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 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 2024. Candidates who are aged 13 to 15 on 1 July 2024 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 2024.
Musicians may 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 14 July to 5 August 2024 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: 18 January 2024
All candidates must provide:
- Contact information (name, address, etc.)
- Application Information
- Date of birth, nationality, etc.
- School history (i.e. most recent teacher, school, etc.)
- Choice of programme for which they are applying (piano, violin, viola, cello, chamber music)
- A sample one-hour recital programme (to show their skill as concert programmer)*
- OPTIONAL: Audience engagement experience (i.e. outreach activities or projects they have undertaken to develop a new audience for classical music).*
*not applicable for Junior Students
- Uploads/Audition
- 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 answering Why should the candidate be considered for the Verbier Festival Academy? AND/OR 2) Describing one of his/her 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.
- Live unedited performance recordings (see repertoire requirements)
- At least one recommendation letter / email address of reference
- Payment of application fee (by credit card only)
application fee
All candidates aged 16 to 26 are required to pay a USD 100 non-refundable application fee. Junior Students (for 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 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
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 provide a YouTube link or upload a file of 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.
For all audition videos, please identify the musical work, orchestra (if applicable) and performance date in the filename or YouTube description. There must be a separate video file for each recording requirement.
Ensembles
Ensembles must provide a YouTube link or upload a file of a 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 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 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. Candidates who are aged 13 to 15 on 1 July 2024 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 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. 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 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).
