Seminar #9
From Heritage, Film Music, to Passion …
This July 2025, FAME’S Institute is offering a unique 3-part Orchestral program for European students – musicians, interested in expanding their skills and exploring new musical styles.
Held at FAME’S Studio in Skopje, North Macedonia, the program brings together internationally recognized mentors and performers to guide our students through a diverse musical journey. These include Emilio Percan, soloist, violin professor and concertmaster with various European orchestras; renowned UK orchestrator and conductor Alastair King; and solo violinist Rusanda Panfili, who tours the world’s largest arenas and concert halls.
Each course includes rehearsals, workshops, and a final public performance, giving participants the opportunity to work closely with leading professionals while developing both their technical abilities and artistic expression.
Classical Music Orchestral Course
June 30th - July 7th, 2025
Orchestral Strings : From Baroque To Romanticism
The Classical Music Orchestral Course, led by Emilio Percan, renowned soloist, violin professor at the University of Music and the Performing Arts Graz, and concertmaster with many European orchestras, is dedicated to the practice of String Chamber Orchestra performance. The course offers participants the opportunity to work closely with Maestro Percan on the repertoire which will include a variety of musical styles and rarely performed pieces from Baroque to Romanticism.
Designed as an intensive program for strings performance, the course addresses both technical and interpretative dimensions, with a particular focus on ensemble playing within chamber and orchestral settings. This program highlights authentic performance and explores a variety of musical genres.
The Course will conclude with a Concert performed by FAME’S Institute students and Emilio Percan in Skopje, Suli An on July 6th.
Emilio Percan / Violinist
Emilio Percan is a violinist who has performed as a soloist and concertmaster across the globe, and in the U.S. such as Teatro Colón, Concertgebouw Amsterdam and Berlin Philharmonic. He has collaborated with artists such as Viktoria Mullova and Daniel Hope, and recorded over 20 albums with top labels like Deutsche Grammophon and DECCA. His 2017 Brahms recording as soloist and conductor received international acclaim.
A passionate teacher, Percan is violin professor at the University of Music and the Performing Arts Graz and has held positions at institutions in Moscow and Zurich. He has directed the International Music Masterclasses since 2013.
Discover: Emilio Percan
Film Music Orchestral Course
8th - 13th of July, 2025
The Film Music Recording Orchestral Course
The Film Music Recording Orchestral Course will give performing musicians real life experience of collaborating with media composers on bringing original music written for film to life, working in a professional recording studio and understanding the requirements of producing professional level performances under a tight deadline.
Alastair King will lead the Course around the collaboration between the 30 European classical students and five talented composers. The composers will contribute to the project by coming and working at our purpose-built studio in Skopje.
During that time the composers will be able to work with the performers on a new piece they will have written during June 2025 and also compose, rehearse and record a short piece during their time on the course. In addition, the students will get a chance to play existing film music that has been especially arranged for them.
Alastair King / Composer / Conductor
Alastair King is one of the leading orchestrators and conductors in the UK and orchestrated over 100 film, TV and video game projects including Wonder Woman, Harry Potter, The Martian, Downton Abbey and Doctor Who. He regularly collaborates with some of the leading media composers working today. Alastair is also a regular conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of London (COOL) and has conducted many other orchestras and choirs including the London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia, London Session Orchestra, Metro Voices, RSVP Voices, BBC Philharmonic, the Bach Choir, the Choir of the King’s Consort, BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales and the Vienna ORTF Orchestra.
Discover: Alastair King
Hybrid Music Orchestral Course
14th - 21st of July, 2025
Libertango – A Tribute to Astor Piazzolla
The program introduces students to the music of Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla, with a focus on his distinctive Tango Nuevo style.3 Throughout the week, students will explore his compositions through practical workshops and rehearsals, emphasizing rhythm, technique and expression under the guidance of violinist and mentor Rusanda Panfili.
The repertoire features several of Piazzolla’s notable works for String Chamber Orchestra and Solo Violin, including Soledad, Oblivion, Vuelvo al Sur, Escualo and Libertango. A central piece in the program is Estaciones Porteñas, arranged by Leonid Desyatnikov. This work blends elements of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with Piazzolla’s tango influences, offering students the opportunity to engage with a fusion of classical and modern styles.
The program is designed to provide both performance experience and a deeper understanding of Piazzolla’s musical language.
The Course will conclude with a Concert performed by FAME’S Institute Students & Rusanda Panfili at the Ohrid Summer Festival on July 20th.
Rusanda Panfili / Violinist
Rusanda Panfili is a Moldovan violinist, composer and arranger. As a soloist, Rusanda Panfili has performed with prestigious ensembles such as the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the State of Mexico Symphony Orchestra, and the RSO Vienna, the Moldovan and Romanian Symphony Orchestras. Her collaborations extend to renowned artists like Brian May, Hans Zimmer, and Andrea Bocelli. Since 2016, she has toured globally as a solo violinist in Zimmer’s orchestral shows, including “Hans Zimmer Live” and “The World of Hans Zimmer.” Her collaboration with Andrea Bocelli which started in 2022, brought her to the biggest stages in the world including the Warsaw Stadium and the Estadio Monumental de Caracas “Simon Bolivar” in Venezuela.
Discover: Rusanda Panfili