Alphornseminar Diemtigtal
In the summer of 2019 William Hopson will be teaching and performing at the Diemtigtal Alphornseminar in Diemtigtal, Switzerland. This is a continuation of the Bregenzer Alphornseminar previously held in Bregenz, Austria.
The seminar will begin on Thursday, July 18th and end on Sunday, July 21st. The course will offer individual instruction on the Alphorn as well as group instruction and performances. The teachers at the course will be William Hopson, Frances Jones, Dominik Ziorjen and Sami Loertscher. This seminar will be a wonderful opportunity to learn about the Alphorn, to make friends and to experience a very beautiful part of the Berner Alps. Plans are currently under development for the seminar - for the most up to date information, see the Alphornseminar Diemtigtal website or contact Daniel Pfenninger (the seminar organizer) or William Hopson. Daniel speaks perfect English and questions about seminar activities, scheduling and registration are best directed to him.
2008 was the inaugural year of the North American Alphorn Retreat at the Solitude Resort, high in the Rocky Mountains above Salt Lake City, Utah. It has been a fine success every summer since then.
The dates for the 2018 North American Alphorn Retreat are Wednesday, August the 8th to Saturday, August the 11th.
This course is highly recommended and all North American Alphorn blowers are encouraged to come.
The instructors at the Alphorn Retreat: William Hopson, Tony Brazelton, Brian Priebe and Jim Hopson, have a wide range of experience playing the Alphorn in North America and in Switzerland.
Players of all ability levels, from beginners to experienced Alphorn blowers, are welcome.
An important part of the program will be practicing and performing in various Alphorn ensembles. The music will be traditional Alphorn music and some modern Alphorn music as well. This will be a great way to learn about Alphorn performance, Alphorn history and Alphorn traditions, and to meet some of the other Alphorn blowers in North America.
There are activities in the area for people of all ages and we encourage participants to bring their families along. We are sure to have a wonderful time in addition to the Alphorn experience.
For more information see the North American Alphorn Retreat website or email the program leader Tony Brazelton at tony@salzburgerecho.com.
William Hopson teaches every summer at The Swiss Alphorn School in Schönried, Switzerland. Schönried is high in the Swiss Alps near the resort city of Gstaad.
This summer William Hopson will teaching at the Week-long Course "Alphorn Days" from Saturday July 6th to Saturday July 13th, 2018.
The courses include private lessons, ensemble coaching and a chance to perform at the end of the session. There is always plenty of cameraderie and cultural exchange, and of course the fine food and drink that comes with the famous Swiss hospitality. Most of the participants are German speaking, but the majority of them are comfortable in English as well. All of the teachers speak English.
The Swiss Alphorn School offers other courses as well. The weekend course is also a summer course. It is much smaller (with only fifteen students and two teachers) and is held at the excellent Guesthouse Hornfluh, in a postcard setting high atop a ridge in the Alps.
There is also a Fall Swiss Alphorn School course offered in September/October.
The Swiss Alphorn School has a wonderful reputation in Switzerland and is known throughout the world. For more details about the Swiss Alphorn School and how to enroll in the school, please email Fritz Frautschi at info@alphornatelier.ch.
North American Alphorn Retreat
Swiss Alphorn School
The week-long course has approximately twenty students and two well qualified teachers.
We have a new feature on our website: We are now offering sound samples from selected tracks on our compact discs. To enjoy this feature go to our Rocky Mountain Alphorns Compact Discs webpage. You can click the orange button below for a quick sample, and remember to turn on your computer speakers.
The "Luzerner Hinterlander" (sound sample: 0:55)
William Hopson has published a collection of the best solo Alphorn music that he has composed over the last five years. The collection is called "Arioso - Eight Expressive Melodies for Solo Alphorn". Six of the melodies are recorded by William Hopson on his Rocky Mountain Alphorns compact discs. The music is very romantic and enjoyable to play, and is highly recommended for any Alphorn blower with a moderate to advanced technique. The music is published with great attention to musical detail, enhanced by the precision of the latest Finale music publishing software. The collection is available in both English and German editions. For a more comprehensive description of the music, and for ordering information, please go to the Alphorn Music page of this website.
Orders are now being taken for William Hopson's latest compact disc, 
"Betruf" (Prayer Song)
Since ancient times the Alphorn has sounded as a part of the daily activities of the shepherds and cowherds of these mountain people. The Alphorn was used to calm the dairy cows at milking time. It was the twilight signal for the flocks of sheep to settle in for the night as the shepherds exchanged melodies across the valleys. Such melodies became ritual signals for "All is Well in the Valley". The sound of the Alphorn called the people to gather for council and the men to gather for war. It was a musical voice for local celebrations and festivals. In his "Concerto for Alphorn and Orchestra" the Swiss composer Jean Daetwyler celebrates the Alphorn as the lyrical voice of his alpine people.
And now for something new and completely different:
