Home

The Verbier Festival Academy provides a unique opportunity for a select group of exceptional young performers to participate in masterclasses and workshops with the world’s leading artists, to exchange creative ideas and to perform together in beautiful surroundings. It offers a life-changing experience, an opportunity for learning, for reflection, for inspiration and for making new connections.

Our programme focusses on Violin, Viola, Cello, Piano, Chamber Music and Voice.

We are delighted to be working with ACCEPTD to make applying to the Verbier Festival Academy as easy as possible.

Download detailed information on the Verbier Festival Academy.

Dream

Dream to be one of a small and select group of exceptional young artists invited to participate in the Verbier Festival Academy.

Take daily masterclasses and play chamber music. Relish the chance to perform in public. Take risks, inspire audiences, meet people and have fun. Challenge yourself to exceed your perceived limits of performance and to grow artistically and personally.

Discover how exceptional teaching and extraordinary artistry can inspire you.

Focus

Focus on how to make the best impression and think about your stagecraft. Consider all the elements which may make up your performing career.

Reflect creatively on how to develop your own career. Learn from the experiences from great musicians and ask questions. Present from the stage and inspire others.

Connect

Engage with musicians present in Verbier. Go out of your way to hear and meet the world’s renowned masters and performers.

Network with artists, agents, promoters, orchestra directors and recording company executives who come to Verbier; they are actively encouraged to take an interest in the Academy and they have the possibility to help your development as a performing artist.

Stay connected with the Academy all year round; we are committed to helping participants even when the summer is over. We actively follow and promote careers, and provide performing opportunities and auditions through our global network.

Enjoy

Enjoy all that a summer in Verbier has to offer.

Attend Festival concerts given by the Verbier Festival Orchestras and many internationally renowned performers. Play for fun with musicians from the Amateur Chamber Music Week, and participate actively in the Discovery programme.

Savour the majestic beauty of the Swiss Alps and, of course, enjoy the Verbier nightlife.

Watch

Watch these films made at the Verbier Festival Academy.

Ana Chumachenco
Extract from Ana Chumachenco’s masterclass on a Mozart Violin Concerto with Eldbjorg Hemsing.

Gábor Takács-Nagy
Extract from Gábor Takács-Nagy’s masterclass on Brahms Piano
Quartet op. 60.

Frans Helmerson
Extract from Frans Helmerson’s masterclass on Dvorak Cello Concerto with Sebastian Baverstam.

The Masterclass Media Foundation and the Verbier Festival Academy have collaborated together on over twenty films made in Verbier and which feature many of the world’s leading teachers. More information can be found at masterclassfoundation.org

Violin

Violinists will have solo masterclasses with Ana Chumachenco and Boris Kuschnir.

All violinists also play chamber music. This programme is led by Gábor Takács-Nagy.

The age limit for violin is 27 years old. You must be aged 27 or less for the whole duration of the Academy.

Apply between 12 November 2012 and 21 January 2013 via ACCEPTD.

For accepted participants, the tuition fee in violin is CHF 2'500.- (approximately EUR 2'000 / US$ 2'500). However, in cases of genuine financial need, and after being accepted to the Verbier Festival Academy, participants can apply to receive a scholarship in order to take part.

Viola

Violists will have solo masterclasses with Antoine Tamestit and Yuri Bashmet.

All violists also play chamber music. This programme is led by Gábor Takács-Nagy.

The age limit for viola is 30 years old. You must be aged 30 or less for the whole duration of the Academy.

Apply between 12 November 2012 and 21 January 2013 via ACCEPTD.

For accepted participants, the tuition fee in viola is CHF 2'500.- (approximately EUR 2'000 / US$ 2'500). However, in cases of genuine financial need, and after being accepted to the Verbier Festival Academy, participants can apply to receive a scholarship in order to take part.

Cello

Cellists will have solo masterclasses with Frans Helmerson and Gary Hoffman.

All cellists also play chamber music. This programme is led by Gábor Takács-Nagy.

The age limit for cello is 27 years old. You must be aged 27 or less for the whole duration of the Academy.

Apply between 12 November 2012 and 21 January 2013 via ACCEPTD.

For accepted participants, the tuition fee in cello is CHF 2'500.- (approximately EUR 2'000 / US$ 2'500). However, in cases of genuine financial need, and after being accepted to the Verbier Festival Academy, participants can apply to receive a scholarship in order to take part.

Piano

Pianists will have solo masterclasses with Dimitri Bashkirov, Klaus Hellwig and Ferenc Rados..

All pianists also play chamber music. This programme is led by Gábor Takács-Nagy.

Apply between 12 November 2012 and 21 January 2013 via ACCEPTD.

The age limit for piano is 27 years old. You must be aged 27 or less for the whole duration of the Academy.

For accepted participants, the tuition fee in piano is CHF 2'500.- (approximately EUR 2'000 / US$ 2'500). However, in cases of genuine financial need, and after being accepted to the Verbier Festival Academy, participants can apply to receive a scholarship in order to take part.

The Verbier Festival Academy is delighted to be associated with Queen Elisabeth Competition in Belgium and the Concours Clara Haskil in Switzerland.

Chamber Music

Existing chamber groups (strings with or without piano) may apply to join our Chamber Music programme. Previous Academy groups have included the Ardeo, Badke, Barbirolli, Danish, Ebène, Modigliani and Navarra String Quartets.

Each group will receive chamber music coaching from Gábor Takács-Nagy and Menahem Pressler.

The Chamber Music programme also includes all instrumentalists selected to participate in the Verbier Festival Academy.

The age limit is an average of 28 years old amongst all members of the group as at 1 July 2013.

Apply between 12 November 2012 and 21 January 2013 via ACCEPTD.

Voice

There will be two Voice Classes in Verbier in 2013.

One group will focus on Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia. This project is led by Caroline Dowdle, and includes masterclasses with Barbara Bonney, Tim Carroll and Claudio Desderi. The course, which will focus on stagecraft and movement, will take place from 15 July to 4 August 2013. The course ends with a performance of the opera in the Verbier Church directed by Tim Carroll.

The other group will focus on Lieder, Songs and Arias with masterclasses from Thomas Quasthoff. This course will take place from 20 to 28 July 2013.

Singers may apply to take part in either or both courses.

The age limit for voice is 32 years old. You must be aged 32 or less for the whole duration of the Academy.

Apply between 12 November 2012 and 15 March 2013 via ACCEPTD.