. 8, 2025 Open for General Registration. A Taste of Things to Come
Jan. 10, 2026 Feb. 28, 2026 March 14, 2026 April 25, 2026
May 9, 2026 Workshop-Rehearsal June 13 Oct. 10 Nov. 14, 2026
Location: Reformed Church of Highland Park, 19-21 South Second Avenue, Highland Park, NJ. There is plenty of parking at the location, which is a 30-minute walk or 5-minute taxi ride from the New Brunswick NJT train station.
To register, Visit https://hprecorder.org/events/2026-consort-studio/. For more information contact recorderdonna@gmail.com
Bring any size of soprano, alto, tenor, or bass recorder that you have. You will have a chance to explore more than one part of each piece. Both plastic and wooden instruments are welcome. Pitch is A=440.
Please bring a music stand. We recommend that you bring a stand light to supplement the ceiling light.
More info: https://www.nyrg.org/
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The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin at 145 West 46th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues in Manhattan. Meetings are held in St. Joseph’s Hall, a side chapel of St. Mary's. Located in a brick building to the left of the main church, the entranceway is distinguished by the street number 145 displayed on the door.
1:30-3:30 PM. Doors open at 1PM.
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Meeting Fees:
$20 per meeting for members
$30 per meeting for non-members
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FULL SEASON PREPAYMENT OPTION: $180. Includes annual membership dues and meeting fees for the entire 2025-26 season.
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Send payment using Zelle to NYRG treasurer Judith Wink at jwink@nyc.rr.com. Please put your email address in the Notes field. Alternatively, send checks to New York Recorder Guild, 145 West 93rd Street, Apt. 2, New York, NY 10025.
Hold that Tune!Tenorlieder by Senfl, Isaac, and Finck The German tenorlied of the mid-15th to the 16th century was a popular genre. German composers of this time wrote many polyphonic pieces based on a pre-existing tune - often a folk song, or sometimes a chorale tune or chant. The tune would usually be placed in an inner voice, called the tenor because it held the tune (Latin tenere = to hold). We’ll get to know the original songs, then build the polyphony around these sometimes catchy, sometimes mournful, tunes, ranging from the humorous Bruder Conrad by Isaac to the heart-wrenching Unsäglch schmerz by Ludwig Senfl and more.
For SATB recorders.
We are excited to announce the continuation of Medieval Mondays taught by NAVRS music director Annette Bauer - thank you for your continued interest in medieval music!The Medieval Mondays Fall Edition 2025 runs from September to December in four sessions.
Each class will focus on a particular medieval topic, composer, or musical source. A brief overview of the historical context is followed by a selection of music to discover and play together. Scores will be available for registered participants a week ahead of each class. Play-along files will be created on recorders.
Medieval Mondays will take place on zoom on the following dates, always from 12:30-2pm Eastern:
- September 8: Medieval Rounds and Grounds
- October 27: Medieval Bestiary
- November 17: La Spagna
- December 15: Early 15th century English Carols
Each class will focus on a particular medieval topic, composer, or musical source. A brief overview of the historical context is followed by a selection of music to discover and play together. Scores will be available for registered participants a week ahead of each class. Play-along files will be created on recorders.
Medieval Mondays will take place on zoom on the following dates, always from 12:30-2pm Eastern:
--September 8: Medieval rounds and grounds
--October 27: Medieval Bestiary
--November 17: La Spagna
--December 15: Early 15th century English Carols
Each Zoom meeting will be recorded and will stay viewable on demand until one full month after the final session of the series. Come join in on this musical time-travel on Mondays from 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm Eastern time. The course fee of $80 includes all 4 live sessions and the recordings.
The dates and clinicians for our meetings this year will be:
September 12, 2025 - TBA
November 21, 2025 - Joan Kimball
January 16, 2026 - Gwyn Roberts
March 13, 2026 - Bob Wiemken
May 15, 2026 - TBA
Music, when provided by the clinician, will be available digitally before the meetings. If anyone requires or desires a print copy for the meeting, please let me know. I'm more than happy to make as many physical copies as needed, but don't want to waste paper on unneeded copies.
Our meetings will be held from 7:30-9:30 pm at:
New Ark UCC Church
300 East Main Street
Newark, DE 19711
The fee for our meetings will be $15 per meeting or $60 for an annual membership (covers all 5 meetings). Fees help support the chapter by providing honorariums to our guest clinicians as well as an honorarium for New Ark UCC for allowing us to use the space.
You can bring payment with you to the first meeting or send a check made to "Brandywine ARS" to our treasurer, Fred Litcofsky. Fred can be reached fredlitcofsky@gmail or 19 Savoy Rd., Newark, DE 19702
As always, guests are free on their first visit, so please feel free to invite a friend (or 2 or 3)!