Workshop 2026

July 14th-19th, 2026

Apply here !

Following the success of its workshop the last two years in Florence, Lied the Way will return to the Renaissance capital to host another workshop for female Lied Duos from July 14th-19th, 2026.

The theme of this year’s workshop is emBODYment/emPOWERment, and how being present and centered in our bodies has an effect on our music making, musical partnerships, and careers.

EmBODYment/ EmPOWERment

Through our previous workshops, we have learned that it is very difficult for women to be successful in their music making and careers if they do not feel at home in their bodies. At Lied the Way, we are starting at the ground up and focusing this year’s workshop on somatic work. The mornings will begin with beloved mentor Kendy Gable, who will teach the singers and pianists how to connect with their body— and themselves— through the voice and the breath. Somatic therapist Allison Benner will work with the duos individually, assessing their body language and giving exercises for how the duos can connect more with one another. Allison will also host a workshop on feminine forms of leadership, which focus on the duality of leaders and non-hierarchical ways of sharing power. Other somatic activities include aromatherapy body work by soprano Marlis Petersen, and a Cycle workshop by pianist and LTW director Elenora Pertz, which dives into how we as women can work with instead of against our biological rhythms.   

Beyond a “Masterclass”

A key point in our mission at Lied the Way is to continue to explore and expand our current ways of teaching and learning in the classical music industry, going beyond the typical hierarchical “masterclass”. To guide us in this exploration, we are excited to welcome Anna Tilbrook, one of England’s most exciting pianists, internationally-renowned soprano Marlis Petersen (Bayerische Staatsoper, Wiener Staatsoper, etc).  We will meet in the evenings for group sessions with the mentors, using different modalities to explore new ways of sharing and learning about music.  Previous sessions have included duos teaching one another with mentor feedback, as well as group teaching all together. Each duo will also receive an individual session with the mentors during the course of the workshop to work on specific repertoire.

After the success at previous workshops, Lied the Way board members Emily Hehl and Elenora Pertz will hold various seminars for the duos during the week. Both Emily and Elenora in addition to their group seminars will offer coachings together with the duos individually, focusing on a specific project that the duo has in mind, and how they might bring that practically and artistically to life.

Pioneering Projects and Authentic Careers

LTW program manager Emily Hehl in addition to being the “glue which holds it all together” during the workshop, is a celebrated stage director and works at institutions such as the Vienna State Opera, Needcompany, and the Salzburg Festival. Emily will lead sessions on how to rethink the traditional “Liederabend” from a scenic perspective by diving into the potential forms between “concert and opera”. In addition to developing these visions together, she will share the necessary craft to realize these projects by exploring aspects of dramaturgy, lighting, and more. As the body of a performer is the beginning of every work, she will lead movement sessions for the duos to incorporate their bodies more into their music making.

Artistic Director Elenora Pertz is not only a multi-faceted pianist and visionary behind Lied the Way, but is a pioneer in the classical music scene, stretching the limits of the traditional education system and the definition of a “successful” career. She has taught a self-designed seminar for over two years at the Universität der Künste Berlin on “The Way of an Artist”, and from this course will shed life on how to apply life-design principles to shape authentic careers. Elenora was also recently certified in the newly-emerging field of Women’s Cycle Coaching, and will lead a session on how female artists can approach their artwork and careers from a cyclical perspective, going with instead of against their body’s natural rhythms.

2026 Workshop Energy Exchange (aka “fees”)

Thanks to a generous donation, we are able to offer our workshop this year on a sliding-scale basis

  • 250€ if you are a full-time student or going through a period of financial difficulty

  • 400€ if you are currently working and have some spendable income (for example are able to afford to take yourself on vacation occasionally)

  • 500€ if you are financially comfortable; this amount enables others to participate at a reduced rate

This donation was made in memoriam of Reinhard and Angelika Ernst.

Workshop fees include:

  • Participation in all workshop and group activities from July 14th-19th

  • One private duo coaching with each of the mentors (Anna Tillbrook, Marlis Petersen, Kendy Gable, Allison Benner, Emily Hehl/Elenora Pertz)

  • Lunch on all masterclass days; light dinner on opening and closing days (July 14th/19th)

  • Selected participants will receive an aromatherapy massage with Marlis Petersen (drawn at random)

  • Welcome tote with LTW goodies

  • Women in the Renaissance group tour in Florence on July 18th

Participants are expected to cover their own travel to and from Florence, as well as their accommodation and meals apart from those mentioned above. Lied the Way will provide suggestions for affordable housing within the city.

Palazzo Corsini al Prato

The workshop takes place in a beautiful Baroque Palazzo in the heart of Florence, the home of Fondazione Mascarade Opera. We are very grateful to our partners at Mascarade Opera for offering their space to us and for supporting us on many levels!

Meet our Mentors

  • Anna Tillbrook

    PIANIST, FELLOW OF ROYAL ACADEMY OF MUSIC

  • Kendy Gable

    SINGER-SONGWRITER, HOLISTIC VOCAL COACH, DOULA, FOUNDER OF “OPEN VOICE”

  • Allison Benner

    SOMATIC THERAPIST, WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP COACH

  • Marlis Petersen

    SOPRANO AT WIENER STAATSOPER, BAYERISCHE STAATSOPER, BERLINER STAATSOPER, ETC.

  • Emily Hehl

    STAGE DIRECTOR, WORKING WITH WIENER STAATSOPER, NEEDCOMPANY, ETC. PROGRAM DIRECTOR OF LTW

  • Elenora Pertz

    PIANIST, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF LTW, INSTRUCTOR FOR ART SONG AT HOCHSCHULE FOR ARTS BREMEN, WOMEN’S CYCLE COACH

Further reasons to become a part of the Lied the Way experience…

  • Meet and connect with like-minded and -spirited female Lied artists to expand your personal and professional network

  • Benefit from a female-only environment—a rarity in today’s society— to share with and learn from one another

  • Approach your art and career from a holistic perspective that goes above and beyond the mold of today’s classical music institutions

  • Spend time in one of the most breathtaking cities of the world, which has inspired countless artists for centuries

  • Be a part of the movement to empower and connect women to make a change in our Lied and classical music industry at large

Apply today!

Applications are open from January 12th- February 1st (midnight CET)

Link to apply

We encourage women of all stages in their professional journeys to apply— from bachelor students to university professors. At Lied the Way we are looking to break down the idea that learning stops at a certain age, and see our workshops not as “masterclasses” or “young artist programs”, but as a chance for women of all different stages of life to learn from another, and form professional and personal bonds built on shared values and passions.

Thank you!

Vielen Dank to the Athenaeum Dietrich Götze Stiftung für Kultur und Wissenschaft, without whom our workshop would not be possible

Photo credits: LTW Workshop- Alessio Chao. Headshots: Anne le Bozec- Paul Castanié; Emily Hehl- Álfheiður Guðmundsdóttir; Elenora Pertz- Guanchen Liu.