The Verbier Festival Orchestra (VFO) is a rite of passage for today’s exceptional young orchestra musicians. It has brought together rising talents with the foremost conductors and soloists of our time for more then 20 years, earning it the reputation as one of the best training orchestras on the planet.
The VFO includes 95 musicians aged 18 to 28 who receive intensive coaching by players from the world’s top orchestras. These mentors prepare the musicians for three weeks of rehearsals and concerts led by some of the world’s most distinguished conductors. VFO alumni have gone on to join leading orchestras around the world, including Berlin, Israel, New York and Vienna Philharmonics, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and Tonhalle Orchester Zürich.
Students
Meet the 99 musicians selected for the Verbier Festival Orchestra in 2024.
programme dates
includes arrival and departure dates
2024
2 July – 5 August 2024
2025
1 July – 4 August 2025
how to apply
Applications to our 2024 programmes have now closed. Applications for the 2025 edition of the VFO will open in early October 2024.
Please read the guidelines at the following link before sending any questions to the Verbier Festival Team.
guidelinesrepertoire 2024
The VFO performs six concerts during the 2024 Verbier Festival. Repertoire highlights include:
GUSTAV MAHLER
Symphonies No. 3 and No. 5
OTTORINO RESPIGHI
Fontane di Roma
Feste Romane
Pini di Roma
RICHARD STRAUSS
Don Quixote Op. 35
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY
The Nutcracker Op. 71 (Act II)
conductors / mentors 2024
Charles Dutoit
Klaus Mäkelä
Antonio Pappano
Vassily Petrenko
Sir Simon Rattle
Lahav Shani
coaches 2024
In preparation for work with the orchestra’s distinguished guest conductors, VFO musicians receive intensive coaching from players from the world’s top orchestras.
Petri Sakari preparatory conductor
Conductor, former artistic director, Turku Phliharmonic Orchestra
Liviu Prunaru violin
Concertmaster, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Kirill Terentiev violin
Concertmaster, Staatsorchester Rheinische
Désirée Elsevier viola
Ancienne Membre, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Dora Figueroa cello
Associate principal Cello, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Maren Reck double bass
Principal Bass, Malmö Symphony Orchestra
Dieter Flury flute
Former Principal Flute, Wiener Philharmoniker
Nathan Hughes oboe
Principal Oboe, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Philippe Berrod clarinet
Principal Clarinet, Orchestre de Paris
Lola Descours bassoon
Principal Bassoon, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra
Stefan de Leval Jezierski horn
Former High Horn, Berliner Philharmoniker
Gábor Tarkövi trumpet
Former Principal Trumpet, Berliner Philharmoniker
Filipe Alves trombone
Principal Trombone, Staatskapelle Berlin
Sarah Verrue harp
Principal Harp, Tonhalle Orchester Zürich
Fedor Khandrikov percussion
Timpanist, Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra
Christoph Bacher Alexander Technique
Coach, Barenboim-Said Akademie
