Regulations 2025

The course is aimed at professional musicians who have completed a course of musical study or are still studying (instrumental study, singing or conducting) and who already have some experience of conducting.
The age limit is 40 years. Teaching will be given in English.

Outlined below are persons who cannot apply:
- Previous participants who have taken an active part in two or more previous editions of the Gstaad Conducting Academy.
- Laureates of the Neeme Järvi Prize (with the exception of special prizes, such as for instance the Encouragement Prize or Reinvitation Prize).

The registration deadline is 31 January 2025.
Complete information about the application documents required will be found on the Applications page.

A committee consisting of the course directors and festival directors will decide on the admission of active participants after receiving the registration documents. Around 10 active participants will be selected.

The results will be announced approx. in Mid-March 2025.

After being informed on their admission as active participants for the course, active students are required to confirm their participation and pay the course fee within the specified deadline. If they fail to do so the course instructors shall be entitled to offer the respective position to someone else. 

All decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into.

Participants are entitled to participate actively in all lessons with the Gstaad Festival Orchestra and/or the guest orchestra. Each participant will have numerous opportunities to conduct the orchestras during lessons, dress rehearsals and concerts (before each concert, the professors will decide who will conduct). Additionally, other services such as video analysis, lectures, etc. will be offered.

The expected podium time throughout the entire master class is around 220 minutes - depending on how the conducting is allocated to the performances. Each participant will conduct at least 1x to a maximum of 2x in the final concerts. The final allocation of conductors for each concert will be made by the professors and cannot be questioned or appealed.

Nearly all rehearsals and concerts will be videotaped in professional quality. The participants will be provided with all the respective video tapes (for video analyses, self-studies, application, etc.).
 
Each participant is automatically a candidate for the Neeme Järvi Prize 2025. The advertised prize comprises guest conducting positions with renowned Swiss orchestras for the 2026/27 season (for detailed information see Neeme Järvi Prize on the website).

Participation includes free admission to the festival concerts (subject to availability).

The course fee for participants amounts to CHF 2,200 (+ CHF 100.- security – please refer to "accommodation") for the entire term of the course. Accommodation is included in the course fee.

Travel expenses to and from the event must be paid by the participants.
Please ensure to arrive no later than 2.45pm on 3 August 2025 and to depart (i.e. check-out) before 10am on 17 August 2025.

The Gstaad Academy will be responsible for the organisation of accommodation and accommodation costs. Participants will stay in single rooms at the Sport Lodge Gstaad (partly with shared shower/WC, kitchen, and common rooms). The provision of food is within the participants’ responsibility.

Along with paying the course fees, each participant shall lodge and remit a security amounting to CHF 100.-, which will be returned at the end of the course (provided that the accommodation used - i.e. rooms, kitchen, recreation rooms - are in a proper state).  

In principle, participants are expected to bring their own music and prepare the works independently in due time before the Academy starts (also refer to Repertoire).

When notified that they have been admitted to the course, participants will be given detailed information about the editions of the works that are to be used, and any music that will be provided by the course.

On concluding the course, all active participants will receive a Gstaad Conducting Academy certificate.

Participants must declare that they are willing to create diary entries or post information on Social Media and be prepared to give short interviews.

The Gstaad Academy retains all rights in respect of photographic or video materials which have been created during the course or recorded at the final concerts.

Participants are responsible for obtaining visas and paying visa costs and are responsible for their own insurance.

For entry into Switzerland and the entire stay in the country, the current regulations and measures of the Federal Council of Switzerland and the Canton of Bern apply. The participant is obliged to consult these regulations on his/her own initiative to ensure his/her timely arrival.

Should it not be possible to hold the masterclasses due to changes in the legal framework, the Academy management reserves the right to adapt or cancel the master classes at short notice. If official requirements make it necessary to change the schedule of the master classes, the participant is prepared to accept reasonable alternative forms of implementation.

If required by the current situation, the Gstaad Academy 2024 will be subject to a protection concept. This will be based on the current official requirements. The participants will be informed of the details in good time.

Lukas Wittermann, Managing Director
Dorfstasse 60, Postfach
CH-3792 Saanen

+41 33 748 83 38
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