Orvieto Musica Festival Scholarship

Sydney Eisteddfod invites all string quartets over 18 years of age to apply for the 2025 Sydney Eisteddfod Orvieto Musica Festival Scholarship. The successful quartet will be mentored by NZQ’s Peter Clark in preparation for a residency at Orvieto Musica 2025, a premiere chamber music festival in Umbria, Italy.

This scholarship allows a string quartet from Australia to experience inspiring concerts, receive valuable international performing opportunities and engage with colleagues from around the world. The festival is held in the beautiful Umbrian hill town of Orvieto and brings together emerging and professional artists from around the world in a select, diverse, world-class line-up of instrumental and vocal programs.

Whether you’re a member of an existing string quartet or have a desire to form a new string quartet with your peers, don’t miss this incredible opportunity to be personally mentored by one of Australia’s leading chamber musicians and showcase your ensemble on the international stage!

Key dates

Applications Open: 13 December, 2024
Video Auditions Due By: 7 February, 2025
Chamber Music Workshop: TBC (prior to 15 June)
Orvieto Musica Festival: 15 June – 5 July, 2025

The Opportunity

Sydney Eisteddfod, in partnership with Orvieto Musica, are offering the opportunity to undertake a residency for the Orvieto Musica Festival String Chamber Intensive between 15 June and 5 July 2025. Selected players will receive:

Mentorship by Peter Clark (NZSQ)
Return flights and accommodation in Italy
Masterclasses during the festival
Performance in a feature concert
Four chamber music performances
Sightseeing trips and language lessons.
Daily breakfast and meal vouchers for the duration of the festival

Find out more about the Orvieto Musica Festival: https://www.orvietomusica.org/

Read about the experience of the Sydney Eisteddfod Quartet in 2024: https://www.orvietomusica.org/the-sydney-eisteddfod-quartet-reflects-on-their-time-at-orvieto-musica/

Criteria

Open to string quartets over 18 years of age on 24 January 2025. Existing and newly formed string quartets are encouraged to apply. All applicants must hold a current passport, and be available to travel independently to attend both the workshop (venue and dates TBC) in preparation for the festival, and the festival between 15 June and 5 July 2025.

Audition Fee: $40.

Video Audition Requirements

Upload:

Short bio of the ensemble (max. 300 words), introducing the members and performance history as an ensemble.
A video (uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo) of your string quartet performing two contrasting works, with a total performance time of up to 10 minutes. Excerpts from longer works are admissible. Videos of past performances, up to 2 years old, are allowed. Please clearly indicate the work’s title and composer, along with the name of the applicants in the title and/or description box.

The successful ensemble will be selected by the audition panel.

Audition Panel

Peter Clark, Amalia Hall and Simon Cobcroft

FAQs

Is there a fee for audition?

Yes. The fee is $40.00 per person or group.

Do I get any feedback from my audition?

We are unable to provide individual feedback on auditions. All information gained through the audition process is private and confidential. This mirrors the audition processes in the music profession, and we strive to prepare musicians for the reality of professional audition and performance standards and procedures.

Who is on the panel?

Peter Clark, Amalia Hall and Simon Cobcroft

If I am selected, what do I have to pay?

All flights, accommodation and festival passes are provided, as well as breakfast and a meal voucher per day. Participants will be responsible for the other meal per day.

For all further queries, please contact [email protected].