Young Musicians’ Academy of the Athens State Orchestra, 2018-2019

It is with great joy and pride that the Athens State Orchestra announces that it continues, this year too, the “‘Young Musicians’ Academy of the Athens State Orchestra” (Founder Grant: Stavros Niarchos Foundation), a vision nurtured for many years which is realized since 2016.

The Academy’s mission is to offer young musicians a two-year preparation provided by eminent Greek and foreign musicians, soloists and conductors, so as to enroll in orchestras all over the world as well as to participate in international auditions and competitions. At the same time, students are given the chance to collaborate with the Athens State Orchestra in its full composition, in its concerts at the Megaron – The Athens Concert Hall and in educational programs all over the Attica region.

In brief, the “Young Musicians’ Academy of the Athens State Orchestra” offers a new artist an important opportunity to prove, to himself in the first place, whether he or she really wants to follow this difficult, yet infinitely fertile and charming professional career, and, on the other hand, whether he or she is able to successfully cope with the real, particularly demanding conditions of an artistic activity of such a level and prestige. At the end of the two-year program and, provided that the student has proven consistent presence in the seminars and mandatory services, he or she is awarded a certificate of graduation (which does not constitute an official title of studies).

As for the past two years, tuition has been assumed by the eminent musicians of the Athens State Orchestra, the oldest symphonic orchestra in Greece, all with a long presence and experience, as well as by distinguished Greek and foreign soloists and conductors, who are engaged to impart their knowledge and their experience to their future peers. By way of illustration, for the past two years, this initiative of the Orchestra has been supported by: the multi-awarded both in Europe and America, Principal violist of the National Symphonic Orchestra of Belgium and professor in the Brussels Royal Conservatory, Marc Sabbah, the multi-awarded cellist Gabriel Schwabe, the double bassist and double bass professor at the Berlin University of the Arts, Michael Wolf, the rapidly rising soloist and violin professor Tianwa Yang, the eminent tympanist of the Bochumer Symphoniker, percussion professor and writer of educational books, Arend Weitzel, the famous German pedagogue, professor of violin and chamber music at the Munich University of Music and Performing Arts (Hochschule für Musik und Theater München), conductor and violinist Christoph Poppen, who has entrusted with the direction and the preparation of students for the closing concert of the Academy’s first year, the eminent flutist and Principal A of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Magali Mosnier, the internationally famous trumpetist and composer, with a multi-year experience in teaching in Germany, Sweeden, Switzerland, Italy and America, Anthony Plog and others.

During its third year of presence (2018-2019) the Academy will offer 10 new scholarship holders free lessons-seminars which will concern the string, brass and percussion families. Candidates will have to be at least to the Senior Department of their institution or higher, to be up to 28 years of age and will be chosen after audition which will take place on Monday, October 8th, 2018 and on Tuesday, October 9th, 2018.

Applications for this year will be accepted until September 24th, 2018.

For further information on the application and audition procedure, as well as the repertoire, please click here to visit our page in Greek.