Symphonic Organ Improvisation 2 – Advanced Development Techniques

Symphonic Organ Improvisation II:

Master & Develop Your Personal Style with Hayo Boerema

Discover Hayo’s unique free organ improvisation method that allows your personal style to flourish.  He has personally developed a unique symphonic organ improvisation method and has exclusively shared with The Maestro Online.

It’s time to unlock the full expressive potential of the organ as you evolve your own musical language. In this advanced masterclass, Paris competition winner Hayo Boerema—former student of Naji Hakim—guides you through the art of free symphonic improvisation. Learn to shape development sections with harmonic complexity, rhythmic imagination, and intervallic colour, all while refining your personal style and musical “speech.” Inspired by the traditions of Franck and Vierne, this is where technique meets identity.

From bold harmonies to expressive development sections, you’ll learn how to improvise with clarity, confidence, and style — just like the great French masters. Discover how to sound like you.

Who is this Advanced Composition and Improvisation Method For?

This is perfect for undergraduates, conservatoire students, post graduates, professional organists and very able and passionate amateur organs.  It is excellent for cathedral organists who have to improvise professionally, for organists take diploma exams such as ARCO FRCO, diplomas for the AGO and the ARCCO or FRCCO.

Hayo’s improvisation courses are also superb for those entering improvisation competitions including St Albans International Organ Festival and the International Organ Competition in Haarlem, the Grand Prix de Chantre International Competition in Paris, the AGO (American Guild of Organists) Biannual Improvisation Competition.

You are strongly recommended to complete Hayo’s first improvisation course before this one, because the techniques here progress from those established in Organ Improvisation Course | Compose Symphonic Developments.

How You Will Improvise & Compose Symphonic Developments

• Connecting triads with one note in common.
• Connecting dominant 7ths with one note in common.
• Connecting 1/2dim7ths with one note in common.
• Converting diminished 7ths into dominant 7ths and 1/2dim7ths simply by raising or lowering one note by a semitone.
• Connecting specific scales to 7th chords.
• Improvisation short-scale structure using short-short-long phrases.
• Using ascending melodic minor scales over 1/2dim7th chords (starting on the 3rd).
• Intensive Bartok scale/Lydian Dominant/Lyd-Mix Combo scale work out in 3rds, 4ths, 5ths, 6ths.
• Intensive ascending melodic minor scale work out in 3rds, 4ths, 5ths, 6ths.
• Improvising with LH chords and 2 note chords in the RH (melody with additional harmony note).
• Characterising sections with specific intervals in the LH.
• Improvisation large-scale structure by creating 3 elements at the beginning (melodic, rhythmic, harmonic) and evolving each one.
• Creating RH improvisations that become an accompaniment under beneath motif.
• Breaking a theme into the 3 core elements and also creating accompaniments from motifs.

1. Seventh Chords in Depth Scales and 7th Chords
2. Diminished 7ths as Dominant 7th and 1/2 Dim 7 negotiator
3. Triads with note in common
4. Dominant 7ths with note in common alongside Bartok Scale in 3rds, 4ths, 5ths & 6ths (Work Out 1)
5. Half Dim 7ths note in common alongside ascending melodic minor (Work Out 2)
6. Combination all Techniques
7. Structure & Personal Style Phrasing, Short-Short-Long
8. Monophonic short-short-long
9. Intervals
10. Your Symphonic Structure & 3 Musical Elements
11. Derivations from Themes Using a Given Theme & Competitions

Who is the Pro Organist Hayo Boerema?

As titular organist of the Marcussen organ in the St Laurence Church at Rotterdam, Hayo seeks to make the organ and it’s manyfold possibilities in sound and musical style more accesible to a broader audience. With his musical interpretations, Hayo continually tries to look for contrasts and extremes both in compositions of contemporary as well as established composers.

Award-winning and internationally acclaimed organist and composer, Hayo Boerema (1972) from Rotterdam, The Netherlands is the organist titular of the largest organ of The Netherlands: the 85 stop Markussen organ of the St. Lawrence Church in Rotterdam.  This masterclass was the final recording made on this organ prior to its 2 year rebuild.

Growing up in Groningen, the northern region of the Netherlands where even the smallest of villages are home to amazing historical organs, Hayo was intrigued by the sound of the organ from a very young age. Hayo graduated at the renowned Royal Conservatory of The Hague where he pursued his bachelor and master degree studying Organ with Johan Th. Lemckert, Church Music with Marijke van Klaveren and Improvisation with Jos van der Kooy. At Codarts Conservatory in Rotterdam he completed his degree in Choral Conducting with Barend Schuurman. Hayo further specialised in improvisation with Jos van der Kooy in The Hague and with Naji Hakim in Paris, France. With Ben van Oosten he continued to specialize in French symhponic repertoire.

As a prolific performer, Hayo won various international organ contests including Vienna, Austria (1998), Neuremberg, Germany (1999) St Albans, United Kingdom (2001), Nijmegen, Netherlands (2004) en Kotka, Finland (2005). In that same year of 2005, Hayo was appointed organist-titular of the St. Lawrence Church at Rotterdam, The Netherlands. In 2009, Hayo was awarded the Silver Medal of the Academic Society for Education and Encourgement of the Arts and Sciences in Paris for his achievements as performer of French organ music.

Currently, Hayo seeks to further the advancement of organ music internationally and is invited all over the world to give organ recitals. Additionally, he contributes to radio and television recordings both in colaboration with professional ensembles such as the Laurens Collegium and as a soloist. He went on several international recital tours including Scandinavia (Kopenhagen, Aarhus, Helsinki and Kotka), Russia, France (Paris, Bourges, Sens, Chartres, Monaco, Lille, Orleans), Eastern Europe, Germany (Dresden, Collogne, Lubeck, Hamburg, Munich and Stuttgart and more).

Fostering the organ to be introduced and appreciated by a wider audience, is what inspires Hayo Boerema both as organist, lecturer and composer. In his musical interpretations, Hayo is always motivated to look for contrast and colour in compositions of both established and contemporary composers to involve a traditional classical music audience as well as a more experimentally curious audience. Hayo’s repertoire stretches a long time period. It includes Sweelinck and Bach as well as more contemporary composers, with a particular interst for Olivier Messiaen and French organ music from the 20th century.

As a performer, Hayo often joins forces with choirs, orchestras. Additionally, he is regulalry commissioned to compose. One of his major compositions, his Solemn Mass (Messe Solennelle), a composition for organ, choir, vocal soloist and percussion, was recorded recently and received with wide acclaim (the recording is available through Spotify).

In addition to his performances, Hayo is professor of Organ at Codarts Conservatory at Rotterdam. He gives master classes in interpretation and improvastion internationally. Also, he is welcomed as a jury member at various international organ competition, including the recent Haarlem International Organ Improvisation Competition (2021).

In his pursuit to find new ways and forms to increase the atrractiveness of the organ, Hayo invests regularly in cross-over colaborations with other artists of various disciplines. This led to many collaborations with artist who want to experiment including Jazz musicians, painters, singers, gitarists, percussionists, writers and projection artists. As ensemble player, Hayo collaborated with smaller and larger ensembles. He collaborated with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra led by conductors like Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Valerie Gergiev.

As Improvisor, Hayo is highly acclaimed for his authenticity, originality, craftmanship and knowledge of various musical styles. He collaborated with Jazz musicians such as Eric Vloeimans, Greetje Bijma, Alan Laurillard and Dick de Graaf. Furthermore, Hayo is known for his improvisations to Silent Movies, he played at Concert Hall of Stavanger, Norway an improvisation tot he famous movie ‘Dr. Caligari’s Cabinet’ and at Eye Filmmuseum Amsterdam he improvised to Buster Keaton’s movie ‘The General’.

As Artistic Program Director, Hayo is responsible fort he organisation of the recital series at the St. Lawrence Church which as develeped into the biggest organ concert practice of the country. In the series Hayo seeks to welcome both young and established organists both Dutch and international to play at the Markussen Organ at St. Lawrence in Rotterdam.

Throughout his prolific and versatile career, Hayo’s organ music has been recorded and issued on cd, including the complete organ work of Jehan Alain, all Vierne’s Organ Symphonies and various other cd’s, all received with wide acclaim from the press. Currently, Hayo is recording the complete organ work of Olivier Messiaen.

Our music masterclass courses are self-study digital courses embedded with information, interactive music software (scores), exercises, objectives, tasks, teaching pedagogy and videos of celebrities and international level musicians explaining and demonstrating key skills. Certificates are awarded at the end of each course.

🎵 Why Choose Our Music Learning Platform?

Unlock a rich, flexible, and inspiring music education experience designed for musicians of all levels. Whichever area of musical learning inspires you, our world-class performers offer it all.

A Quick Look at a Typical Masterclass Course

Sample Interactive Score

Course Dashboard with Progress and Points

Thorough Musicianship
Creativity, improvisation, and ear training are seamlessly integrated with popular, gospel, classical and jazz melodies to help you achieve true musical freedom.

Unique Learning Journey
Our tailored methodology emphasises improvisation and aural skills first, with notation used to support—not restrict—your creativity.

Certification
Courses include clear objectives, tasks, and fun quizzes that lead to downloadable certificates—perfect for motivation and recognition.

Gamification
Track your progress and climb the league tables by earning certificate points and logging in regularly.

️ Interactive Software
Our custom music software links visual notation with sound to enhance your creativity and understanding.

Celebrity Masterclasses
Learn from internationally acclaimed musicians and award-winning performers through high-quality video lessons and real-world demonstrations.

Expert Pedagogy
Each self-study course is structured with professional teaching principles, goal-setting, progress tracking, and step-by-step tasks.

Flexible Learning
Study from home, at your own pace. Affordable monthly fees and no need to travel—music learning that fits your lifestyle.

Human Touch
Get personalised support from our expert team and request custom courses tailored to your goals.

Personalised Experience
Receive bespoke course recommendations and guided learning plans based on your interests and skill level.

For All Levels
A wide range of self-study courses, celebrity masterclasses, and optional 1-1 lessons designed for adult and teenage musicians, university/conservatoire students, home schoolers, and music therapists.

________________________________________

A Quick Look at a Typical Masterclass Course

•  Celebrity video lessons
•  Objectives & exercises
•  Progress tracking
• ️ Interactive music software
•  Certificate on completion