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 ability to bring us all together: children and retirees; students, amateurs, and professionals. This free community event offers activities like master classes, a community Play In, and public performances by recorder enthusiasts from elementary school ensembles to adult amateurs to practicing professional players. Learn more about how to participate in Recorder Fest here.
If you or your ensemble, student, or child would like to participate but have more questions, contact us.
Learn About Our Instruments
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. These can be geared to any age and interest level, from pre-school to graduate school to amateurs and interested adults.
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 2025 workshop ala pifarescha will take place May 11-17 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!