Singing Italian madrigals in Italy for 10 days in June!
DATES - June 20-29, 2026
VENUE -Settimo Vittone and Ivrea, Italy (Piedmont Region) (3T Boutique Hotel and Montestrutto Castle)
SONG LEADERS - Mollie Stone, Sophie Michaux and Adam Jacob Simon
ORGANIZERS and SUPPORT TEAM - Karla Mundy and Dominique Arnoldi
COST - $2850 CAD + $150 Registration Fee + GST (Based on double occupancy) TOTAL COST is $3150 CAD including GST. (Cost is equal to 1950 Euros in total)
There are some single rooms available for an extra fee of $720 CAD + GST ($756 CAD)
WHO - As this program's focus will be on learning madrigals and Renaissance polyphony, we will be sight-reading music from scores, and so the ability to read music will be helpful. Sheet music may be sent out ahead of time if you wish to pre-study, but we won't be able to send out parts recordings in advance to facilitate learning solely by ear. In order to create a balanced choir, applicant's voice-parts will be taken into consideration when determining the program roster.
*Note - Due to the infrastructure of the area this trip contains a considerable amount of walking. There are 230 stairs that we will be using twice a day with a slightly longer, less steep route as the only alternative and this may restrict who can attend. We also have several walking trips planned during the week (45 minutes each way)
If the trip is full, your registration fee will be returned to you. We will see within a couple of days how space is looking amongst the sections.
REGISTRATION WILL OPEN NOV 30th at 11:00 am PST! (The link will work then)
SongRoutes - Italy
SongRoutes Italy will be based out of the beautiful Montestrutto Castle in Settimo Vittone and we will be led by the incredibly engaging and knowledgable Mollie Stone, Sophie Michaux and Adam Jacob Simon.
Together we will dig into the wild and colourful polyphony of the Italian Renaissance and Baroque periods. We will explore the poetry set to music by Italian composers such as Monteverdi, Strozzi, Casulana, or Marenzio. We will also explore a piece or two in English to get a sense of the effects of word painting in one’s native language.
Outside of singing and rehearsals, we will have lots of time to explore the area. There will be plenty of time for walking, eating, drinking and enjoying each other's company. Although the group will be split between the hotel and the castle for sleeping and breakfast, we will spend the rest of the time together with rehearsals taking place in the castle.
Our typical day will start with breakfast in our accommodations and then a 3-hour morning rehearsal at the castle. For lunch we will walk down the hill into the town (a 10-minute walk) to eat at a local restaurant. We will order our food ahead of time so it will be ready for us when we arrive. After lunch, our afternoons will generally consist of a short rehearsal - either reviewing what we did in the morning or previewing something new - and a walk to explore the area or a short drive to visit a vineyard or see some castles or explore a nearby town or market. The evenings will be free for exploring different restaurants for dinner on your own.
During our time there we will do two larger day-long trips: one to Lago Maggiore where we will explore the lake and get a ferry pass to hop from one island to the next and visit the incredible villas and gardens; and a separate day trip to La Langhe region, which is famous for its rolling hills, historic villages and wine estates (the home of the Barolo wine). La Langhe valley is the home of the 'slow food' movement so we will spend some unhurried time delighting in the local culinary offerings.
VENUE - Montestrutto Castle (Settimo Vittone) and 3T Boutique Hotel (Ivrea)
The beautiful Montestrutto Castle has a fascinating history and belonged to the family of the famous violinist, teacher and composer Rosario Scalero. Many important musicians studied here over the years including Samuel Barber and Leonard Bernstein. All of our classes will be held in this gorgeous historic building that sits atop a hill overlooking the village of Settimo Vittone. Here we will meet daily to work on Italian madrigals and 
Renaissance polyphony in our newly formed choir. The teachers and support team will be staying at the castle. You can see more of the castle HERE
Participants will be staying together at the 3T Boutique hotel in nearby Ivrea (a 10 minute drive from the castle) and we will have many rental cars amongst the group. Buffet breakfasts will be served at 3T Boutique hotel every morning starting at 7:00 am.
You can read more about the 3T Boutique HERE
Food
Following our morning of sing together, we will walk down the 230 stairs into the town (there is a less steep way to get down and up to the castle with a 10 minute walk through the chestnut grove) and we will eat lunch all together in a pre-arranged restaurant. We decided to leave people on their own to pay for lunch as it will give you more choice for your budget and hunger level. Dinners will be on your own with 
plenty of suggestions from Dominique and other locals. The 'Slow Food' movement originated in the Piedmont region and we will all be exploring the culinary delights of the area and can use our rental cars to explore the area and its incredible dining. Dinner is typically served late (around 8pm) and is a full activity on its own.
The Piedmont region has the most variety of cheeses and wines in all of Italy. It is close to France and shares some of the French richness and serving traditions. It is famous for stuffed pasta, white truffles, hazelnuts, rich beef dishes, risotto, fresh egg pasta....did we mention wine and cheese?
- morning rehearsal with our core teachers Mollie Stone, Sophie Michaux and Adam Jacob Simon
- afternoon singing session followed by group walks in the village, trips to nearby towns, visits to vineyards
- Day trip to Lago Maggiore
- Day trip to La Langhe valley with a multi course group meal
- Lots of time to explore, have fun singing together, learn about Madrigal singing, Renaissance Polyphony and create a beautiful singing community together.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Cost includes
- full course tuition
- Accommodations at 3T Boutique Hotel
- All Breakfasts
- Costs for all outings and one large shared meal.
- Wine tastings
- All rental cars
- Transportation to & from Turin
Cost is based on double occupancy. There are some single rooms available for an extra cost of $720 + GST.
What's Not Included?
- Flights to and from Turin.
- Lunches and dinners
(The closest airport is Turin however I realize that people may travel to different locations. The plan is to pick up the rental cars in Turin and come all together on June 20th so people can make their way to meet in Turin)
INSTRUCTORS
Mollie Stone
Mollie Stone serves as Choral Conductor and Lecturer at the University of Chicago, where she directs the University Chorus and Women's Ensemble, and teaches a course in sight-reading. Stone is also the Co-Founder/Director of the Chicago World Music Chorus, and frequently leads music study programs abroad.
Stone holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College, a Master of Music degree in conducting from Westminster Choir College, a Doctorate in choral conducting from Northwestern University, and has studied at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Stone wrote her dissertation on how Black South Africans have adapted the choral music of the anti-apartheid struggle to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Stone works to facilitate programs and collaborations that help singers study the music of various traditions by working directly with culture bearers, while also providing platforms and resources to culture bearers that support them in sharing their music on their own terms.
Sophie Michaux
Sophie Michaux was born in London and raised in the French Alps. Her versatility and musical curiosity have brought her to be an active performer in many repertoires including French Cabaret songs, 17th century Opera, English Sea Shanties, Oratorios, as well as various world polyphonies: Sophie is passionate about performing classical, folk, and world music, as well as popular song literature. She has performed this italian early music repertoire with ensembles such as Blue Heron, Lorelei Ensemble, Cappella Mediterranea, and more. She founded Tiny Glass Tavern, an eclectic cross genre ensemble, is the co-founder of Culomba, as well as Sophie et Adam, a folk music duo with guitarist and singer Adam Jacob Simon. She has toured extensively with Northern Harmony, an ensemble that is renowned for its command of varied world ethnic singing styles from the Balkans, the Republic of Georgia, South Africa, and the United States. More at www.sophiemichaux.com.
Adam Jacob Simon
Adam Jacob Simon is a versatile composer, singer, arranger, string plucker, and ivory tickler based in New England. As a composer, he has enjoyed many recent performances and commissions from nationally acclaimed ensembles, including A Far Cry, Cantus, Lorelei Ensemble, Ruckus, Conspirare, Seraphic Fire, Palaver Strings and WordSong Boston. He is an avid folk music singer as well, performing frequently with the world folk ensemble Culomba, and VT based vocal ensemble Northern Harmony, traveling throughout Europe, South Africa and the US. Adam has a Master’s degree in composition from Tufts University in Medford MA and did his undergraduate studies at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge MA. He is the Director of Music at Edwards Church in Northampton MA.