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EUROPEAN YOUNG
CONCERT ARTISTS Leipzig, Germany “An organization with a rare combination of wisdom and
humanity, and innovative ideas about making careers.” YOUNG CONCERT ARTISTS, INC. is a non-profit organization dedicated to discovering and developing the careers of extraordinary musicians. Winners of the annual Young Concert Artists International Auditions are selected by a Jury of distinguished musicians. The criteria are exceptional musicianship, virtuosity, individuality, projection as a performer, and promise. The musicians compete against a standard of excellence - not each other. There is no limit to the number of first Prize Winners each year, and the Jury has the right to select none if none qualify. OPEN THIS YEAR FOR: PIANO VIOLIN VIOLA CELLO STRING QUARTET FLUTE OBOE VOICE LEIPZIG, GERMANY PRELIMINARY AUDITIONS September 3,4,5, 2008 FINAL AUDITIONS September 6, 2008 PRIZE WINNERS CONCERT September 7, 2008 INTERNATIONAL SEMI-FINAL & FINAL AUDITIONS IN NEW YORK January 13-18, 2009 FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT: Mark Hayman
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THE PRIZES First Prize Winners of the European Auditions in Leipzig are given a round-trip air ticket between a European capital city and New York City to participate in the Final Rounds of the Young Concert Artists International Auditions from January 13 to January 18, 2009 in New York, and will be provided with private housing. The winners also receive US $1,000 and will be presented in a Prize Winners Concert on September 7, 2008 at the Mendelssohn-Haus in Leipzig. At least one winner will be offered a paid engagement at the Usedomer Festival in Usedom, Germany. First Prize Winners of the Final Auditions in New York receive a US $5,000 career grant and are presented in the Prize Winners Concert in January 2009, which is broadcast on WQXR, the radio station of The New York Times. Winners are presented in debut concerts in New York (Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall), Washington, D.C. (Kennedy Center), and Boston (Gardner Museum). Winners receive a YCA management contract for three or more years, which brings concert engagements throughout the United States, publicity, promotional materials, and career guidance. Numerous special prizes and engagements are awarded to Winners and Finalists. The value of the First Prize has been estimated at US $75,000. Finalists who are not winners in New York are awarded Second Prize and US $1,000. THE TWO ROUNDS Preliminary Auditions will be held Wednesday through Friday, September 3-5, 2008, in the Great Concert Hall of the Hochschule für Musik und Theater “Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy” in Leipzig. Artists passed to the Final Round will be announced at the end of each day of the Preliminary Auditions. Final Auditions will be held on Saturday, September 6, in the Hochschule Concert Hall. Preliminary Auditions last approximately 15 minutes; Final Auditions last approximately 20 minutes. RULES & PROCEDURES 1. ELIGIBILITY: Instrumentalists must be between 16 and 26 years old and singers between 20 and 28 years old at the time of the auditions. All applicants who offer repertoire within the categories listed, provide two appropriate letters of recommendation, are not under U.S. management, and are prepared to begin professional concert careers in the United States are eligible to apply. Winners must be available to perform concert engagements in the United States for a minimum of six weeks (two three-week periods) between September and May of each season. Using these criteria, Young Concert Artists reserves the right to accept or reject applications. Musicians who have applied in previous years may re-apply and will be heard again at the discretion of Young Concert Artists. If you have applied since 2005, you do not need to submit letters of recommendation, as recent applications are kept on file. However, you must offer completely different repertoire from that previously submitted, whether it was performed or not. Artists already under management outside the U.S.: Please submit a letter from your management to Young Concert Artists with the following statement: “In the interest of developing a career in the United States for (artist’s name), I here-by give permission and approval for (artist’s name) to enter the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, and agree, without reservation, that should (artist’s name) be selected as a winner of the Auditions, he/she may be represented by Young Concert Artists on an exclusive basis for all engagements in the United States for a period of three years; that I will make available to Young Concert Artists a minimum of two three-week periods between September and May of each season in his/her schedule for U.S. engagements; and that I will take no commission on engagements booked by Young Concert Artists.” 2. APPLICATION PROCEDURES: Fill out the application page (photocopies are acceptable) and submit it, along with two letters of recommendation and the application fee, to: Mark Hayman, Leipzig Auditions Coordinator 3. LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION: Send two letters of recommendation from professional musicians describing your potential for a concert career. Note to singers: at least one of the letters must specifically recommend you on the basis of your song/lieder singing ability (not opera). 4. APPLICATION FEE: The application fee is US $55 and must be paid at the time of application. This fee is not refundable if you are accepted for a Preliminary Audition. The fee may be paid in one of the following forms: an international money order in U.S. dollars, a bank check drawn on a U.S. bank in U.S. dollars; cash in U.S. dollars; or by VISA or MASTERCARD. No other form of payment is accepted. The fee may be waived in cases of financial hardship - please include a detailed explanation with your application. 5. DEADLINE: The application form and letters of recommendation must be received by Friday, May 23. Applications received at a later date will be considered as the schedule allows. Applicants will be notified of their scheduled audition time by Friday, June 20. 6. PARTICIPANTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR TRAVEL and other expenses related to the Leipzig Auditions. 7. ACCOMPANISTS: Hochschule staff accompanists are available for a fee of 70 Euros, including a two-hour rehearsal and audition, but must be requested at the time of application. 8. HOUSING: A list of reasonably priced housing options can be sent if requested. 9. PRACTICE FACILITIES: Practice rooms at the Hochschule will be available free of charge to all participants each day beginning on September 2. REPERTOIRE The repertoire you list on the application (including the concerto) will be the repertoire from which you will be asked to perform during both rounds. Applicants must be prepared to perform complete works. Any repertoire change must be approved. The Jury will request to hear sections of the repertoire. Applicants are advised to carefully select repertoire to display to best advantage the full range of their abilities. MEMORIZATION: Concertos and solo repertoire on all instruments must be performed by memory. Scores may be used in chamber music, sonatas with accompaniment, and contemporary works. PIANO a) A suite, partita, or other large-scale work of J.S. Bach (transcriptions are not accepted); b) A sonata by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven or Schubert; c) A Romantic recital work at least 15 minutes in length (Brahms, Schumann, Chopin, Rachmaninov, Liszt, etc. Note: Chopin ballades and scherzos do not fit this category); d) A work written after 1920; e) One additional recital work of your choice. VIOLIN a) One complete unaccompanied work
of J.S. Bach; b) A Beethoven, Schubert or Mozart Sonata or other Classical
work; c) A Schumann, Franck, Brahms, Fauré, Debussy, Ravel or other Romantic
Sonata; d) A recital work written after 1920 (not including Ravel); VIOLA a) One work of J.S. Bach (transcriptions are acceptable); b) A major recital work of Brahms or Schumann; c) An unaccompanied 20th-century recital work (Hindemith, Reger, etc.); d) One additional recital work of your choice; e) One major concerto. CELLO a) One complete unaccompanied work of J.S. Bach; b) One classical recital work; c) One major Romantic recital work (Brahms, Schumann, Rachmaninov, etc.); d) One additional recital work of your choice; e) One major concerto. STRING QUARTET a) One Classical quartet; b) One Romantic quartet; c) One quartet written after 1920; d) Two additional works of your choice. FLUTE A minimum of 70 minutes of music: a) One work of J.S. Bach; b) Three contrasting recital works of your choice; c) One major concerto. OBOE A minimum of 70 minutes of music: a) Four contrasting recital works; b) One major concerto. VOICE a) Three groups of 4 songs, with each group in a different language - a total of 12 songs (for example, 4 songs in English, 4 songs in German, and 4 songs in French). The songs within each group do not necessarily have to be by the same composer or related in any way other than language; b) One operatic aria; c) If one of the song groups or the aria is not in English, please add one work in English. All songs in English must be originally written in English.
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For Application Forms and Auditions Information, contact: YOUNG CONCERT ARTISTS EUROPEAN AUDITIONS 250 West 57 Street, Suite 1222 Prof. Joel Shapiro, European Auditions Founder and Director |
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The Twelfth European Young Concert Artists Auditions in Leipzig are held by Young Concert Artists, Inc. in collaboration with the Hochschule für Musik und Theater “Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy”, Leipzig. The Hochschule, founded in 1843 by Mendelssohn, is the oldest conservatory in Germany and enjoys one of the richest traditions in Europe. The music scene in the beautiful and historic city of Leipzig also includes the celebrated Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Leipzig Opera, and the Boys’ Choir of St. Thomas Church, where J.S. Bach spent the last 27 years of his life as Thomaskantor. Support for the Auditions is generously provided by Lufthansa German Airlines. Young Concert Artists also wishes to thank Prof. Robert Ehrlich, Rektor of the Hochschule, for his kind support |
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