Please read the following guidelines carefully before beginning your application to the Academy’s Soloists & Ensembles Programme and before sending any questions to the Verbier Festival Team.
THE LANGUAGE OF APPLICATION DOCUMENTATION IS ENGLISH.
WHO MAY APPLY
PROGRAMME DATES
HOW TO APPLY
APPLICATION FEE
COSTS FOR SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES
REFUND POLICY
AUDITION REPERTOIRE
AUDITION VIDEOS
FAQ
CONTACT
who may apply
Soloist applicants must be pianist, violinists, violists or cellists aged 16 to 26 on 1 July 2025. Candidates who are aged 13 to 15 on 1 July 2025 must apply to the Soloists Programme for Junior Students. Applications will not be accepted from students that are younger than 13.
Pre-formed trios and quartets may apply to the Academy’s Soloists & Ensembles Programme. The average age of the ensemble’s players must be between 22 and 30 on 1 July 2025.
Musicians are eligible take part in the Verbier Festival Academy’s Soloists & Ensembles Programme only twice and must re-apply to be considered for a second year of participation. The Academy recommends that musicians do not attend in consecutive years to allow for time for musical and personal growth.
programme dates
Successful candidates are required to sign an agreement with the Fondation du Verbier Festival, thereby committing to the entire Verbier Festival Academy Soloists & Ensembles Programme summer session from 13 July to 4 August 2025 and accepting all rules of the Academy.
Junior Students may attend for a shorter period upon mutual agreement with the Academy with the Academy.
how to apply
Applications to the Academy’s Soloists and Ensembles Programme are submitted through the getAcceptd on-line platform. Google Chrome is recommended as browser for use with the platform.
For Ensembles: Only one representative of an ensemble will submit an application on behalf of his/her group.
The language of application documentation is English.
Application Deadline: 16 January 2025
All candidates must provide:
- Contact information (name, address, etc.)
- Application Information
- Date of birth, nationality, etc.
- Choice of programme for which they are applying (piano, violin, viola or cello for soloists and junior soloists)
- Ensemble type (for ensembles)
- School history
- CV describing academic, professional and other relevant experience
- Documentation
- Written Consent (in English) from Parent or Legal Guardian for applicants who will be less than age 18 on 1 July 2025
- Photo/headshot or artist or ensemble (landscape orientation)
- Passport/ID (for each ensemble member for ensembles)
- You as an Artist
- A short biography (no longer than 150 words in English or French)
- Self-presentation video answering ‘Why should I be considered for the Verbier Festival Academy?’ AND/OR 2) Describing one of your most memorable musical experiences. Candidates should present themselves in English to the best of their ability. Videos should be no longer than approximately 3 minutes.
- A sample one-hour recital programme (to show your skill as concert programmer)*
- OPTIONAL: Audience engagement experience (i.e. outreach activities or projects you have undertaken to develop a new audience for classical music).
- Uploads/Audition
- Video upload of live unedited performances (see repertoire requirements)
- At least one recommendation letter / email address of reference
- Payment of application fee (by credit card only)
* Not required for Junior Student candidates
application fee
All Soloists candidates aged 16 to 26 and all ensembles are required to pay a USD 100 non-refundable application fee. Junior Students (those aged 13 to 15) ae required to pay a USD 50 non-refundable application fee. Fees are accepted by credit card only through the getAcceptd application platform.
Thanks to the generosity of donors to the Festival, application fees will be waived for the following candidates:
- Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-Koo Foundation Scholarship holders
- Swiss Citizens born or resident in the Cantons of Fribourg, Geneva, Juras, Neuchâtel, Valais or Vaud
- Ukrainian Citizens
- Russian Citizens
To obtain this exemption, please send proof of eligibility (i.e. a scan of your passport, a letter proving your canton of residence or proof of your affiliation with the CMK Foundation) to the following address: academy@verbierfestival.com.
You must request your fee waiver by 13 January. We will not provide a fee waiver after this date.
costs for successful candidates
Soloist Students (ages 16 to 26) and Ensembles
Students receive a tuition scholarship, complimentary housing in Verbier, daily lunch and Festival tickets (subject to availability). They are responsible for the cost of travel to and from Verbier and the cost of all other meals and spending money.
Junior Students (ages 13 to 15)
Junior Students will be accompanied and supervised in Verbier by a parent/guardian. They receive a tuition scholarship, daily lunch (for the student only) and Festival tickets (for both student and one parent, subject to availability). They are responsible for the cost of travel to and from Verbier, the cost of housing (booking assistance is provided by the Festival) and the cost of all other meals and spending money.
Cellists
The Academy will contribute up to CHF 400 to assist with air travel for cellists travelling with their instruments.
audition repertoire
Soloists
Applicants must upload a video recording of the following (a separate file for each recording requirement):
- Piano: a single movement from a Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart or Schubert Sonata
Strings: a movement from an unaccompanied solo work OR an unaccompanied single-movement - Piano: a short one movement solo work OR a single movement from a solo work (applicant’s choice; roughly 7 to 12 minutes’ duration)
Strings: a movement from a sonata with piano OR a single movement work with piano (i.e. virtuoso work) - Piano: a single movement of chamber music (with one or more collaborators other than another pianist or pianists) or of a single movement of a concerto with orchestra*^
Strings: a single movement of chamber music with one or more other collaborators or of a single movement of a concerto with orchestra*^
* If an applicant does not have an existing recent recording with orchestra, a movement with piano accompaniment is acceptable. A recording of chamber music is equally valuable for evaluation.
^ Optional for Junior Student candidates
For all audition videos, please identify the musical work, orchestra (if applicable) and performance date in the filename description. There must be a separate video file for each recording requirement.
Ensembles
Ensembles must upload video recording of the following (a separate file for each recording requirement):
- A single movement from a Classical or early Romantic work
- A single movement of a work of the ensemble’s choice
audition videos
Please read ALL of the following instructions before starting an application or recording audition videos:
- Instructions on how to make a great audition video can be found here.
- Recordings must be made in one shot, without cuts or edits (unless it is a professionally produced video with multiple camera angles from a live performance).
- Please take into account the size of the room and its acoustic as well as your distance from the camera: the more reverberant the room, the closer you will need to be to the camera (usually 3 metres or 10 feet).
- The use of artificial reverberation or any other audio modification via post-production (editing, splicing, etc.) is strictly prohibited and will result in disqualification.
- Watch and listen to your recordings to be sure they represent what you want to the jury to consider.
- Attach your videos to your application by uploading the video files (accepted formats: MP4, MPEG, MPG, MOV, AVI, WMV, M4V, FLV, WEBM, MKV, M2V).
- Once you have submitted your application and paid the application fee, you cannot return to your profile to upload a video.
faq
Q: I will be younger than 16 or older than 26 on 1 July 2025
Generally, the Academy does not accept applications from candidates for the Soloists & Ensembles Programme who are younger or older than the stated requirements. Candidates who are aged 13 to 15 on 1 July 2025 may apply as Junior Students. The Academy will not accept applications from students who are under age 13.
Q: I will be younger than 13 or older than 15 on 1 July 2025
Only musicians aged 13 to 15 on 1 July are accepted as Junior Students. Musicians older than 15 (i.e. they have turned 16) must apply to the Soloists Programme for musicians aged 16 to 26. The Academy will not accept applications from students who are under age 13.
Q: The average age of our ensemble’s players will be older than 30 on 1 July 2025
Generally, the Academy does not accept applications from ensembles older than the stated requirements.
Q: Does the quality of sound for video applications matter that much?
Yes, the sound quality is of great importance for your video audition. Please refer to ‘Audition Videos’ above.
Q: May my CV be in a language other than English?
Yes, we accept CVs in English, French, German and Italian.
Q: When and how will I find out the decision of the Academy?
You will be sent an email no later than 7 March 2025 with Academy’s decision. You must confirm your intention to accept an offer from the Academy no later than 10 March 2025 (7 pm EST).