Education

Education & Outreach

Piffaro has many offerings for students, pre-professionals, amateurs and community members of all ages. From school performances to intensive week-long workshops, from master classes to private lessons, the variety of educational experiences that the ensemble and its members can provide is limited only by time and the imagination! It is no wonder that Piffaro has been honored twice by Early Music America for its work on behalf of all interested learners.

Philadelphia Recorder Fest!

The annual Recorder Fest celebrates the recorder’s superpower: the ability to bring us all together: from children to retirees; students, amateurs, and professionals alike. This free community event offers activities like workshops, a community Play In, and public performances by recorder enthusiasts from elementary school ensembles to practicing professional players. Learn about the 2024 Recorder Fest here.

If you or your ensemble, student(s), or child would like to participate but have more questions, contact us.


Learn About Our Instruments


The Next Generation

Piffaro is committed to bringing along a new generation of early music performers, and encourages them on all levels. Members of the ensemble teach and coach young sackbut, double reed, recorder and plucked string players at the college and graduate levels. The National Recorder Competition showcases serious high school players, bringing three finalists to a live competition in Philadelphia. The winner performs alongside Piffaro members in one of our series programs in Philadelphia. If you’re a teacher with a star pupil or enthusiastic young musicians, contact us for information about getting your students involved.


Schools & Universities

Piffaro is active in high school and college settings as well, both for music appreciators and rigorous academicians. The group can be in residence for a full week and work with students in a variety of ways: coaching band ensembles on Renaissance music, teaching Renaissance dance, working with groups of singers on madrigals, demonstrating the instruments, and explaining their role in the music and the history of the period. Colleges that have engaged Piffaro for such residencies include Duke University, Gettysburg College and St. Olaf College, among others. Contact us to learn more!


Workshops & Lectures

Piffaro ensemble members frequently lead and teach at national workshops and festivals such as the Madison Early Music Festival, Amherst Early Music Festival, San Francisco Early Music Society’s Medieval/Renaissance and Recorder Workshops, the Texas Toot in Austin. Classes at these workshops are tailored for amateurs, pre-professionals, and professionals and range in topics focusing on technique and repertoire for the varied instruments – recorders, double reeds, sackbuts, plucked strings and the like – to reed-making, historical opera and period performance practice. PIffaro Director Priscilla Herried is available for lectures and demonstrations, as well. These can be geared to any age and interest level, from pre-school to graduate school to amateurs and interested adults. Contact us for more!

Piffaro Indiana Early Double Reed and Sackbut Workshop

Piffaro has adopted the Indiana Early Double Reed and Indiana Sackbut Workshop, until recently sponsored by Early Music in Motion. The 2024 workshop ala pifarescha will take place May 12-19 at Waycross Camp & Conference Center in Morgantown, Indiana. Get more information here.


Listening Parties

Piffaro’s artistic director is available for a limited number of “listening parties” – lecture-demonstrations hosted by you or your organization.  Contact us for more!