My account Newsletter Volunteering
Programme Your visit Offers Academy Orchestras UNLTD KiDS STUDIO Support us About us
Ticketing
How to Get Here
Verbier is easily accessible by various means of transport.
Venues & Accessibility
Learn more about our performance venues and accessibility.
Where to Stay
Explore available accommodation options in Verbier.
Eat and drink
Explore a selection of places to eat or drink during your visit to Verbier.
Flex pack
20% discount starting 7 concerts purchased from the Mainstage programme (excluding Carré Or).
Gift cards
Share your passion for classical music by offering a Verbier Festival gift card (valid until the end of the current edition, i.e. August 3, 2025).
Bagnard
40% discount for permanent residents of Commune de Val de Bagnes (excluding Carré Or and cat. C)
Under 35
For adults under 35 years old, for all Mainstage concerts excluding VFJO, Academy, and afternoon church concerts (excluding Carré Or).
Students
For students with student identity card available on all Mainstage concerts (excluding Carré Or, open seating concerts, and VFJO and Academy concerts).
Children
For children under 16 on all Mainstage concerts (excluding Carré Or and Academy concerts).
Combins pass
Attend all evening concerts at Salle des Combins (Carré Or) from the 17th of July 2025 to the 3rd of August 2025. Contact the Ticket Office to buy your Pass.
Ravel 150
Includes Jean-Efflam Bavouzet’s two concerts on July 17 2025.
Soloists & Ensembles
The Academy searches the world for the most promising pianists, violinists, violists, cellists and chamber music ensembles of trios and quartets.
Atelier Lyrique
The Verbier Festival Academy’s Atelier Lyrique stands out among professional training programmes by offering a unique blend of opera role and song repertoire studies.
Creative Project Development
The Creative Project Development Residency offers an opportunity to an imaginative and entrepreneurial young artist to develop and workshop an original project.
Audio Recording
The Academy’s Audio Recording Programme offers a unique opportunity to up to three emerging sound engineers to work alongside a professional recording team.
VFJO
The Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra (VFJO) is an international orchestral training programme for young musicians aged 15 to 18.
VFO
The Verbier Festival Orchestra (VFO) is a rite of passage for today’s exceptional young orchestra musicians.
Conducting
The Verbier Festival Conducting Programme offers a stepping stone to emerging artists who are on the verge of leading orchestras at the highest level.
VFCO
The Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra is the Verbier Festival’s worldwide Ambassador.
Le Cinéma
Six bold concerts at Cinéma de Verbier — genre-blurring nights, headline artists, unexpected encounters.
La Chapelle
A candlelit sanctuary for sound. Four intimate concerts—meditative journeys, bold detours, and resonant music.
South
The Festival’s late shift lives here. Four concerts where genres clash, stories unfold, and music dares to go further.
ideaLab
Where music meets ideas. IdeaLab blends concerts and conversation to explore the ‘why’ behind the music.
Storytellers
The Storytellers project offers valuable educational enrichment in primary schools across the canton of Valais.
Music Discovery
Each summer, VF KiDS offers fun and interactive workshops for young children at the Verbier Festival.
Zoo
Dive into a world of imagination through the eyes of VF KiDS.
Ludwig's world
Interactive exhibition for all ages.
The Friends
Music-loving donors supporting the Verbier Festival.
Sponsorship
A partnership built for success.
Patronage
Gifts to the Verbier Festival Foundation.
Legacy Giving
Help us build a sustainable future.
Founder & Director
En 1991, Martin Engstroem put the wheels in motion for what in 1994 would become the Verbier Festival & Academy.
Contact
Our telephone numbers, email and postal addresses, office hours and directory of personnel.

Press Enter to search

Media Release

Published on 20 Mar 2025
2025 Academy and Orchestra musicians

MEDIA RELEASE:
Verbier Festival announces 2025 Academy and Orchestra musicians

March 20, 2025 — VERBIER (Switzerland) — The Verbier Festival proudly unveils the musicians selected for its 2025 Academy and Orchestra training programmes. With an enduring commitment to artistic excellence and professional development, the Festival continues to shape the future of classical music by offering young artists an unparalleled opportunity to refine their craft under the mentorship of the world’s leading musicians.

Unprecedented Interest & International Representation

For the 2025 edition of the Festival, a remarkable 2,085 applications from 77 countries, representing 2,158 musicians—marking the second-highest number of applications in Festival history. From this impressive pool of talent, 218 musicians from 44 countries have been invited to join the Academy and Orchestra programmes, reinforcing Verbier’s reputation as one of the premier institutions for young artists worldwide.

Academy Programmes
Soloists &. Ensembles
  • 451 applications received, representing 525 musicians
  • 32 musicians selected, including three Junior Soloists (ages 13-15) and two Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra (VFJO) alumni
  • Students from 17 countries, with top representation from France, Korea, and the United States
  • Intensive coaching in solo and chamber music with masterclasses from esteemed mentors, including Frans Helmerson, Nobuko Imai, and Ilya Gringolts
Atelier Lyrique
  • 208 applications, a record-breaking 5% increase from 2024
  • 16 emerging vocalists selected, representing nine countries
  • New for 2025: A networking initiative connecting young singers with opera directors, casting agents, and international arts presenters
  • Performance highlights: Three Mainstage recitals, participation in a concert version of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin with the VFJO, and unique cabaret performances produced by UNLTD, the Festival’s creative lab.
Musicpreneurship: Creative Project Development Residency & Audio Recording Programme
  • Two artists selected for the Creative Project Development Residency, supporting the creation of innovative, interdisciplinary performance projects
  • Four emerging engineers chosen for the Audio Recording Programme, an elite opportunity to gain hands-on experience alongside professional recording teams
Orchestra Programmes
Verbier Festival Orchestra (VFO)
  • 1,157 applications received, a 10% increase over 2024
  • 99 musicians selected (42 new, 57 returning), aged 18–29, from 26 countries
  • Intensive coaching by musicians from top-tier orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
  • 2025 guest conductors include Klaus Mäkelä, Manfred Honeck, Paavo Järvi, and, for the first time, Barbara Hannigan and Teodor Currentzis
Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra (VFJO)
  • 176 applications, marking a 5% increase over 2024
  • 58 musicians selected (39 new, 19 returning), aged 15–18, from 22 countries
  • Conducted by Roberto González-Monjas, Gábor Takács-Nagy, and Stanislav Kochanovsky
  • Collaborations with renowned soloists, including pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet and cellist Anastasia Kobekina
  • Features a unique opera project in partnership with Atelier Lyrique
Conducting Mentorship Programme
  • Four Conducting Fellows selected for exclusive, hands-on training
  • Fellows assist and learn from world-class conductors, including those leading the VFO and Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra (VFCO)
  • Hands-on experience in leading orchestral rehearsals and chamber ensemble sessions
Masterclasses and Rehearsals Open to All

The Verbier Festival Academy offers more than 100 masterclasses and workshops free and open to the public. Advance reservation via the Festival’s website is recommended. Most orchestra general and dress rehearsals are also free and open to the public. These rehearsals will be listed on the Festival’s website starting in June.

Innovative Artist Development at the Core

The Verbier Festival continues its commitment to developing the 21st-century musician, integrating career-building initiatives, interdisciplinary exploration, and high-level mentorship into its training programmes. With new networking opportunities, expanded coaching faculty, and an evolving curriculum designed to prepare musicians for today’s professional landscape, the 2025 Academy and Orchestra Programmes remain at the forefront of classical music education.

Statistics, Student Names, Festival and Masterclass programme

The Verbier Festival is a classical music festival that encourages sharing between great musicians and young aspiring artists from around the world. It is committed to excellence in music performance and education through its highly respected artistic programme, Academy and Orchestra training programmes and cultural development programmes. The next edition of the Verbier Festival will take place July 16 to August 3, 2025 in Verbier (Switzerland). The Festival is made possible with the generous support of its many private and public supporters, including Aline Foriel-Destezet, the Association of The Friends of the Verbier Festival, the Festival’s Chairman’s Circle, the Commune of Val de Bagnes, the Loterie Romande, and the Festival’s Principal Sponsor, Reyl Bank & Cie.

CONTACTS
VERBIER FESTIVAL

Verbier Festival Press
+41 (0)76 681 83 82
presse@verbierfestival.com

 

THE PUBLICISTS (FR/BEL/LUX)

Thierry Messonnier
+33 (0)6 84 67 84 30
thierry@thepublicists.fr

Programme Ticketing
Verbier Festival
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Policy Summary

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognizing you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.