A Galician trip: genres, styles and repertoire of Galician traditional music for the hurdy-gurdy with Ariel Ninas.
Sunday 30th of November. Online
Special online masterclass for the Zona da Zanfona Digital series around the dates of the festival in Autumn 2025. Taught by Ariel Ninas player, composer and teacher from Galiza, in the North West of the Iberian Peninsula. This course is geared towards individuals interested in general technique and those interested in learning about how Galician traditional music is played on the hurdy-gurdy and how it can be applied to other styles (such as how a Muinheira can be assimilated to a Cercle Circassien, or a Xota to a Bourrée). Any player can attend the session, as given tunes will be organised in different levels. With a general overview of Galician traditional music, even non-hurdy-gurdy players can benefit from the workshop!
Details:
- Type: online + extra study material
- Duration: 2 hours
- Times: 6 pm to 8 pm (UTC+1 or Central European Time)
- Date: Sunday 30th of November 2025
- Language: English
- Enquiries: matricula@folque.com
- Fee: 35€ + banking fee (1,15€).
- Payment process: online secure system with Card, Paypal, Sepa Direct Debit (and more)
- Deadline for payment: 26th of November
- Registration: fill in the form below
Registration form
About the masterclass
This workshop focuses on the core of traditional Galician music as we understand it today, drawing upon upon written 19th century sources, songbooks, and folklore compilations, late 20th century field recordings, and oral traditions that preserved Galician styles through song and instrumental music. This workshop will explore how European and American rhythms adapted to the Galician styles through polkas, mazurkas or rumbas; the unique identity of the ancient dances such as the ‘muinheira’; the importance of language.This information will be applied to the hurdy-gurdy through articulation, ornamentation, and coup de poignet, rhythmic accompaniment based on the tambourine, drums, and other percussion instruments.
Additional material will be given for further study, including more than 30 tunes, several pages of musical writings for the hurdy-gurdy, and exercises for the trompette articulation applied to the main dance rhythms, audios, videos, and links to free online resources.
Any player can attend the session, as given tunes will be organized in different levels. Even not hurdy-gurdy players could take advantage to this masterclass with a general overview of Galician traditional music will be explained which can be applied to any instrument.
About Ariel Ninas
Ariel Ninas plays the hurdy-gurdy since 2001 with a personal style based on traditional Galician music with projects on contemporary avant-garde aesthetics from electronic, droning and free improvisation. He started playing live in 2003 with Inflatable Buddha, an Oxford punk-rock-skiffle-acoustic band, touring for two years in the UK.
Active member of the Galician Free Improvisation scene, played with OMEGA (Galician Orchestra of Spontaneous Music) -taking part in festivals such as the Traumzeit (Duisburg) with Michael Fisher or ImaxinaSons’09 with Fred Frith. Playing solo or with the composer and digital musician Ángel Faraldo or lately with Ulobit (‘Vikingland 2016’, Audioatalia)
Ariel Ninas has composed music for theatre “En construción”- and contemporary dance playing live for -’Habelas’- winning Injuve 2010 awards for performing arts by the Spanish Culture Ministry.
Current projects are ‘Cantos de Cegos de Galiza e Portugal’ (aCFolque, 2016) and ‘Do Natal aos Reis’ (aCFolque, 2019) with Portuguese musicians César Prata and Catarina Mora. Also in the duet Tralo-Valo with Carme da Pontragha over traditional songs from Galicia and a solid solo career with different programs.
In 2018 he wins a prize in the hurdy-gurdy international competition for bands “Maitrês Sonneurs” at Le Son Continu (La Châtre, France).
In 2020, Music award ‘Cultura de Galicia’ with aCentral Folque by the most prestigious and official institution of the country.
He is the coauthor of two books: ‘Abellón, o libro negro das zoadeiras’ along with Xoán-Xil López and the recent ‘Atlas de zanfona’ with Antón Santamarina, a free downlodable booklet with names for parts of the hurdy-gurdy in 12 different languages with designs and comments.
He has given workshops in Galicia, Portugal and Ireland and teaches regular lessons in folkloric associations in Tordoia and Corunha and at the Conservatorio Superior de Galicia in Valga.
This workshop is made in partnership with H.I.P.S.T.E.R. (Historically Informed Performance Series, Teaching, Education and Research) of Now and Then Media in Limerick, Ireland.
H.I.P.S.T.E.R. is a concert series based in Limerick, Ireland, organised by Now and Then Media and made possible with support from The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon and with support from the Limerick City and County Council / Limerick Arts Office.
Zona da Zanfona is a festival organized by aCentral Folque with funding from Deputación de Coruña. Departamento de Cultura and help from Concello de Arzúa.
