Introduction to Medieval Polyphony
Medieval polyphony is often almost automatically associated with the major musical centers of France or Italy. However, the polyphonic tradition of the Iberian Peninsula is every bit as rich as that which developed elsewhere in Europe. The manuscripts that preserve this music reveal a much richer and more diverse landscape than we sometimes imagine, and allow us to discover repertoires of enormous interest that remain relatively unexplored.
This course offers a highly practical approach to medieval polyphony, with a special focus on the repertoire preserved in Hispanic manuscripts. Over the course of two days, we will work directly with the facsimiles with the aim of learning to navigate the sources, recognize some basic elements of their notation, and, above all, sing the music exactly as it is written, taking into account the historical context and the various interpretive and aesthetic criteria. Using simple examples, we will explore how some of
the medieval musical notations work and, most importantly, how to bring them to life.
The workshop is designed as a collaborative space where we will explore manuscripts, gradually learn to read them, and discover that the best way to understand this music is simply by singing it. No prior experience with medieval notation is necessary: all you need is curiosity, a desire to sing, and a willingness to be surprised by what these sources hold.
The approach will be progressive and practical, designed so that anyone with an interest in music and a desire to sing can participate, without needing prior experience in medieval music or early music notation.
📅 Dates:
Saturday, May 9, 2026 – 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Sunday, May 10, 2026 – 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM
📍 Location: “El Molino de Santa Isabel” School
Cursos antiguos
EGERIA, as part of its academic objectives, is partnering with the Centre Internacional de Interpretació d'Estudis de la Música Medieval de la Valldigna (CIIMM), to present the course Medieval Readings and Languages.
The course aims to provide a comprehensive approach to the different musical languages and resulting styles that developed in the Middle Ages, as a means of understanding the evolution and development of Western music.
We will study the historical context, the different treatises and we will discover how to decipher the original notations, through the main manuscripts, always with a methodology that is both theoretical and practical.
The course will be teached by Lucía Martín-Maestro Verbo, performer and researcher specialised in medieval music and, in addition, founder and artistic director of EGERIA.
EGERIA, as part of its academic objectives, is partnering with the Centre Internacional de Interpretació d'Estudis de la Música Medieval de la Valldigna (CIIMM), to present the course Medieval Readings and Languages.
The course aims to provide a comprehensive approach to the different musical languages and resulting styles that developed in the Middle Ages, as a means of understanding the evolution and development of Western music.
We will study the historical context, the different treatises and we will discover how to decipher the original notations, through the main manuscripts, always with a methodology that is both theoretical and practical.
The course will be teached by Lucía Martín-Maestro Verbo, performer and researcher specialised in medieval music and, in addition, founder and artistic director of EGERIA.
EGERIA, as part of its academic objectives, is partnering with the Centre Internacional de Interpretació d'Estudis de la Música Medieval de la Valldigna (CIIMM), to present the course Medieval Readings and Languages.
The course aims to provide a comprehensive approach to the different musical languages and resulting styles that developed in the Middle Ages, as a means of understanding the evolution and development of Western music.
We will study the historical context, the different treatises and we will discover how to decipher the original notations, through the main manuscripts, always with a methodology that is both theoretical and practical.
The course will be teached by Lucía Martín-Maestro Verbo, performer and researcher specialised in medieval music and, in addition, founder and artistic director of EGERIA.
EGERIA, as part of its academic objectives, is partnering with the Centre Internacional de Interpretació d'Estudis de la Música Medieval de la Valldigna (CIIMM), to present the course Medieval Readings and Languages.
The course aims to provide a comprehensive approach to the different musical languages and resulting styles that developed in the Middle Ages, as a means of understanding the evolution and development of Western music.
We will study the historical context, the different treatises and we will discover how to decipher the original notations, through the main manuscripts, always with a methodology that is both theoretical and practical.
The course will be teached by Lucía Martín-Maestro Verbo, performer and researcher specialised in medieval music and, in addition, founder and artistic director of EGERIA.
EGERIA presents its III online course, Keys for the reading, transcription and interpretation of the manuscript, focused on the Codex Calixtinus.
Copied approximately between 1160 and 1170, the Codex Calixtinus is one of the most important musical relics preserved in Spain, and the Jacobean manuscript par excellence.
This course aims to provide the skills needed to discover and decipher this repertoire, always working from the manuscript itself in order to put it into musical practice.
Ideal for musicians with or without experience in the medieval repertoire, musicologists or music lovers with musical knowledge. It is essential to be able to read music with ease.
The teaching will be led by the performer and researcher Lucía Martín-Maestro Verbo, director and founder of EGERIA, a specialist in the medieval repertoire.
EGERIA presents its II online course, this time dedicated to the Initiation to the Interpretation of Medieval Music. Taking the voice as the main instrument, the aim is to provide students with the basic tools to face the enormous diversity of languages that were generated in this extensive period, from a completely practical approach.
The course will take place between January and April, and will consist of four units dealing respectively with the pre-Ars Antiqua, Ars Antiqua, Ars Nova and Ars Subtilior/School of Burgundy.
These four modules can be taken together or individually. The class dynamic will consist of two 4-hour group sessions per month, a personal tutorial and, in addition, there is also the possibility of receiving two individual sessions per month.
The enrolment modalities vary depending on the package chosen by the student.
The teaching will be carried out by the performer and researcher Lucía Martín-Maestro Verbo, director and founder of EGERIA, a specialist in medieval repertoire.