2023 VOCAL RESIDENCY

Residency open to singers and pianists under 30 years old on 1st January 2023.

The Académie du Festival d’Aix owes its reputation to its vocal residency. Each summer, a program of vocal improvement is offered to singers, pianists singing coaches. It covers the great opera repertoire, as well as Lieder, Baroque, French melodies and contemporary music.

This residency aims to offer concrete professional development tools while giving opportunity to singers to consolidate their vocal technique in various repertoires, and pianists singing coach to strengthen their skills in accompanying and advising singers. Revelling in the incredible sense of emulation that reigns at the heart of the Festival, all singers are encouraged to perform in front of different audiences while benefiting from meditation expertise.

The English baritone DARRELL BABIDGE, professor and chair of voice at the Juilliard School of Music in New York, will lead this historic residency for the 75^th anniversary edition of the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence. The German conductor, THOMAS HENGELBROCK will be the mentor of this 2023 Vocal Residency and will lead the singers of the Residency during Parades. This concert-event, which closes each year the program of Aix en Juin and officially launches the July Festival, will invite the BALTHASAR NEUMANN ENSEMBLE to pay tribute to Mozart and his contemporaries for this anniversary edition.

DATES

from 6/12/23 to 6/29/23

REGISTRATION OPENING DATE

Monday, April 25^th

REGISTRATION CLOSINGS

• Auditions in NYC : closing Thursday, September 5th, 2022 for singers and pianists aiming to audition in New York
• Auditions in Paris : closing Sunday, October 2nd, 2022 for singers and pianists aiming to audition in Paris

TUTORS

Darrell Babidge — Professor and chair of voice at the Juilliard School of Music in New York
Thomas Hengelbrock – Conductor of the Balthasar Neumann Ensemble

DESCRIPTION

• Master class in vocal development by Darrell Babidge
• Work on 3 concert programmes, including one with orchestra
For the last concert of the residency, the singers will be accompanied by Balthasar Neumann Ensemble under the direction of Thomas Hengelbrock.

Some work sessions (held in English) may be open to the public.
The residency will give rise to public concerts and events in June and in July, in Aix-en-Provence and the surrounding area. Educational meetings will be organised in conjunction with the Festival’s Passerelles services.

PARTICIPANTS

10 singers
3 pianists singing coaches

RECRUITMENT OF SINGERS

1. Pre-selection* on file:
• Biography / CV and photo
• Sound or video recordings including at least 1 Mozart aria

2. Final selection by audition (New York and Paris)
• Audition program :
- 1 Mozart opera aria
- 1 Lied or 1 melody

RECRUITMENT OF PIANISTS

1. Pre-selection* on file:
• Biography / CV and photo
• Sound or video recordings including :
- the accompaniment of an opera aria by Mozart
- a piece for solo piano

2. Final selection by audition (New York and Paris)
• Audition program:
- 1 aria to be accompanied by sight-reading with a singer
- 1 ensemble from a Mozart opera chosen by the candidate, in which the candidate plays the piano part and sings the different voices

> APPLY ONLINE

AUDITIONS DATES

• NEW YORK | Singers and pianists: 28-29 September 2022
• PARIS | Singers and pianists: Week of 14 November 2022

Travel expenses (hotel, transport) of the artists auditioning in Paris will be reimbursed up to a value of €100, upon presentation of supporting documents.
Travel expenses will not be reimbursed for artists auditioning in the United-States.

APPLICATIONS FEES: €30
Application fees cannot be reimbursed.
* Application shortlisting results will be announced two weeks prior to the audition in the city applicants have selected in the form.
All incomplete applications will be rejected.

FINANCIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• Singers and pianists: training agreement for the entire duration of the residency

Master classes, accommodation and travel* fees are covered by the Festival d'Aix.

The lunches of the training days will be organized and paid for by the Festival.
* Reimbursements of travel fees are made on proof of purchase of a 2nd class return plane or train ticket between the artist’s town/city of residence and Aix/Marseille. Reimbursements are capped by geographical area: €80 (PACA Region), €210 (whole of France), €350 (Europe / Mediterranean), €500 (outside Europe and the Mediterranean)

⇒ Do not hesitate to read our Frequently Asked Questions.

Académie

A centre of excellence for vocal and instrumental training, a platform for reflection, experimentation and creation of opera and innovative forms, and also a place that caters for the professional development of young artists.

Laureates

A set of young artists chosen each year among Académie’s most promising talents.

Mediterranean Youth Orchestra

Immersion in the musician professional life for young instrumentalists.

Workshop on Lucia di Lammermoor, Dutch National Opera, 2014

Enoa

European Network of Opera Academies for artists' training and for lyric creation.