Soloists & Ensembles

who may apply

Soloist applicants must be pianist, violinists, violists or cellists aged 16 to 26 on 1 July 2024. Candidates who are aged 13 to 15 on 1 July 2024 must apply to the Soloists Programme for Junior Students.

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 2024.

Musicians may take part in the Verbier Festival Academy’s Soloists & Ensembles Programme only twice.

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 from 14 July to 5 August 2024 and accepting all rules of the Academy.

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Applications to Verbier Festival Academy Programmes are submitted through the Acceptd on-line platform. Google Chrome is recommended as browser for use with the platform:

The language of application documentation is English.

Deadline: 18 January 2024
Application Fee: USD 100 | USD 50 for Junior Students

programme expenses

All musicians accepted to the Soloists & Ensembles Programme receive a tuition scholarship, complimentary housing in Verbier, daily lunch and Festival tickets (subject to availability). Musicians are responsible for the cost of travel to and from Verbier and the cost of all other meals and spending money. The Academy will contribute up to CHF 400 to assist with air travel for cellists travelling with their instruments.

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audition repertoire

SOLOISTS

Applicants must provide a YouTube link or upload a file of a video recording of the following (a separate file for each recording requirement):

1. 1. 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
   2. 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)
   3. 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 you do not have an existing recent recording with orchestra, a movement with piano accompaniment if acceptable. However, a recording of chamber music is equally valuable for evaluation.

For all audition videos, please identify the musical work, orchestra (if applicable) and performance date in the filename or YouTube description. Your videos (audio) must be three individual (separate or distinct) recordings.

ENSEMBLES

Ensembles must provide a YouTube link or upload a file of a video recording of the following (a separate file for each recording):

• A single movement from a Classical or early Romantic work
• A single movement of a work of the ensemble’s choice

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audition video

Please read ALL of the following instructions before starting your application or recording your 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 either choosing to provide a YouTube link or 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.

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faq

Q: I will be younger than 16 or older than 26 on 1 July 2024
Generally, the Academy does not accept applications from candidates for the Soloists & Ensembles Programme who are younger or older than the stated requirements. However, in rare circumstances. musicians younger than age 16 may be invited as full Academy students. These younger candidates must submit their applications to the Soloists Programme for Junior Students.

Q: I will be younger than 13 or older than 15 on 1 July 2024
Only musicians aged 13 to 15 on 1 July are accepted as Junior Students. Musicians older than 15 must apply to the Soloists  Programme for musicians aged 16 to 26.

Q: The average age of our players will be older than 30 on 1 July 2024
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 the above section 6. ‘Audition Videos’.

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 4 March 2024 with Academy’s decision. You must confirm your intention to accept an offer from the Academy no later than 6 March 2024 (7 pm EST).

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academy@verbierfestival.com

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