Vienna Opera Academy / Festival - Orchestra Program
organizer
course
Vienna Opera Academy / Festival - Orchestra Program
format
Orchestra (Youth Orchestra)
instruments
Cello • Viola • Violin
application deadline
May 31, 2026 11:59 (Vienna)
event dates
July 6 - July 26, 2026
Location
Musikverein Concert Hall
1030 Vienna, Austria
website
Vienna Opera Academy / Festival - Orchestra Program
Vienna Opera Festival
Orchestra Program
Perform Opera. Learn from Professionals. Play in Vienna.
The Vienna Opera Festival Orchestra Program offers advanced orchestral musicians the opportunity to take part in a full professional opera festival in Vienna, performing major operatic repertoire while gaining hands-on experience working with experienced conductors and international opera singers.
This program is designed for young musicians who wish to deepen their operatic skills, expand their professional network, and perform in historic Viennese venues as part of an international summer festival.
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About the Program
Orchestra participants join the Vienna Opera Festival Orchestra and perform in opera productions throughout the festival season. The program combines real performance experience with guided learning, reflecting the working structure of a professional opera house.
Participants will perform in the following operas:
- Giuseppe Verdi – Rigoletto
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Le Nozze di Figaro & Così Fan Tutte
- Georges Bizet – Carmen
All performances are held at the Ballsaal Grand Hotel Wien, placing orchestra musicians at the heart of Vienna’s historic musical life.
PROGRAM STRUCTURE & DATES
PROGRAM STRUCTURE & DATES
The orchestra joins the festival after the initial rehearsal period.
- July Session: July 6 – 26
- August Session: August 10 – 30
- Performances: July & August (depending on selected session)
Applicants may apply for:
- July Session
- August Session
- Both July & August
All orchestra musicians perform multiple performances during their selected session.
Estimated workload:
Approx. 30–35 hours per week, including rehearsals, sectionals, coachings, production calls, and performances, depending on repertoire and casting schedule.
WHAT THE PROGRAM INCLUDES
✔ Participation in opera productions
✔ Rehearsals and performances with professional conductors
✔ Sectional rehearsals led by principal players
✔ Experience working with international opera singers
✔ Official certificate of participation
✔ Professional operatic experience for CV and auditions
✔ Rehearsals and performances with professional conductors
✔ Sectional rehearsals led by principal players
✔ Experience working with international opera singers
✔ Official certificate of participation
✔ Professional operatic experience for CV and auditions
This program is performance-based, offering real operatic repertoire rather than a simulated training orchestra.
AUDITION REQUIREMENTS
AUDITION REQUIREMENTS
Applicants must submit:
- A short musical CV
- One video recording (2 – 5 minutes), including:
- Orchestral excerpts or
- A movement of a concerto or solo work
Recordings may be live or studio and should represent the applicant’s current level.
FEES
Application Fee:
€25 (non-refundable)
€25 (non-refundable)
Program Fee (per month – July or August):
€750
€750
Both July & August:
€1,300 (reduced fee)
€1,300 (reduced fee)
Tuition can be paid in installments.
All selected participants receive either a partial or full scholarship.
Students applying through Erasmus+ mobility programs may use their institutional mobility grant to support participation costs.