VPO Academists Class of 2023

 

The formation of a Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Academy was announced in December of 2018 and following auditions in Europe and the United States, the inaugural class of Academists arrived in Vienna in September 2019. Upon graduation, this first class has placed two musicians with the Vienna State Opera (including American trombonist Kelton Koch); had three receive temporary contracts with the Vienna State Opera (including American violinist Hannah Cho); six become members of orchestras across Europe, including the Berlin Philharmonic; and two are continuing their musical studies. The second class of Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Academists, including two American violinists, arrived in Vienna in September of 2021 for their two-year program.

As the Orchestra’s inimitable style and sound has been influenced by their close artistic collaboration with the most prominent conductors and soloists since their founding in 1842, the Orchestra has embarked on this Academy to impart the same level of interaction and tradition to train the next generation of top young musicians.

The Academy offers tuition-free admission to 11-13 music students aged 18 – 27 across 10 musical instruments for a two-year course of study which includes private lessons with Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra musicians, chamber music instruction and performance, audition preparation and orchestral training with the Orchestra. The Academists live in newly built dorms at the University of Vienna and receive a monthly stipend.

Academy students are accompanied by individual members of the orchestra as pedagogues and mentors, working with them in the preparation of solo repertoire at the highest level. Students also have the opportunity to perform chamber music on stage with members of the Orchestra. Academy students experience first-hand a unique style of playing, a variety of interpretations and the Orchestra's sound, all based on long-established traditions. They are working with the greatest conductors and most renowned soloists of our time and perform with the Vienna Philharmonic in the world's most famous concert halls, experiencing the enthusiasm of international audiences. It is this passion for music and dedication to the profession which the Orchestra wishes to pass on to the next generation.

Program Components

A diversified program of additional activities is designed to supplement and complete the educational program at all levels.

In the first month of the Academy the students had the opportunity to meet with Maestros Daniel Harding, Andrés Orozco-Estrada and Christian Thielman and four Academists joined the Orchestra on their Asia tour in October 2019.

  • Lectures and encounters with conductors, soloists and members of the Orchestra

  • Seminars and workshops on the Role of Music and Art in Society

  • Workshops on Media & Marketing– An Integral Part of an Artist’s Life

  • German language lessons

  • Informational events in relation to concert programs and concert cycles of the Vienna Philharmonic

  • Visits to museums and archives, for example, to the historical archives of the Vienna Philharmonic and the Society of Friends of Musik (Musikverein); Haus der Musik, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (Austrian National Library), Library of the Melk Monastery, among others

  • Presentations by music instrument manufacturers for strings and winds, excursions to instrument factories and shops

  • Mental and presentation coaching

  • Medical and Physiotherapeutical Guidance by our specialized PhilFit Team: prophylaxis and prevention of occupational illnesses as well as problems with the locomotor system resulting from improper posture; collaboration with the Vienna General Hospital and meduni Wien

  • Cultural Diversity of the City of Vienna – opportunities to attend various cultural events

The Vienna Philharmonic Society is a founding donor of the Academy and is proud to support the training of the next generation of classical musicians at this unique and prestigious Academy.