workshops

Many artists and musicians never attain the independence of being able to improvise.

Practically all the great artists and composers of old were improvisers. Learning how to improvise greatly increases the understanding of one’s artistic genre, and as a natural extension expands one's artistic possibilities.

Courses, short and long, as well as individual lessons are offered in Munich. One week improvisation workshops are also offered in a quiet and beautiful part of Toscana. The location Castagneto - Carducci, is on the Etruscan coast between Pisa and Rome. Not only an area with long sandy beaches, but also with interesting historical monuments. Bolgheri, the internationally famous wine producing village, is located in the commune of Castagneto Carducci.

Alexis Pope's  interpretations, improvisations and works have been broadcast on radio and television and he also performs regularly at international festivals. Alexis Pope is the inventor of the ouoroborograph (see visual art page) which challenges the way art is made. His compositions include piano works, chamber works, electronic and experimental pieces as well as two operas to date.

Alexis Pope's interest in improvisation manifested itself early. Already at the Royal Academy he directed and performed Stockhausen's famous improvisation piece “Verbindung”. Later he played with great improvisers such as Billy Bang, Souleymane Touré, Abdourahme Diop and Tony Scott. He has given improvisation workshops in England, Germany and also in Palestine for the Goethe Institut.

Alexis Pope has considerable experience teaching pianists and composers, as well as coaching singers and chamber ensembles. He was a dozent for many years at the Berlin Hochschule für Künst, and presently teaches privately.