The 2025 Resonating Body Masterclass
by Katharina Martini
It is mid-September in Venice. Beautiful weather, sunshine, and bright, glistening light. The city sparkles and radiates a special magic.
It was precisely this atmosphere that made our masterclass in Venice so magical. Seven flutists from all over the world came together to make music and grow as musicians. With only one participant per country, a lively cultural exchange enriched the masterclass. The participants came from the US, Latvia, Germany, France, Spain, Austria, and the Netherlands.
“A masterclass for all levels – discover your unique sound, learn with others, and become part of an inspiring musical community event in Venice.” That was the motto of our course.
The two flutists and instructors of the masterclass, Katharina and Christiane Martini, brought the Resonating Body Method to life and dedicated themselves to supporting flutists and musicians worldwide. This approach involves a holistic perspective that considers the body and mindset as a whole. The body focuses on pain-free music-making and prevention. The mindset is equally important for a free body feeling and can either slow us down considerably or quickly move us forward and fill us with inner strength. These two areas work together strongly within us and influence one thing in particular: resonance. The aim of the masterclass was therefore primarily to develop an individual sound and to find out how one's own anatomical constitution optimally supports the sound in order to produce many individual colors.
Accordingly, the program and schedule of the course were very varied. Each day began with a one-hour warm-up, during which the entire body was activated and mobilized. Accompanied by music, the entire room was brought to full activity. Partner exercises greatly enhanced the sensitivity of the flutists. The focus was particularly on the arms and all the muscles required for breathing, the balance of the spine, and the mobility of the most important joints. Those who had never experienced a spinal wave were able, after four days, to perform the most beautiful and flexible spinal waves in the flow of music. Body visualization and goal-setting for the day concluded the session and provided optimal preparation for the course ahead.
The individual lessons followed immediately afterwards on each day. Each flutist had brought their own selected program and worked with both instructors on musicality, phrasing, and characterization of the music. An analysis of their own posture and current status – “What is helping me at the moment and what is holding me back?” – also accompanied each student through the days and brought noticeable improvements: relaxed breathing, incredible resonance, less pain, many different timbres, more flexibility, and a feeling of freedom.
In the heart of Venice, near the Rialto Bridge, the windows were opened wide every morning, filling Campo San Bartolomeo with the sound of flutes until the afternoon.
This morning session concluded with a chamber music session, in which the participants played together in a focused atmosphere, applying what they had learned. The chamber music pieces included a chamber sonata by Schickert, Schafe können sich erweiden by Johann Sebastian Bach, and The Marriage of Figaro Overture by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Every afternoon included a longer siesta, which could be used for lunch or a special daily challenge combining music with the atmosphere of this wonderful city. Every day, everyone met again in the late afternoon to review what they had learned and to explore various topics in three workshops. The topics of the workshops were the body, the mindset, and the question “What is your vision?” This gave the participants the opportunity to delve deeply into these subjects and, for example, use anatomy charts to understand the connection and function of certain muscles. They also learned various tools to strengthen their mindset and use it most effectively.
We spent two evenings in the beautiful courtyard of our accommodation with a homemade pasta dinner prepared by our assistant Victor. The welcome dinner and the celebration dinner at the end of the course took place at two particularly beautiful secret locations in Venice, in gardens with a truly special atmosphere.
This year’s partial scholarship recipients, sponsored by the Resonating Body Academy, were the young flutists Anete Duntava (Latvia), Luis Blázquez Molina (Spain), Lucie Benediktová (Germany), and Claire Klimm (France).
Next year, there will again be some Resonating Body Masterclasses, and we are returning to Venice as well as to Verona/Florence. Save the dates for 2026: Verona, September 4–8, and Venice, September 9–13.
We also have a big announcement. The Resonating Body Academy is going to host the 1st Resonating Body Competition for Flutists 2025 for the first time. The application deadline is November 15, 2025. You can learn more about the competition and the upcoming masterclasses on the following page: www.resonatingbodyacademy.de
The competition will award scholarships for next year's masterclasses, among other prizes.
Thanks for this year’s wonderful masterclass – it was a pleasure and felt like a little piece of magic.