European Harmony Academy

SAVE THE DATE: European Harmony Academy — August 1–8, 2027!
Experience an inspiring week at the beautiful Blaubeuren Monastery, filled with intensive workshops, personalized coaching, and professional development opportunities.The Academy is inspired by the Barbershop Harmony Society’s Harmony University and brings together some of the world’s finest Barbershop coaches to work with you.

Who is it for?
The European Harmony Academy offers advanced training in the core concepts of Barbershop singing, conducted entirely in English. We warmly welcome European quartets and individuals who want to take their musical and leadership skills to the next level.
European Barbershop Quartets can spend the entire week in intensive coaching sessions to refine their sound, artistry, and ensemble work.

Join us for a week of learning, growth, and harmony!

Registration Seminars Faculty Location Cost FAQ

To be added to the waiting list for EHA 2026, please send a short email to the address provided! :)

waiting list

„I’ve been singing barbershop for around 10 years now and I’ve attended events around the world, European Harmony Academy was up there as one of the best. An amazing faculty with an honest and giving community of barbershoppers from around the world, I can’t wait to attend next year.“ - Simon

In this video, we explain the European Harmony Academy to you:

Our Seminars

There are in-depth, week-long seminars on conducting, vocal pedagogy, arranging, and ensemble coaching, as well as an intensive program for quartets. There will be The European Coaching Program within the EHA 2027.

Conducting Seminar

Are you already leading a chorus or ready to finally step up as a director? Then the Conducting Seminar of the European Harmony Academy is just right for you!
In three progressive course levels (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced), you’ll learn in a small group tailored to your experience. Together with internationally recognized Barbershop directors, you’ll spend several hours each day working intensively on your conducting technique—from gesture and rehearsal methods to body language, interpretation, and detailed work on arrangements.
In the afternoons, you’ll deepen your knowledge through specialized workshops, allowing you to explore specific interests and take fresh inspiration back to your chorus.
Look forward to an inspiring week full of hands-on learning, exchange, and growth—whether you’re just getting started or want to take your conducting skills to the next level!

“I feel like my directing is now much more structured and confident. I feel safer and more motivated, and at the same time I’ve realized how much more there is to learn if I want to keep improving.” - Karlina

Quartet Seminar

Experience an intensive week of coaching and workshops with your quartet! You’ll receive three daily coaching sessions with internationally renowned Barbershop coaches—each specializing in one of the three Barbershop judging categories: Singing, Musicality, and Performance.

Each quartet is assigned a dedicated coach per category, allowing for personalized guidance, deep learning, and real progress. The program also includes quartet-focused workshops, opportunities to connect with other quartets, and the chance to perform on stage at both the opening and closing concerts. Whether you’re a seasoned quartet or newly formed, this track gives you everything you need to grow musically as an ensemble.

“I especially loved that we got so much intensive and individual 4-on-1 coaching time. I’ve never experienced that level of intensity before.” - Jan

Coaching Seminar

The Coaching Seminar is designed for Barbershop singers who want to learn how to coach quartets effectively—whether you’re a beginner, have some experience, or aspire to become a certified judge. At the heart of the program is daily observation of three professional quartet coaching sessions. You’ll be paired with an experienced Barbershop coach, giving you the opportunity to learn directly from practice through focused observation, reflection, and discussion.

During the final two days, you’ll take the lead: coach a quartet yourself, receive detailed feedback, and refine your skills in a real-world setting. This track gives you the tools to coach Barbershop ensembles confidently and effectively—your next step as a coach.

Arranging Workshop for Advanced Arrangers

The Arranging Seminar is designed for experienced arrangers who want to further develop their skills in a focused way. Over the course of an intensive week, each participant creates a complete arrangement and receives daily individual feedback from fellow participants and a world-renowned instructor. Advanced arranging classes and the rich exchange of experience with other arrangers round out this inspiring learning opportunity—making the EHA Arranging Track a truly unique chance to take your arrangements to the next level.

Vocal Pedagogy Seminar

Would you like to help others develop their voices—whether in a chorus, quartet, or individual lessons? Whether you’re experienced or just starting out, the Vocal Pedagogy Seminar offers you in-depth, practical, and Barbershop-specific tools for your growth as a vocal teacher. This track covers topics such as vocal physiology, breathing, posture, phonation, and resonance, with the goal of helping singers unlock their full vocal potential in a sustainable way. It also includes workshops on coaching techniques, communication, and the psychological aspects of teaching. If you want to do more than just hear great Barbershop voices—if you want to shape them—this track is for you.

As part of the event program: European Coaching Program 2027/2028

The European Coaching Program (ECP) will train and certify barbershop coaches from across Europe. Its aim is to develop experienced coaches into world-class coaches. This will further strengthen barbershop expertise in Europe and make high-level coaching more accessible to quartets and choruses. Participants will attend the new Advanced Coaching Stream at the European Harmony Academy (EHA) in August 2027 and August 2028. There, they will learn coaching techniques from experienced faculty members, practise with quartets attending the EHA, and reflect on their experiences together.

Webside ECP

“I thought it was fantastic – both in terms of structure, the amount of information, and the inspiring energy of the coaches. What stood out most to me was the incredible wealth of knowledge – I’ve never learned so much in a single week. I couldn’t have found a better preparation for my future work as a vocal coach.” - Benny

The Faculty 2027

Will Lagos is an actor, director, writer, arts educator, and barbershopper from Los Angeles, CA. Will currently serves as the Performance Director for five-time gold medal chorus champions, The Westminster Chorus. He is also a certified judge in the Performance Category (2023) and is an in-demand coach, working with high achieving groups like The Newfangled Four, Sunday Night Social, The Ladies, Secret Best Friends, Lemon Squeezy, and GQ. At home, Will is a founding member of The Public Assembly. Will also holds a conservatory faculty position at the California School of the Arts where he teaches the Estill Voice Method for musical theatre singing and performance pedagogy.

Jordan Travis is a conductor, educator, coach, and creative leader, passionate about building community through singing. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Voices Unlimited Foundation and Artistic Director of Voices Unlimited, the 2026 BinG! World Mixed Chorus Champions. He is also Musical Director of A Cappella Showcase, the 2025 Harmony, Inc. International Chorus Champions, and leads the Golden Horseshoe Choruses. An internationally sought-after clinician and educator, Jordan has taught, coached, and performed across North America and Europe.

Alex de Bruin has been singing barbershop music since high school, and was an inaugural member of The University of Bristol Barbershop Singers (TUBBS). He won 3 national gold medals with the choir Great Western Chorus of Bristol (GWC) and competed at the BHS international barbershop contest 3 times. Alex is the Category Director for the LABBS Musicality category since 2017, and in 2026 became the first British judge to certify in the Musicality category and the third ever Brit to certify as a BHS judge! Alex has served on judging panels at BHS, LABBS, BABS, IABS, and BIBA, and loves the opportunity to develop the musicianship of competitors at every level. Outside of music, Alex holds a PhD in Chemistry and Physics.

Stefanie Schmidt has been active in barbershop for 15 years as a quartet singer and director. She is co-organiser of the European Coaching Program, in which European barbershop coaches are trained. She herself is a popular coach for German and international ensembles. Since 2023 Stefanie is the first person in Europe to be a certified judge of the Barbershop Harmony Society in the performance category. Stefanie's great passion is all aspects of human communication. As a coach, she focuses particularly on helping ensembles to perform individually and authentically and to harness the natural expressiveness of singing.

Naud Berkhuizen's love of coaching has led him to serve on the faculty for Harmony College Northeast, the European Quartet School, and the European Harmony Academy. With only nine years as a barbershopper, Naud has already become a certified BHS Performance judge and built an impressive coaching résumé. He currently sings with Game On!, a two-time top-3 Holland Harmony mixed quartet finalist and World Mixed 2026 finalist. He also performs with Mixed Nuts, a top-20 International mixed chorus and two-time Holland Harmony champion, where he serves as their performance coach.

A barbershopper for over thirty years, Steve Scott taught voice and choir at the college level before joining the BHS staff. Steve Scott is the Vocal Pedagogue for the Barbershop Harmony Society where he creates educational material based on emerging choral and vocal scholarship. His research interests include the biophysiology of the barbershop singer, barbershop acoustics, and barbershop history. He is a certified Singing judge, a frequent faculty member for harmony colleges around the world where he teaches voice techniques and vocal pedagogy and is a clinician, voice teacher, and coach. Steve is the Artistic Director of the Saltaires and Mosaic choruses in Salt Lake City, UT.

Stuart Sides is a vocal and performance coach based in the Netherlands. He is a professional chorus and choir director, singing teacher, quartet coach and experienced quartet singer. He is a regular faculty member at Harmony Colleges, Directors’ Colleges, Quartet Schools across Europe and Harmony University, including its virtual programmes. Stuart certified as a BHS Singing Judge in 2023 and is also a member of the Holland Harmony Education Team, helping to organise European education events including Colleges, Directors’ Weekends and the annual European Quartet School.

Alexander Koller is a BinG! Certified Coach and has been a Musicality Judge in the American Barbershop Harmony Society since 2023. He has been an enthusiastic barbershopper for fifteen years, when he sang in the Big Apple Chorus during a one-year stay in New York. Since then he has sung in several German quartets and was the founder of the European Harmony Brigade. Alexander has taught and coached at several events in Germany, the USA and the Netherlands, including the Virtual Harmony University and the European Quartet School. His coaching sessions are mostly about how to get music moving and how to get the musical details out of an arrangement. He is looking forward to working with you and to many tags at Afterglow!


Kirk Young is widely known throughout the barbershop and choral communities for his work as a teacher and coach. He has served on the faculty of Harmony University for more than two decades, teaching ear training, sight-reading, and musicianship to singers from across North America. He is also a longtime Musicality judge for the BSH and served the organization as a Music Specialist. As a performer, Kirk sings bass with the championship quartet BROUHAHA and previously performed with the international top-ten quartet CATEGORY 4.

Andrew Rembecki is a dedicated music educator, vocal instructor, choir director, and coach with extensive experience in choral education and performance. Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, he has been residing in Munich, Germany, for the past six years. Currently, he serves as the Director of Herrenbesuch, a prominent men’s barbershop chorus in Munich. Andrew holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Music Education from Northwest Missouri State University. He has spent six years teaching choir in the public school system, fostering a passion for music among his students. Previously, he was the Associate Director of Central Standard, where he contributed to the chorus's achievement of the 2016 Barbershop Harmony Society Silver Medal. With over 20 years of experience in barbershop singing, Andrew brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his work in music education and performance.

Cay is a barbershop jack-of-all-trades: voice teacher, choral conductor, coach, BHS Musicality judge, arranger, learning track producer, and quartet singer. He serves as the musical director for two highly regarded Boston-based choruses, Vocal Revolution and VocaMotion, and sings bass in Daily Special, an internationally competing quartet. He coaches singers across the globe using a science-informed, compassionate, and personalized approach. 

The Location

We’ll be spending a week at the beautiful Seminar Blaubeuren. The monastery offers ideal conditions for the Harmony Academy: modern conference facilities in a historic setting, an inspiring atmosphere, and excellent access to public transportation.

It is a 1 hour train ride from Stuttgart airport (STR), or 2-3 hours train ride from Frankfurt (FRA) or Munich (MUC) airport. From Blaubeuren train station, it's a nice, 10 minutes walk to the location. There are parking spaces in the direct area around the monastery for approx 20€ per week (to be purchased at tourist information Blaubeuren). Please do not park in the inner yard of the monastery.

Address: Klosterhof 2, 89143 Blaubeuren, Germany.

Participation Cost

- for young people (up to and including 26 years) €479,
- for BinG! members and members of European partner associations €739
- for individuals without membership in BinG! or a European partner association €839

Costs include full board and accommodation in a shared room up to 4 persons. You can upgrade to a double or single room. All rooms are with shared bathroom.

How is the EHA structured?

All participants have a schedule in the Sched app, part of which is set by us (core seminar) and part of which you can choose (electives). From Monday to Friday, your daily schedule will always be the same.

What are “electives”?

Electives are courses you can choose in addition to your core seminar. You are free to choose these.

Where is the EHA located?

Monestary Blaubeuren, Klosterhof 2, 89143 Blaubeuren, Germany

How do I get to the EHA?

  • By train: Take a long-distance train to Ulm Hauptbahnhof (Ulm Hbf), then a regional train to Blaubeuren

  • Useful resources: www.deutschebahn.de or the “DB Navigator” app.

  • By car: Take the A8 toward Ulm, then the B28 to Blaubeuren.

  • Nearby airports: Memmingen (FMM), Stuttgart (STR), Frankfurt (FRA), Munich (MUC).

What is the difference between on-site room accommodation and “external” (without room and board)?

  • On-site: Accommodation, meals, and all courses are included at the seminar location in Blaubeuren.

  • External: Participation in courses and seminar activities; accommodation and meals must be arranged independently.

What does the EHA Ticket include?

  • Five Academy streams (Quartet, Coaching, Voice Training, Choral Conducting, Arranging)

  • Social and recreational program

  • All courses

  • Depending on your ticket selection, on-site accommodation and meals may or may not be included.

What does “external accommodation” mean?

Participants who have registered for the external option without accommodation and meals must arrange their own accommodation and meals at their own expense.

Can I cook my own meals during the EHA?

We provide two kitchens during your stay where you can prepare your meals if you have purchased an “external meals” ticket. Please leave the kitchen as tidy as you found it and make sure that everyone has the opportunity to cook and eat during meal breaks.

Recommendations for Accommodation/Restaurants/Supermarkets & Stores

Recommendations for external accommodations (the youth hostel is unfortunately usually fully booked)

  • BLB Blaubeuren – Württemberger Str. 32, 89143 Blaubeuren – 2.1 km from the monastery

  • Holiday & Stay Blautopf Apartments – Karlstraße 9, 89143 Blaubeuren – 350 m from the monastery

  • Hotel Restaurant Ochsen – Marktstraße 4, 89143 Blaubeuren – 400 m from the monastery

  • Zur Schönen Lau – Klosterstraße 21, 89143 Blaubeuren – 180 m from the monastery

  • Wohnreich Blaubeuren Weiler – Gässle 11, 89143 Blaubeuren – 3.8 km from the monastery

  • Ferienwohnung Hintz – Neue Str. 4, 89143 Blaubeuren – 4.5 km from the monastery

  • Ferienwohnungen Lamm – Dorfstraße 56, 89143 Blaubeuren – 4.8 km from the monastery

  • Camping Heidehof – Heidehofstraße 50, 89150 Laichingen – 9 km from the monastery

  • Blaubeuren RV Park – Dodelweg 20 – 550 m from the monastery (3 nights only, no reservations)

Restaurants – Overview

Supermarkets & Stores – Overview

  • Norma – 0.4–0.6 km / 5–8 min

  • Gutkauf – 0.4–0.6 km / 5–8 min

  • Gmiasmayer – approx. 0.6 km / 8–10 min

  • Istanbul Market – approx. 0.6 km / 8–10 min

  • REWE – 1.1–1.3 km / 15–18 min

  • Lidl – 1.2–1.4 km / 15–20 min

  • ALDI Süd – 1.3–1.5 km / 18–20 min

  • Eden Afroshop – 1.4–1.6 km / approx. 20 min

  • Our Store – 1.0–1.2 km / approx. 15 min

  • Söll’s Farm Store – 3–4 km (bike/car recommended)

EHA Terms and Conditions

BinG! Barbershop in Germany e.V. is the sole organizer of the European Harmony Academy and therefore bears the sole financial responsibility for the event. The following terms and conditions apply:

  1. Registration is completed upon payment of the corresponding Pretix ticket.

  2. Services provided by BinG! include accommodation in shared rooms at the event venue (if explicitly included in the booked ticket), meals, courses and seminars, as well as the social program.

  3. BinG! reserves the right to make changes to the courses, seminars, and social program.

  4. BinG! is not responsible for the supervision of underage participants.

  5. The minimum age for participation is 16 years.

  6. Withdrawal from the contract must be made by returning the ticket via Pretix.

    • 6.1 until and including June 1, 2026, cancellations are subject to a processing fee of 15% of the ticket price

    • 6.2 from June 2, 2026 onwards, the full participation fee is due

    • 6.3 the relevant date is the date on which the Pretix ticket is returned

    • 6.4 after this deadline, refunds are only possible if a replacement participant is provided or, in the case of a fully booked event, if a person from the waiting list takes the place. In these cases, the 15% processing fee will also apply

  7. In the event of late arrival or early departure, there is no entitlement to a refund of any part of the participation fee or to rescheduling of courses and/or coaching sessions.

  8. Any additional agreements must be made in text form to be legally valid. This also applies to any waiver of the text form requirement itself.

By purchasing a ticket, I confirm that I have informed any additional participants for whom I am purchasing tickets about these Terms and Conditions and have obtained their consent. Consent is therefore also given on behalf of the respective ticket holders.

BinG! – Barbershop in Germany e.V.
Version dated: October 1, 2024

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