Seminar #13
Classical | Hybrid | Film Music Orchestral Courses
29th of June to 19th of July 2026
In July 2026, the FAME’S Institute will host a 3-parts Orchestral Program for European students, interested in advancing their experience in performance, recording, while exploring new musical genres.
Held at FAME’S Studio in Skopje, North Macedonia, the program brings together internatonally acclaimed mentors who will guide students through an intensive artistic and educational process.
Our Classical Music Orchestral Course, helmed by renowned violinist Rusanda Panfili, explores the deep connections between classical and contemporary repertoire and diverse musical traditions from around the world, tracing how these influences resonate in the works of composers such as Bartók and Shostakovich, as well as in the scores of iconic film composers like Morricone. Through this perspective, participants will deepen their understanding of cultural heritage and its role in shaping a musician’s artistic language and expressive voice.
Our Hybrid Music Orchestral Course, mentored by Vesko Eschkenazy & Stoyan Karaivanov, presents a dynamic musical journey that bridges the elegance of classical repertoire with the passion and rhythm of tango. Exploring how musical language evolves across styles and eras, the week reveals unexpected connections between composers and traditions, from Mozart and Mendelssohn to
Piazzolla and beyond.
Finally, our Film Music Orchestral Course, led by Alastair King, offers performing musicians a unique opportunity to gain real-life experience collaborating with media composers and working on original film music. Participants will work in a professional recording studio environment in Skopje, learning to deliver high-level orchestral performances under tight production deadlines.
Through daily rehearsals, workshops, and close interaction with leading professionals, participants will refine their technical skills, expand their artistic perspective, and gain valuable experience in both traditional orchestral performance and contemporary cross-genre collaboration.
Open Call Announcement:
03.04.2026
Application Deadline:
15.05.2026
Classical Music Orchestral Course: Connected by Sound: the Transformative Power of World Music
29th of June to 5th of July 2026
In a time marked by both global movement and conflict, music remains one of the most powerful forces of unity. This course explores the deep connections between classical
and contemporary repertoire and the rich traditions of world and folk music — and the ways in which those connections have shaped some of the most significant works in the canon.
Through direct engagement with works by composers such as Bartók, Brahms, Shostakovich, De Falla, Piazzolla, and Grieg, each deeply inspired by the musical traditions of their regions, participants will discover how cultural influences shape musical language across genres and eras. The course then extends this exploration into the world of film music, exploring how Morricone, Williams, and Zimmer incorporated diverse cultural elements into scores that have reached audiences worldwide.
The course will be led by Rusanda Panfili, a Moldovan born violinist, composer, and arranger based in Austria, whose repertoire spans classical concertos, chamber music, and film scores, and whose collaborations include Hans Zimmer, Andrea Bocelli, and Gavin Greenaway. Her personal project Panfili&Friends, which brings together classical and folk music, reflects the same cross cultural spirit that animates the course itself.
By immersing themselves in these diverse styles and traditions, students will expand their artistic perspective beyond their everyday musical environment, gaining both technical insight and a broader cultural awareness that will inform their musicianship long after the course ends.
RUSANDA PANFILI (MENTOR / VIOLINIST)
Rusanda Panfili is a Moldovan violinist composer and arranger. As a soloist, she has performed with prestigious ensembles such as the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the State of Mexico Symphony Orchestra, the RSO Vienna, the Moldovan and the 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.
Hybrid Music Orchestral Course: Unexpected Connections: Classical Music and the World of Tango
7th to 12th of July 2026
This course presents a dynamic musical journey that bridges the elegance of classical repertoire with the passion and rhythm of tango, extending into cinematic sound worlds. The concept explores how musical language evolves across styles and eras, revealing unexpected connections between composers and traditions.
Beginning with reinterpretations of classical works filtered through a tango sensibility, the program gradually transitions into the distinctive sound of tango, both in its traditional form and through modern reinterpretations, before arriving at the revolutionary tango nuevo of Astor Piazzolla, whose works blend classical structure, jazz elements, and tango traditions into something that continues to resist easy categorization. Along the way, participants may encounter iconic works such as La Cumparsita, Por una cabeza, and Libertango, alongside pieces that reflect tango’s remarkable global reach and stylistic diversity.
The program features soloists Vesko Eschkenazy, Stoyan Karaivanov and pianist Viktoria Boyanova, and together offers participants a vivid exploration of musical transformation, from structured classical forms to the expressive, rhythm-driven world of tango and beyond, highlighting both historical continuity and creative innovation.
VESKO ESCHKENAZY (MENTOR / VIOLINIST)
Vesko Eschkenazy has been concertmaster of the Concertgebouw Orchestra since January 2000, having occupied the same position earlier with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra. Among his prizes are the Wieniawski Competition in Poland (1985) and the Carl Flesch Competition in London (1988). He's performed as a soloist with many orchestras, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, under conductors such as Yuri Bashmet, Colin Davis, Carlo Maria Giulini, Kurt Masur, and Seiji Ozawa, and has conducted numerous musical theatre and crossover productions.
Discover: Vesko Eschkenazy.
STOYAN KARAIVANOV (MENTOR / BANDONEONIST)
Stoyan Karaivanov is the first Bulgarian bandoneonist to play on the classical Argentine system. He has performed at prestigious festivals such as the "European Music Festival", "Bayan and Bayanist – Moscow", "Sofia Music Weeks", the "Apollonia Arts Festival", "Piano Extravaganza", "Days of Music in Balabanov House", "Golden Diana Music Festivities", "Classical Music Days, Balchik", and "Acordeomania", as well as numerous international festivals in Austria, Switzerland, Slovakia, Germany, Russia, Italy, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Cyprus.
Discover: Stoyan Karaivanov.
Film Music Orchestral Course: Scoring from Screen: From Orchestra to Soundtrack
14th to 19th of July 2026
Our Film Music Recording Orchestral Course offers performing musicians a unique opportunity to gain real-life experience collaborating with media composers and working on original film music. Participants will work in a professional recording studio environment and learn the requirements of delivering high-level orchestral performances under tight production deadlines.
The course brings together 30 classical music students from across Europe and five talented composers, with a central focus on the creative collaboration between composers and performers in a professional studio setting in Skopje. Composers will work with performers on a piece written in preparation for the program, and will also compose, rehearse, and record a new short work during the course itself — giving both sides the experience of working through the full workflow of a professional film music recording session. Participants will additionally have the opportunity to perform existing film music specially arranged for the course ensemble.
The course will be led by Alastair King, one of the UK’s leading orchestrators and conductors, whose credits span more than 100 film, television, and video game productions, including Wonder Woman, the Harry Potter films, and Downton Abbey. He regularly collaborates with leading media composers and has conducted the London Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Concert Orchestra, and the BBC Philharmonic.
ALASTAIR KING (MENTOR / CONDUCTOR)
Alastair King is one of the leading orchestrators and conductors in the UK and has 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, Chorus of Wales and the Vienna ORTF Orchestra.
Discover: Alastair King.