Young Artists Programme


Stift Festival is looking for talented musicians!
We are delighted to announce a new phase in our mentoring of young artists, something that been close to the core of the festival since the very beginning, 19 years ago. 

In the early years the festival, Masterclasses where combined in late August. Many will have vivid memories of over 40 students and unforgettable lessons with Ivry Gitlis, Alexander Bailly, Michael Collins and others. Since 2010 Stift became a performance festival. Through the New Generation and Young Artists programme young local, Dutch and international talents where invited to take part, to perform side-by-side with the faculty, and to be part of the Festival Chamber Orchestra. In 2017 Stift launched the SME: Stift Musical Encounters, an intensive week of individual lessons, side-by-side chamber music and concerts, in early May.

Now we moving to a new phase, with the creation of the Stift Young Artists Programme. We are inviting talented violinists, viola players, cellists, pianists, flautists, clarinetists, and French horn players between the ages of 17-25 to apply for auditions. This will take place in April, live in Amsterdam, and online for musicians unable to come to Holland on that date. The audition will consist of a 20 minute artistic presentation (at least 2 contrasting works, including one contemporary) followed by a 5 minutes talk with the jury. 

NB participants of the Stift Musical Encounters 2023 do not need to apply seperately

Successful applicants will be offered:

  • invitation to take part in the Stift Festival 2023 (19-28 August) as Festival Young Artists, including solo performance with the Festival Orchestra
  • Invitation to take part in other festivals and series including the Muziekcentrum Enschede, Podium Eibergen, Osnabruck Festival Con Brio and the Stift Concerten 
  • 5 lessons during the 23-24 season with their mentor.

The mentors for 23-24 are:
Thorsten Johanns, clarinet
Herve Joulain, horn
Janne Thomsen, fluteĀ 
Daniel Rowland & Floor Le Coultre, violin
Dana Zemtsov & Lilli Maijala, viola
Maja Bogdanovic & David Cohen, cello
Olivier Thiery, bass
Nino Gvetadze & Natacha Kudritskaya, piano

You apply for the Stift Young Artists Programme by filling in this form.
Application deadline is April 10th. Audition dates are 17th and 19th April.