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 Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra 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 APPLICANTS
REFUND POLICY
AUDITION REPERTOIRE
MAKING YOUR VIDEO
RESERVE LIST
FAQ
CONTACT
who may apply
Applicants to the Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra must be aged 15 to 18 on 1 July 2024, and may be of any nationality, coming from any part of the world.
Musicians are invited to become members of the Junior Orchestra for one edition of the Verbier Festival. They may be re-invited twice; these re-invitations are not guaranteed. To be re-invited, musicians must be aged 18 or younger on the last day of the Festival.
programme dates
VFJO musicians must arrive in Verbier on 14 July and depart on 5 August. Musicians must be available for this entire period.
Successful candidates, whether minors (under age 18) or adults, are required to sign an agreement with the Fondation du Verbier Festival, thereby committing to the entire Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra summer session from 14 July to 5 August 2024 and accepting all its rules.
how to apply
Applications to the Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra programme are accepted by Video Audition through the getAcceptd on-line platorm. Google Chrome is recommended as browser for use with the platform.
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 / Teacher history
- Uploads/Audition
- Passport/ID
- CV describing academic, professional and other relevant experience
- Photo/headshot (landscape orientation)
- Self presentation video
- YouTube link or video upload of a video audition recording (see audition repertoire requirements)
- Payment of application fee (by credit card only)
application fee
All candidates are required to pay a USD 50 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:
- 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: orchestras@verbierfestival.com.
costs for successful applicants
Successful candidates will be required to pay a participation fee of CHF 1,500 to take part in the VFJO’s three-week programme. This fee is intended to partially offset the costs of accommodation, meals and supervision for students. VFJO musicians are also required to organise and pay for their own return journey to Verbier, entry visa fees, health insurance, instrument insurance (if necessary) and to provide their own pocket money.
The remainder of training costs (CHF 8,000) is covered by the Verbier Festival with the help of generous donors, sponsors and public funders.
Thanks to the generosity of the Loterie Romande, Swiss citizens born or resident in the cantons of Berne, Geneva, Juras, Neuchâtel, Valais or Vaud will be exempt from paying the participation fee.
When is payment made?
A non-refundable deposit of CHF 500 is due on acceptance of the invitation to the orchestra (invitations extend at the beginning of March 2024).
The second and final payment of CHF 1,000 is due before 15 June 2024.
How is the payment made?
Payments can be made in two ways:
- Online payment by credit card via a dedicated web link
- By electronic bank transfer
Detailed instructions on how to pay fees will be provided in each candidate’s invitation letter.
refund policy
Application fees will not be reimbursed for any reason.
Participation fees (both the deposit and final payment) are only refundable with a valid medical reason. A doctor’s certificate is required to make a reimbursement claim.
audition repertoire
Applicants are required to submit video recordings of the solo and orchestral excerpts included on the excerpt list for their respective instruments.
making your video
Please read ALL of the following instructions before starting your application or recording your video:
- Instructions on how to make a great audition video can be found here.
- Please note that you must perform all the works/orchestral excerpts listed under ‘Audition Repertoire’ above. You must play the works as if you were giving a live audition (i.e. straight-through in the order listed). The recording must be made in one shot, without cuts or edits.
- Applicants are not required to play the full movement of their selected concerto or solo work(s). Please focus on recording the first 3 to 5 minutes of solo playing from the movement of your choice (unless your instrument excerpts have more specific instructions), without any accompaniment.
- Please take into account the size of the room and its acoustic as well as your distance from the camera: the more reverberative 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.
- IMPORTANT: watch and listen to your recording to be sure it represents what you want to the jury to consider.
reserve list
If your audition is of the required standard but there is no longer a space in the orchestra for your instrument, you will be placed on the reserve list.
Reserve list candidates are invited only if there’s a cancellation, and we therefore cannot guarantee that you will be invited, and when exactly we would contact you. Please note that cancellations sometimes happen at the very last minute, so it could be that you are invited to join the orchestra right up until the start of the training period (14 July 2024).
There are many factors involved in considering which applicant to invite from the reserve list, and we therefore cannot let you know what position you hold on the list.
faq
Q: I will be younger than 15 or older than 18 on 1 July 2024
The VFJO does not accept applications from candidates younger or older than the stated requirements. Musicians aged 18 may apply to either the VFJO or VFO. Musicians aged 18 to 28 may consider applying for the VFO.
Q: When will I find out the result of my audition?
You will be notified by email no later than Monday 4 March 2024.
Q: Do I need to play alone in my video or can I have an accompaniment?
You must play alone, without any accompaniment.
Q: How do I pay the application fee?
The application fee is paid on the GetAcceptd website using a credit card. You pay when you are submitting the application. Unfortunately this is the only way you can pay the application fee.
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 ‘Making your Video’ above.
Q: Can I play a different concerto movement or a different excerpt than the one listed under ‘Audition Repertoire’?
No. You must play the concerto movement or excerpts listed for your instrument. In order for the jury to evaluate all candidates fairly, no changes are allowed.
Q: Can my CV be in a language other than English?
Yes, we accept CVs in English, French, German or Spanish.
Q: Do I need to record my video with or without the score/sheet music?
You may record your video with the score/sheet music.
Q: Can my spoken self-presentation video be in a language other than English?
No. We do not accept your video in a language other than English. It is important for us to evaluate your level in English in order to make sure that you can easily exchange with your fellow musicians, coaches and conductors.
