Two Institute Sessions in Concord This Year !
In 2026 attend the Winter session, the Summer session, or both!
Winter Session March 12-15
The winter session will give people who are away in the summer a chance to acquaint themselves with the empowering strategies of Piano Somatics. A free introductory evening will be held on Thursday March 12, followed by three full teaching days MARCH 13-15. The free INTRODUCTORY EVENT is a perfect opportunity to discover how Alan Fraser and Piano Somatics can improve your music-making.
Summer Session July 9-12
The summer session is for those who can't find time during their busy school year to take a weekend off. The free introductory evening will be held on Thursday July 9th; the three full teaching days JULY 10-12.
Free Introductory Lecture - Thursday, 7 Pm
The Thursday evening free intro has been cancelled. See you all tomorrow!
- Introduction to Pianimals, the first ever piano method based on the Feldenkrais Method.
- Introduction to Natural, Artistic Piano Playing, Fraser's whole series of books on piano technique.
- Audience participation: improve the hand standing, walking, running and jumping on the keyboard - exercises done by the entire audience on their laps.
- Audience participation: improve how performing musicians can use the whole body in a more organic, comprehensive way to play with greater virtusosity and more expressive depth - a short Awareness Through Movement lesson in sitting.
- A short demo piano lesson demonstrating how these strategies can quickly transform one's ability and one's sound.
This free event is open to all interested pianists, instrumentaliss, vocalists, their families and friends.
The Concord Community Music School
The Concord Community Music School (CCMS) is one of the nation's largest and most thriving music communities. The two fine Steinway pianos (both pre-war New York B's) in the CCMS concert hall assure the highest possible level of artistic work at this Institute. Excellent practice facilities with mostly Steinway midsize grand pianos are available.
Open to All Interested Pianists
Many relatively inexperienced pianists hesitate to attend an institute, feeling they are not well-enough prepared. However, Alan Fraser makes it clear that this approach can help all of us, no matter what the state of our playing. We are all here to learn. The Institute really is open to all interested pianists:
- students who wish to improve their sound and agility
- amateurs who wish to feel more in command of the instrument
- teachers who want new ways of teaching technique to their students
- professionals who wish to hone their skills to the highest possible level.
There is no limit to improvement!
Repertoire
Please bring all the repertoire you are working on at the moment. As a minimum we suggest you bring at least one piece in each of these three categories:
- A piece very familiar to you, where you have no technical worries whatsover and can simply rejoice in the music-making. Playing this one should feel easy, to give us a feel for your natural relationship to the piano.
- A piece that presents a specific technical challenge, such as an etude, or the coda of the Chopin G minor Ballade... It's here that we can address specific weak points in your technique, showing you how to resolve them more quickly than you thought possible.
- Your dream piece: the piece you've always wanted to play but never dared to try - the one you love, but which seems beyond your technical means. Here we combine technical improvement with ease and refinement of musical execution - we put it all together. Dare to dream! Moshe Feldenkrais said, "Health is being able to fulfill your unavowed dreams." Let this week at the institute set you on the road to pianistic health.
- A piece that is ready for performance in the Sunday evening recital. This could be the "easy, familiar" piece mentioned above, or something newer and more challenging. Do not pick a piece that is too "fresh;" you should ideally be able to perform it already before arriving at the institute.
SPECIAL DISCOUNTS: CCMS STUDENTS AND STAFF
CCMS students and staff are welcome to audit the institute at no charge, and receive a generous discount for active participation.
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR PIANO TEACHERS
If you are a Concord area piano teacher but your schedule prevents you from attending the institute, you may arrange individual lessons, on a pay-as-you-go basis, either the day before or the day following the institute. These sessions will show you how to bring the techniques of Piano Somatics to your young students, allowing them to advance more quickly and avoid the risk of injury. Please contact Ivona Despotovitch to arrange these lessons.
CONCORD, JEWEL OF THE NORTHEAST
Concord, the State Capital of New Hampshire, with its many interesting eateries and numerous New England wood frame houses provides congenial surroundings for the intense creative atmosphere of this institute. Some of our participants have found farmhouses outside of town on www.airbnb.com and have enjoyed good old New England country hospitality in addition to their institute experience.
Schedule
Schedule
This typical schedule will be modified according to the makeup and needs of the group.
| DAILY SCHEDULE | |
|---|---|
| 8:45-11:00 | 3 lessons |
| 11:00-12:00 | Group Awareness Through Movement Class (ATM) If possible, please bring your own yoga mat or blanket for this class. |
| 12:00-14:00 | Lunch & Siesta |
| 14:00-14:45 | Awareness Through Piano Movement Lesson (ATPM) |
| 15:00-18:00 | 4 lessons |
| 18:00 | R & R |
| 19:00 | Remaining Lessons (Optional Private) |
| SCHEDULE | FOR THE WEEK |
|---|---|
| Thursday | 19:00 - Free Introductory Lecture: Piano Somatics for Pianists Young & Old |
| Friday | 8:30 - coffee & meetup 9:00 - Opening session 10:00 - Daily Schedule 14:00 - Seminar-ATPM: Growing the Hand's Arches Easily, Functionally |
| Saturday | 9:00 - Daily Schedule 14:00 - Seminar-ATPM: Linking the Whole Body to Lateral Forearm Phrasing Movements 19:00 - Institute recital (optional participation) 20:30 - Post-recital festivities (mandatory participation!) |
| Sunday | 9:00 - Modified Daily Schedule 14:00 - Seminar-ATPM: Awareness Through Piano Movement to Integrate & Retain your New Skills 17:00 - Closing session |
LECTURE TOPICS
Alan offers a number of lecture topics and dovetails them with Awareness Through Piano Movement lessons - Feldenkrais lessons especially tailored to the pianist's art. Please let us know which lecture topics interest you the most, or if your special interest has not been included in this table, what subjects you would like Alan to address.
| AREA OF FOCUS | LECTURE TITLE |
|---|---|
| Basic Hand Structure & Function | The Celestial Hand Arch - The Voice of the Piano |
| Weight Technique | Arm Weight, the Anti-Gravity Function, Elasticity and Biotensegrity Update |
| The Thumb | I Pass And Do Not Pass The Thumb Under: It's Complicated! |
| Rotation | Rotation at the Micro and Macro Levels |
| Musicianship & Technique | Physical Strategies to Enhance Phrase, Polyphony & Orchestration |
| Feldenkrais & Piano | Expressively Directed Micro-Timing: A New Musical Aesthetic |
| Pianimals | Use The Pianimals Exercises & Compositions in your Teaching and your Playing |
| Q & A | Which Aspects of Piano Somatics Intrigue You... Frustrate You... Mystify You... Satisfy You? |
Travel
Getting There
The Concord Community Music School is located at
23 Wall Street/24 Fayette Street
Concord, NH 03301
Boston-Logan Airport is only an hour's bus ride from Concord.
Manchester-Boston Regional Airport has a more pricey shuttle service, so Logan is probably your best bet.
Directions from Manchester-Boston Regional Airport - View Map
Accommodation
Lodging
There are a few hotels in Concord, the most convenient being The Centennial Inn.
A less expensive alternative, www.airbnb.com, offers travellers a chance to connect with private hosts willing to let a room or entire apartment at very reasonable rates. Airbnb does not allow third party rentals but we are happy to refer our participants to this site. Book early to ensure getting the dates you want.
Registration
Fees & Registration
The active participation fee covers the following activities:
- daily individual lesson
- daily group ATM lesson
- daily group ATPM lesson
- daily seminar lecture
- observation of all other lessons
The passive participation fee covers full participation in all activities but with no individual lesson.
To combine active & passive days, head directly to our new signup procedure.
The price list below is purely informative and no longer links you to the payment procedure. To register for either Concord institute, scroll down below the table and click on the appropriate link.
| Institute Fees | one day | two days | three days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Participation | $199 | $398 | $597 |
| Passive Participation | $68 | $136 | $204 |
Register for the Concord Winter Piano Somatics Institute
Register for the Concord Summer Piano Somatics Institute
Discounts
CCMS students and staff are welcome to
- audit the institute free of charge
- receive a 40% discount to take an active individual lesson.
There are also discounts for
- senior citizens (10%)
- students up to 25 years of age (20%)
- those in reduced financial circumstances (by agreement)
The institute never turns away a pianist due to financial concerns. If you would like to attend but cannot afford the full rate, contact us and we will work something out. We want you to learn!
To receive your discount, register at the full price and then contact Nina Nikolich, letting her know your status. You will receive the appropriate refund on your initial payment.
Before & After the Institute
Information Sheet & Followup Questionnaire
After registration, please come back to fill out this PARTICIPANT INFORMATION FORM.
After you have completed your institute, please come back to fill out this FOLLOWUP QUESTIONNAIRE. This helps evaluate your experience, tailor your ongoing regime to facilitate further progress, and fine-tune the institute structure to better meet your needs.
Institute Lesson Recordings
Institute Lesson Recordings
All lessons are video recorded (unless the participant requests otherwise), and are stored at
PianoTechniqe.org: the pianist's netflix.
If you are not already an active member at PianoTechniqe.org, to watch your lessons you must first subscribe. We run our piano somatics video library more or less on the Netflix model: your initial subscription fee gives you automatic access to
- our main library with 1300+ lesson videos
- over 85 tutorial series curated especially for pianotechnique.org
- your own personal library where all your lesson videos can be gathered in one place - making the study process even more convenient and rewarding.
As every lesson is packed full of information and experience, the review process offers a valuable chance for further progress, more breakthroughs - deeper learning.
Separate from the Institute registration fee
Access to all this, and to the recordings of the Ahun 2026 institute, is included in the initial pt.org subscription fee which is separate from your institute registration fee.
Contact
About Us - Contact
ALAN FRASER
Canadian pianist Alan Fraser gives master classes and recitals worldwide and conducts ongoing research and refinement on the ideas put forth in his books:
- The Craft of Piano Playing (also in DVD),
- Honing the Pianistic Self-Image
- All Thumbs: Well-Coordinated Piano Technique
- Pianimals: 28 Feldenkrais Lessons for the Beginning Pianist's Hand
- Skeletal Wisdom: Mind & Body Reunited in the Feldenkrais Method
- Play the Piano with Your Whole Self
He is at work on several new volumes. Visit here for more on Alan Fraser. If you have questions about your participation in the institute and would like to address them directly to Alan Fraser, please feel free to send him an email.
Concert pianist and pedagogue Kathryn Southworth Lundahl first took part in the Alan Fraser Institute at Smith College in 2012. As then head of the piano department at Concord Community Music School, she immediately saw the potential for Alan Fraser to have an impact on the local piano community. Kathy is now CCMS director of programs, and she is the general coordinator and administrator for the Concord Institute; Ivona Despotovitch is also available by email to answer your questions about participation, repertoire, etc.
Contact Kathryn at:
Kathryn Southworth Lundahl
Director of Programs, Concord Community Music School
23 Wall Street, Concord, NH 03301
(603) 496-5266
Email Kathryn Southworth Lundahl
CONCORD COMMUNITY MUSIC SCHOOL
Founded in 1984, Concord Community Music School is New Hampshire's largest community music school and among the 30 largest community arts schools nationally. Its mission is to foster a sense of community through music by providing the fullest possible array of musical experiences for people of all ages, musical abilities, and backgrounds.
Cancellation Policy
If you must cancel your registration, reimbursement will be as follows:
Cancellations more than two months before Institute opening date: 100% reimbursement.
Cancellations more than one month before Institute opening date: 75% reimbursement.
Cancellations more than two weeks before Institute opening date: 50% reimbursement.
Cancellations more than one week before Institute opening date: 25% reimbursement.
Cancellations less than one week before Institute opening date: no reimbursement.
We reserve the right to cancel the institute due to insufficient enrolment; in this event, all registration fees are fully refundable.