house-and-cherry-tree-1536x1152
2026

Opus 1: Thursday August 13th - Tuesday August 18th

Opus 2: Thursday August 20th - Tuesday August 25th

Updated October 17th 2025

Basically Quartets offers coaching, workshops and lectures designed to encourage and enlighten in a supportive intimate atmosphere with a high tutor to participant ratio. If you are passionate about chamber music, interested in improving your skills, and want to discover more about the nuts and bolts of chamber music, come and immerse yourself in music-making and learning at Basically Quartets.

Our philosophy

  • At Basically Quartets, there are only two prerequisites: a passion for chamber music and a love of learning. If you are an adult amateur string player interested in improving your skills and learning more about the nuts and bolts of chamber music playing, Basically Quartets is for you. We hope time spent at Basically Quartets will

  • immerse you in music making and learning, away from the demands of day-to-day life

  • develop your chamber music skills and allow you to get more enjoyment out of your group music making

  • fill in background knowledge so that you will have a better understanding and appreciation of the chamber music you listen to and play

  • give you an opportunity to improve your instrumental skills; allow you to meet, mingle and learn from other like-minded musicians

  • give you a musical "shot in the arm" of inspiration, motivation and new ideas to help you enjoy and progress in your music making in the coming year, and most importantly

  • be enjoyable!

    • Noddfa_and_gardens_sideview

    photo credit: John Skilliter

    Accommodation and meals

    noddfa1


    Accommodation is provided in private single rooms, though some twin and double rooms are available. (The course fees are per person, irrespective of the type of room). All rooms are comfortable and basic, with a wash basin. Most rooms share a bathroom with just two or three other rooms.

    Disabled access: There is one ground floor disabled room, and a stair lift in the main building.

    Meals are wholesome and feature homemade bread and produce grown on site. Special diets (vegetarian, vegan, diabetic, etc.) can be accommodated.

    Location

    Noddfa Centre is a beautiful country house retreat. A place of welcome and peace on the Conwy Old Road, just outside Penmaenmawr, North Wales.

    Noddfa is a Welsh word meaning "haven" or "refuge". Run by the order of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Mary, this charming country house is surrounded by private gardens and nestled between the sea and the mountains on the north coast of Wales. It is well situated for visiting Snowdonia National Park, Conwy, and Llandudno. Click here for map. or go to what3words.com (using  "examples.spite.bulbs")

    A55 Exit 16
    Directions:

    By car: Come off the A55 at the roundabout signed for Penmaenmawr (Exit 16). Follow the road as far as the Mountain View Hotel  (on your left hand side). Take a sharp left into Conwy Old Road. Continue for 1/2 a mile. The entrance to Noddfa is on the right, opposite to Tan-Y-Foel Cemetery. Please be sure to follow these directions and not instructions from satnavs or Google maps which are incorrect.

    By train:Penmaenmawr is on the Chester – Holyhead route (London to Dublin). Some trains stop at Penmaenmawr Station, check with the trainline.com beforehand. It is possible to meet you at Penmaenmawr station. There may be taxis available at Llandudno Junction train station.

    By air: The most accessible international airport is Manchester. There is a railway station within the  airport with hourly links to Llandudno Junction and Penmaenmawr.