Khöömii Masterclass: Long Song (Urtyn duu) & Whistling (Isgeree)
October 22 to 30, 2025
MONGOLIA
In partnership with the State Conservatory of Ulaanbaatar
and Routes Nomades
INTRODUCTION
The training begins with two days in an academic institution in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, with a renowned master of formal vocal education, and continues in Kharkhorin (Övörkhangai province) for a week of hands-on practice interspersed with visits in and around the region.
Accompanied by Johanni Curtet—on the very land where he has studied and conducted research for the past 20 years—this masterclass explores multiple dimensions: connection to nature, understanding of nomadic life, and the realities of contemporary urban Mongolia.
PROGRAM OUTLINE
To mark the 5th anniversary of the khöömii curriculum launched by the IIMM and Johanni Curtet, the program traveled to Mongolia for its first masterclass in the summer of 2024. On that occasion, a partnership was established between the IIMM and the State Conservatory of Ulaanbaatar. Within this framework, annual masterclasses in Mongolia are now envisioned—an exceptional opportunity to deepen one’s practice in the land of throat singing!
The training begins with two days at the State Conservatory in Ulaanbaatar, focusing on the horsehead fiddle morin khuur (instructor to be confirmed). It continues with a week in the countryside, between the provinces of Töv and Khentii, guided by Davaajav Rentsen, a master and bearer of the rural tradition from Chandmani—one of the last masters of his generation.
The course is accompanied by Johanni Curtet, on the very land where he has trained and conducted research for over 20 years, and explores multiple layers of learning—connection to nature, insight into nomadic life, and the contemporary realities of Mongolia.
Nomindari Shagdarsuren, translator and expert in Mongolia’s intangible cultural heritage, will also be present. The immersion will be enriched with visits to historical and cultural sites, along with an introduction to Mongolian vertical script (mongol bichig).
PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS
This program is reserved for participants with prior experience or foundational knowledge of throat singing technique.
It is not open to complete beginners or those simply curious about discovery.
REGISTER NOW
>> ON-LINE REGISTRATION <<
>> RATES AND REGISTRATION PROCEDURE <<
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
October 21 – Evening
– 7:00 PM: Group meet-up and welcome dinner in Ulaanbaatar
October 22–23 – Discovering the Morin Khuur (Horsehead Fiddle), State Conservatory
– 8 hours of practice, 4 hours per day (instructor to be confirmed)
– Instruments provided by the conservatory
– Tentative: Lecture-demonstration by Johanni Curtet for Conservatory students, accompanied by Davaajav Rentsen (in Mongolian)
October 24 – Journey East
– Morning departure with our drivers
– Afternoon: arrival and settling in, followed by a short practice session
– Evening gathering around the long song with Davaajav Rentsen and learning of a first piece
October 25–29 – Masterclass: Khöömii, Long Song, and Whistling
17 hours of practice over 5 days, including:
– Khöömii, Urtyn duu (long song), and Isgeree whistling: vocal technique of Mongolian overtone singing in the Chandmani style, with a focus on the specific vocal timbre from Davaajav’s family tradition
– Learning one complete long song (lyrics, melody, and ornamentation)
– Introduction to the traditional vertical Mongolian script (mongol bichig) with Nomindari Shagdarsuren
Cultural visits (with our drivers available throughout the stay):
– Equestrian statue of Genghis Khan (located 1 km from the camp)
– Terelj National Park (Turtle Rock, Ariyabal Monastery)
– One full day in Khentii province at Khar Zurkhnii Khökh Nuur (the lake where Temuujin was declared Genghis Khan)
– Optional (depending on time): Baldan Bereeven Monastery
– If possible: visit with a nearby nomadic family
October 30 – Return to Ulaanbaatar
– Morning departure with our drivers
BIOGRAPHY
JOHANNI CURTET
Johanni Curtet is a musician, ethnomusicologist, overtone singing pedagogue, and producer. Initially trained by Trân Quang Hai, his traditional education comes from D. Tserendavaa in the Altai steppes and B. Odsüren at the University of Arts and Culture in Ulaanbaatar. He currently teaches khöömii for the Paris Philharmonic and opened a first program in the West in 2020 with the International Institute of World Music in Aubagne. He has also taught for Le Pont Supérieur, DROM, ADEM, the Versailles Equestrian Academy, at festivals like Les Suds in Arles or Les Orientales, for professional musicians, amateur practice networks, and in 2017 in U.S. East Coast universities. He was invited for a residency for the “UD international artist-in-residence in ‘Healing Arts’ initiative” by the University of Delaware in Newark in February and March 2020.
Outside of Meïkhâneh, his main trio, he has played with Tserendavaa & Tsogtgerel, Pierrick Lefranc’s Urbi&Orbi, Alain Basso’s electric opera Èves futures, Pierre Redon’s ensemble 9, and Katia Makdissi-Warren’s Katajjaq and Khöömii, Chorus Nunavik / Mongolia for the Présence Autochtone festival in Montreal.
As a researcher, he is a lecturer in ethnomusicology at the University of Rennes 2. In 2010, he participated in the inclusion of Mongolian khöömii on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Following this, he released a reference album in 2017, Une Anthologie du khöömii mongol, with Nomindari Shagdarsuren, which received numerous awards, including ffff Télérama, Coup de cœur from the Charles Cros Academy, Selection of Best Albums 2017 by Le Monde, Top of the World from Songlines magazine, and Best Album 2017 from Central Asia and Eastern Europe by the Transglobal World Music Chart.
This entire musical journey is documented in two documentaries by Jean-François Castell, Maîtres de chant diphonique (2010) and Voyage en Diphonie (2018).
He recently composed his first film score for If Only I Could Hibernate by Mongolian director Zoljargal Purevdash, which was officially selected for the 2023 Cannes Film Festival in the “Un Certain Regard” category.
Davaajav Rentsen
Davaajav Rentsen is an overtone singer and herder from Chandmani in the Altai region (Khovd Province, Mongolia). He is one of the renowned masters who contributed to the early transmission and development of khöömii singing from the late 1980s onward.
He was a member of the group Jargalantyn Tsuurai (alongside Tserendavaa Dashdorj, among others), one of the first khöömii ensembles in Mongolia. As a herder, he remains one of the rare overtone singers to have maintained both a nomadic lifestyle and a professional practice of this vocal art.
He learned khöömii from his older brother Namjil and from the great master Sundui, a relative. Davaajav has performed internationally and continues to pass on khöömii to his two sons, his local community, and a few foreign students.
VIDEO EXCERPTS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j4m7Y6KUIM
Discography:
• Une Anthologie du khöömii mongol (2017, Buda Musique/Routes Nomades)
Filmography:
• Voyage en Diphonie, by J.-F. Castell (2018, Les Films du Rocher)
In partnership with Routes Nomades
Text by: Johanni Curtet
For more information: www.routesnomades.fr
Photo copyrights: © Sh. Nomindari