Audition Information for the 2025 Whakatipu Music Festival Young Artist Programme

Welcome to the 2025 Whakatipu Music Festival Young Artist Programme, presented by the Hill Family Foundation for Art and Music.

Through an national online audition process, we will select and invite 12 New Zealand classical music talents ages 18-26 (orchestral instruments, piano, voice and conducting) to participate in the Festival’s Young Artist Programme.

In Queenstown from 14-21 April 2025 (culminating on the Easter Weekend), they will receive coaching from our festival artists, rehearse and perform chamber music with each other and participate in career development workshops to hone their professional skills. Each Young Artist will also be given a 30-minute public performance opportunity that is professionally recorded for their future use (eg auditions, profile-building, etc.) and broadcast by Radio NZ Concert the Michael Hill International Violin Competition’s digital channels.  Conductors will have a bespoke programme of recorded performance opportunities.

There are no programme cost to attend.  Accommodation and travel scholarships have been generously provided the the Adam Foundation.

To complete and submit your application, visit the link in the drop-down menu on the left of this page.

For further details including audition criteria and repertoire visit the following site:

https://michaelhillviolincompetition.co.nz/whakatipu-music-festival/young-artist-programme/

For technical questions, relating to this application process, please contact the Acceptd Help Desk.

Key Dates:

2025 Whakatipu Music Festival
Location: Queenstown
Dates: 14 - 21 April 2025

General criteria:

• Age 18-26 from 14 April 2025 (conductors and vocalists up to age 30)
• NZ citizen, resident, or minimum living in NZ for two years (from 14 April 2025)
• Orchestral instruments, piano, voice and conductors
• Pianists are advised that, in addition to a solo performance, they will be expected to collaborate with other musicians in the Festival all Young Artists are expected to participating in the choral artform training.
• Previous Whakatipu Music Festival Young Artists are welcome to apply/audition again but are not guaranteed a place in the 2025 programme.

• Audition video (individual tracks, previous videos accepted from 1 January 2024 or later)
• Audition repertoire representing a variety of genres and musical styles (approx 30 min total duration)
  • Strings: Solo Bach, movement of Romantic Sonata (with piano), work of own choice
  • Piano: Solo Bach, short work collaborating with voice or other instrument(s), work of own choice
  • Wind/Brass: Unaccompanied work, movement from a Sonata (with piano), work of own choice
  • Voice: Age 18-20 two songs, one English and one German or Italian. One own choice
  • Age 21-30 two songs (one English and one German or Italian )
  • Conductors: a variety of genres if possible, eg choral, orchestral, ensemble.
• Pianists are advised they will be expected to collaborate with other musicians in the festival and all Young Artists are expected to participating in the choral artform training.
• 1–2-minute video of applicant expressing their career goals and why they believe they will benefit from participating in the 2025 Whakatipu Music Festival Young Artist programme.
• Proof of NZ citizenship or residency (scan of passport, residency documents, or a letter from the applicant’s school verifying they have been enrolled continually for a minimum of 2 years.
• 300-word biography.
• High Resolution photograph suitable for publication.
• List of the applicant’s repertoire covering last three years and up to six works the applicant would like to perform during the programme (solo or chamber music).
• Non-refundable application fee of US$80 (approx. NZ$125) payable through the online audition platform