Please read the following guidelines carefully before beginning your application to the Academy’s Atelier Lyrique and before sending any questions to the Verbier Festival Team.
THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF APPLICATION DOCUMENTATION IS ENGLISH.
WHO MAY APPLY
PROGRAMME DATES
HOW TO APPLY
APPLICATION FEE
LIVE AUDITION EXPENSES
COSTS FOR SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS
REFUND POLICY
AUDITION REPERTOIRE
AUDITION VIDEO
LIVE AUDITIONS
FAQ
CONTACT
who may apply
Applicants to the Atelier Lyrique must be singers aged 20 to 32 on 1 July 2027.
Singers may take part in the Verbier Festival Academy only twice.
programme dates
Successful candidates are required to sign an agreement with the Fondation du Verbier Festival committing to the entire Atelier Lyrique summer session from 11 July to 2 August 2027.
how to apply
Applications to the Atelier Lyrique are accepted through the getAcceptd online platform. Google Chrome is recommended as a browser for use with the platform.
download chromeCandidates are first screened by application and video audition. Most of those selected from this first screening will then be asked to perform a live audition. The 2027 Atelier Lyrique live auditions are tentatively planned to take place in London (1 & 3 November 2026), Berlin (16 December 2026) and New York (23 & 24 January 2027).
ENGLISH IS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THIS DOCUMENTATION. IN THE EVENT OF ANY DISCREPANCY, THE ENGLISH VERSION SHALL PREVAIL.
Application deadline: 15 October 2026 (23:59 EDT)
Candidates will be notified of pre-screening decisions by 24 October 2026. Final acceptance and casting decisions will be communicated no later than 31 January 2027. Those accepted to the Atelier Lyrique will have until 5 February 2027 (7 pm EST) to accept or decline the offer.
All candidates must provide:
- Contact information (name, address, etc.)
- Application Information
- Date of birth, nationality, etc.
- Voice
- School history
- CV describing academic, professional and other relevant experience
- Documentation
- Photo/headshot (landscape orientation)
- Passport/ID
- You as an Artist
- A short biography (no longer than 150 words in English or French)
- Self-presentation video describing one of your most memorable musical experiences. Please present yourself in English to the best of your ability. Videos should be no longer than approximately 3 minutes.
- Your dream song recital: Imagine you have been offered carte blanche to give a one-hour recital at Wigmore Hall, or another major song venue of your choice. What would you programme? Tell us the venue you have chosen and provide your complete recital programme.
- Audience engagement experience (i.e. outreach activities or projects you have undertaken to develop a new audience for classical music); if you have no experience in this area, please leave the question blank
- Uploads/Audition
- Video uploads of live unedited performance recordings (see repertoire requirements; you must upload a separate video for each requirement)
- Contact information of at least one person of reference (for recommendation of your candidature)
- Payment of application fee (by credit card only)
Optional Recommendations
Applicants may invite up to two people to submit letters of recommendation in support of their application. Recommendations are optional and your application will be considered complete without them.
To request a recommendation, enter the email address of your chosen recommender in the application. Acceptd will contact the recommender with instructions for submitting their letter only after you have submitted your application.
Recommendations provide supplementary information only. The jury’s assessment is based primarily on the materials you submit yourself, including your audition recordings, CV, training, professional experience and achievements.
If you would like a recommendation to be considered, we strongly encourage you to submit your application well before the deadline and to contact your recommender in advance. The assessment process begins immediately after the application deadline and we cannot guarantee that recommendations received after the deadline will be considered.
application fee
All candidates are required to pay a EUR 75 non-refundable application fee. This fee is 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:
- Swiss Citizens born or resident in the Cantons of Geneva, Fribourg, Jura, Neuchâtel, Valais or Vaud
To obtain this exemption, please send proof of eligibility (i.e. a scan of your passport, a letter proving your canton of residence) to the following address: academy@verbierfestival.com.
live audition expenses
Applicants are responsible for their own expenses related to live auditions (travel, accommodation, etc.).
costs for successful candidates
All singers accepted to the Atelier Lyrique receive a tuition scholarship, complimentary housing in Verbier, daily lunch and Festival tickets (subject to availability). Singers are responsible for the cost of travel to and from Verbier and the cost of all other meals and spending money.
audition repertoire
The 2027 Atelier Lyrique will have a particular focus on German repertoire, both in opera and song. Applicants are therefore asked to demonstrate their suitability for this repertoire as part of the audition process.
All applicants must submit four separate video recordings:
1. Das Rheingold / German opera
An aria or substantial solo excerpt from Wagner’s Das Rheingold for the role for which you wish to be considered.
If the role does not contain a suitable self-contained solo excerpt, please submit a German-language opera aria of similar vocal and stylistic character.
Please name the video file clearly with the composer, work and role or aria/excerpt.
2. Bel canto aria
One bel canto aria of your choice.
3. German Lied
One German Lied of your choice.
4. Art song
One art song in the language of your choice.
Singers invited to a live audition may perform the same repertoire submitted in their video application.
audition videos
Please read ALL of the following instructions before starting an application or recording audition videos:
- Recommendations on how to make a strong audition video can be found here.
- Please note that you must upload four separate video files of the arias/song requirements listed under Audition Repertoire. Each recording 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 / 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 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.
live auditions
Candidates will be notified whether they will be invited for a live audition by 24 October 2026.
Please note: Audition cities, dates and venues are subject to change; do not book your travel nor accommodation before receiving confirmation of your audition.
There will be a jury of at least two people at each live audition. Singers may bring their own accompanists; otherwise, one will be provided for them.
Auditions are tentatively scheduled in the following cities on the following dates (subject to change dependant on the candidates chosen for auditions):
London: 1 and 3 November 2026
Berlin: 16 December 2026
New York: 23 and 24 January 2027
Should none of these cities or dates be possible, the Academy will do its best to find a date to hear singers live. If this is not possible, the video submission will remain the basis for evaluation.
faq
Q: I will be younger than 20 or older than 32 on 1 July 2027. Can I still apply?
Generally, the Academy does not accept applications from singers outside the stated age requirements.
Q: When will my live audition be scheduled if required?
Should we invite you to a live audition, we will do our best to accommodate your schedule.
Q: Does the sound quality of my audition videos matter?
Yes. Sound quality is very important for your video audition. Please refer to Audition Videos above.
Q: Can 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 results of my audition?
Candidates will be notified of pre-screening decisions by 24 October 2026. Final acceptance and casting decisions will be communicated no later than 31 January 2027. Those accepted to the Atelier Lyrique will have until 5 February 2027 (7 pm EST) to accept or decline the offer.