Georgian Polyphonic Singing Workshop

Description:
Two days of joyful workshop to discover or rediscover traditional Georgian polyphonies while unleashing your vocal potential. How to "sound Georgian"? The richness of Georgian polyphonic songs lies in its characteristic harmonies as well as a great diversity of regional styles: fluid sound in Samegrelo, more direct in Guria, characteristic melismas in Tusheti or Kakheti, or even "rough" harmony in Svaneti. Together, we will explore these styles and find ways to make them our own while allowing our unique voice to express itself. A significant part will also be dedicated to body, vocal, and spatial warm-ups, improvisational explorations, work on timbre, harmonics, listening, and group cohesion.

Program:
Body and vocal warm-up, exploration of regional styles, Georgian polyphonic singing, vocal improvisation, work on timbre and harmonics, collective listening.

Required Level: All levels.
Schedule: To be defined.
Location: Le Jardin Intérieur, 204 Rue Mion Saint-Michel, 34070 Montpellier – Tramway Saint-Martin.

Fees: €70 to €95
Registration: via Helloasso
Don't forget to join the Yao collective when registering in addition to the workshop. Feel free to contact us with any questions.

Biography

Singer, voice pedagogue, choir conductor, and violinist, Zoé holds a DEM in musical training (Conservatoire de Montpellier). She continued her studies in music and ethnomusicology at Paris IV, while training in choral conducting at the Conservatoire of Paris 17. Her Master's thesis in ethnomusicology focused on the traditional songs of the Voronezh region in Russia, where she lived for a year.
In 2006, Zoé moved to Georgia for 16 years. She trained with many singing masters, forged strong ties with the local community, and gained recognition as a singer of traditional polyphonies. From 2015 to 2018, she was a member of the ensemble Ialoni, which won the title of best female ensemble in Georgia in 2016. She then founded the vocal quartet Kimilia. Their first album explores both Georgian polyphonies and French songs from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Zoé also established and managed a cultural bar for 5 years in downtown Tbilisi, which hosted traditional music concerts among other events.
Upon her return to France in 2023, she joined the artistic team of Compagnie Uèi and is among the coordinators of the Orchestre Populaire des Pradettes. She is also a member of the Missa Monica project, led by the company Baltazar Montanaro. In 2024, she founded Dasta Avala, with musicians from Tbilisi, whose first creation was co-produced by the Garonne theater and Compagnie Uèi.
Improvisation, body music, and experimentation in all its forms are also part of her main playgrounds. Among her workshop masters are Rémi Leclerc, David Eskenazy, Gaël Aubry, Nicolas Manich, Pascale Ben, Musica do Circulo (Brazil).
Zoé has also completed the vocal pedagogy training "Singing Voice and Body" in Montpellier. For over 12 years, she has been leading workshops in France and Georgia focused on voice and Georgian polyphonies. Work on timbre and the release of vocal potential is at the heart of her approach. She co-leads an annual workshop with Laurent Stephan at the Roy Hart Center.

Find all practical information and plan your visit.