Applications to the 2024 edition of the Verbier Festival Academy & Orchestras Programmes are now closed.
The following guidelines from 2024 are for reference only. Guidelines for 2025 will be posted by early October 2024.
Please read the following guidelines carefully before beginning your application to the Academy’s Creative Project Development Residency 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
Applicants to the Creative Project Development Programme must be instrumentalists (any instrument) or singers aged 20 to 30 on 1 July 2024.
programme dates
Successful candidates are required to sign an agreement with the Fondation du Verbier Festival, thereby committing to be present in Verbier from at least 21 July to 5 August 2024 (possibility to arrive as early as 14 July) and accepting all rules of the Academy.
how to apply
Applications to the Academy’s Creative Project Development Residency are submitted through the getAcceptd on-line platform. Google Chrome is recommended as browser for use with the platform:
The language of application documentation is English.
Application Deadline: 18 January 2024
download chromeAll candidates must provide:
- Contact information (name, address, etc.)
- Application Information
- Date of birth, nationality, etc.
- School history
- Languages spoken
- A sample one-hour programme/concept + short description (max. 400 words) that reflects your artistic visions, shows your abilities in the field of concert design and pushes the boundaries of the traditional concert experience
- Passport/ID
- CV describing academic, professional and other relevant experience
- Photo/headshot (landscape orientation)
- A short biography (no longer than 150 words in English or French)
- YouTube links or video uploads of:
- Self-presentation video addressing: 1) Who you are as an artist; 2) Why you think you should be accepted to the Creative Project Development Residency? Videos should be no longer than approximately 6 minutes.
- Two video recordings (see repertoire requirements)
- At least one recommendation letter / email address of reference
- Payment of application fee (by credit card only) Uploads/Audition
application fee
All candidates are required to pay a USD 100 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 Bern, 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.
costs for successful candidates
The musician accepted to the Creative Project Development Residency receives a tuition scholarship, complimentary housing in Verbier, daily lunch and Festival tickets (subject to availability). The musician is 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.
audition repertoire
Applicants must provide a YouTube link or upload a file of a video recording of the following (a separate file for each recording requirement):
- A recording of standard repertoire (solo or chamber music for instrumentalists; a single song or aria with piano or orchestra for singers) that shows you at your best. Recordings of single movements or short single-movement works are suitable for instrumentalists. Recordings should be approximately 10 minutes’ in duration. Recordings must be no older than 18 months.
- A promotional trailer of a concert project that pushes the boundaries of the traditional concert experience OR of a live recording or a demo of a concert project in which you perform. Recordings must be no older than 18 months.
For all audition videos, please identify the musical work, orchestra (if applicable) and performance date in the filename or YouTube description. Your recordings must be two individual (separate or distinct) files/links.
audition videos
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.
faq
Q: I will be younger than 20 or older than 30 on 1 July 2024
The Academy does not accept applications from candidates for the Creative Project Development Programme who are younger or 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: ‘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).
Q: Is there a structured schedule I will follow as a Creative Project Development Resident?
The Creative Project Development Residency is largely a self-directed programme. The Academy looks for musicians who are willing to soak up the Festival experience and jump in to experiment and try new things. The faculty is there to help you make your ideas come to life and therefore, there are many brainstorming sessions with them and other artists who will surround the Resident during his/her time in Verbier. Residents often find that it’s not possible to predict what is possible at Verbier until they have actually spent a few days at the Festival. In other words, musicians who approach this residency with a ‘go with the flow’ attitude will get the most out of the experience.
