Application Requirements Instruments

Gustav Mahler Academy 2025/2026

1. Participation is open to music students born between January 1, 1999 and July 21, 2007.

2. All nationalities are eligible for application.

3. Applications are open for the following instruments: violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet and trombone*.
*The Gustav Mahler Academy does not hold separate auditions for bass trombone. If you would like to send us a bass trombone video in addition to the trombone video, we will look at it out of interest and because of possible scoring requirements, but it will have no influence on the jury’s decision.

4. Participants should be enrolled in a conservatory or university. Applications of musicians already under permanent employment cannot be accepted.

5. Registration requests must be made electronically by logging onto our website under Application form.

6. Application Deadline: February 27, 2025.

7. Due to the large number of applications received, the results of the selection can be announced no earlier than 31 March 2025. The deadline for musicians to confirm their participation has consequently been postponed to 15 April 2025.
All musicians who have sent an application will receive a reply.

Participants will be chosen by a jury of highly respected teachers and performers. Audition results will be communicated exclusively by e-mail no later than March 24, 2025. Results cannot be contested. Due to the high volume of applications the jury will not be able to give individual feedback.
Musicians will have until March 31, 2025 to confirm their participation in an email to caramaschi@busoni-mahler.eu.  If no confirmation is received by that date, the candidate’s place in the Gustav Mahler Academy will go to the first applicant on the reserve list.

8. The application must be accompanied by:

• scan of valid piece of identification (PDF)
• CV in English (PDF)
• link to audition video (specifications below)
• proof of paid registration fee (€ 30,-)

Only applications that are accompanied by all the required documentation will be considered.

9. New and returning applicants are required to submit a link to their audition video. Links to YouTube, Videmo or similar streaming platforms are welcome, videos that have to be downloaded will not be considered. Recordings made with a smartphone are also permitted. Piano accompaniment is desiderable but not an exclusion criterion.

10. Audition repertoire: 
Violin – any Mozart concerto (exposition 1^st mvt.)*
Viola – Hoffmeister or Stamitz concerto (exposition 1^st mvt.)*
Cello – Haydn concerto D-major (exposition 1^st mvt.)*
Double bass – Dittersdorf or Vanhal concerto (exposition 1^st mvt.)*
Flute – any Mozart concerto (exposition 1^st mvt.)*
Oboe – Mozart concerto (exposition 1^st mvt.)*
Clarinet – Mozart concerto (exposition 1^st mvt.)*
Bassoon – Mozart concerto (exposition 1^st mvt.)*
Horn – any Mozart concerto (part of 1^st mvt. – see download)*
Trumpet – Haydn concerto (part of 1^st mvt. – see download)*
Trombone – Prelude of any Bach Suite (entire movement), Excerpts: Tuba Mirum, Bolero, Walküre*

*The extracts provided serve only as an example of the requested section. Each candidate is free to perform this passage from an edition in their possession.

11. Fees:

• Registration fee: € 30,- to be paid at the time of application (see application form for payment instructions)
• Participation fee: € 150,- to be paid upon admission

12. Compensation:
All students are entitled to an annual lump-sum cost compensation to cover their travel expenses to and from the Gustav Mahler Academy of € 500,- for 2025 and € 500,- for 2026, which will be paid by bank transfer at the end of each period, if the student has competed that year’s Gustav Mahler Academy.
On tour all students receive a lump-sum reimbursement of expenses of € 100,- for each day on tour. This amount will be added to the € 500,- cost compensation mentioned above.

13. In rare cases a musician selected to participate in the first year of the biennium might not be able to participate in the second year because they don’t play the instrument required and don’t have the possibility to learn it within a year (e.g. Vienna Horn, Vienna Oboe).

14. Room and board will be covered by the Gustav Mahler Academy. Accommodation will be in double rooms, in exceptional cases in triple rooms.

15. Each student will receive an individual timetable, based on the presence of the relevant faculty member and production requirements. Dates of arrival and departure may vary for different instrument groups.

16. Attandance of all lessons, rehearsals and concerts on the student’s personal schedule is compulsory.

17. Course language is English.

For any further questions regarding the Gustav Mahler Academy please write to Alessandra Caramaschi (caramaschi@busoni-mahler.eu).