Chamber Music Society: Chamber Music Society Two Auditions for Individual Artists

Learning

CMS Two Auditions for Individual Artists

Applications for Chamber Music Society Two are no longer being accepted. The deadline to apply was March 1, 2008.

Next year, CMS Two will be open to ensembles. To be eligible, ensembles should have at least two years of experience performing together. Application requirements will be similar to those indicated in the current information and the deadline will be on or around March 1, 2009. Please check back Fall, 2008 for full information.

The next round of auditions for individual will occur in 2011 with application details available in fall 2010.

The Chamber Music Society invited individual artists to audition for its next Chamber Music Society Two cycle. If selected, applicants will be invited to join our roster of artists as an individual for three years beginning in the fall of 2009.

PLEASE NOTE THESE IMPORTANT DATES FOR THE CURRENT ROUND OF AUDITIONS:

Applicants invited to live auditions will receive notification by April 15, 2008.
Live auditions will be held May 13-15, 2008 at Lincoln Center.

If you have any questions, please email us at education@chambermusicsociety.org.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center plays a leading role in the field of chamber music through its extensive concert season in New York, its national tours, its many recordings and national radio broadcasts, and its multi-faceted educational programs. Dedicated to the belief that the future of chamber music lies in nurturing the very highest quality of performers and in cultivating new audiences, the Chamber Music Society offers programs designed to bring the art of chamber music to audiences from a wide range of backgrounds, ages, and levels of musical knowledge.

As part of the Chamber Music Society’s commitment to the highest excellence in performance and training, Chamber Music Society Two was developed for outstanding young performers in the early stages of major careers. In addition to the required artistic excellence, artists today must be able to articulate and communicate the importance of their art form in a variety of settings. Chamber Music Society Two is a three-season residency offering high-profile Lincoln Center performance opportunities and practical training for the development of the professional skills needed on and off the stage. Individual artists on the CMS roster perform together in various configurations depending on the repertoire chosen for each concert.

Professional opportunities in which CMS Two artists are actively involved:

Alice Tully Hall subscription concerts
Rose Studio concerts
Lecture/demonstrations
CMS family concerts – Meet the Music!
CMS school concerts – Chamber Music Beginnings
National and international touring
Radio and television broadcast
Commercially released recordings
Leading workshops and coaching sessions for young musicians

Musicians selected for the program will be compensated for all activities. Specific schedules are developed each season by mutual agreement between CMS and the artists.

ELIGIBILITY

All applicants must have at least two years of substantial performing experience demonstrating prominence in the early stages of a professional career.

LIVE PERFORMANCE ROUND

Based on application materials and submitted recordings, selected individuals will be invited to audition live, before a panel of judges, performing solo repertoire and collaborating with CMS musicians in chamber works. Applicants must be available for all three days of the live auditions to be considered for the program. These will take place at Lincoln Center on May 13, 14, and 15, 2008. Information on live round repertoire requirements can be found here.

APPLICATION SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Application form, career goal statement, and a current resume. These must be submitted electronically through our website.
Three letters of recommendation specifically for the CMS Two program from professionals in the field of music in a position to assess your potential for a concert career. These may be mailed under separate cover and must be received by the deadline. Your references may email the letters to us if we are able to verify the authenticity of the sender (either by email or phone), in which case they may be emailed to education@ChamberMusicSociety.org.
A CD recording and VHS or DVD recording of the highest quality each containing at least three selections from diverse repertoire. Please see the guidelines below for details*. These should be mailed (with the letters of recommendation or separately) and must be received at the CMS office by the deadline.
As an enhancement to your application, you may also forward reviews, photos, press kit, etc.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Step 1: Prepare your resume and save it as a PDF.

Step 2: Prepare a goal statement and save it as a PDF. Your goal statement should address the following questions:

What kind of musical career are you seeking?
How do you plan to get there?
Why are you interested in chamber music?
What part has chamber music played in your life?

Step 3: Go to the online application form (posted at the end of these instructions) and fill out the form. The form requests
a. basic information
b. education and training
c. performance history
d. awards and prizes
e. details of the recordings you submit.

If you do not complete the form at one sitting, information you’ve already added will be automatically saved. You may logout and later return to finish your submission. Once you finish the form, you will be prompted to upload the PDFs of your resume and goal statement.

Step 4: Review your work, then hit the “submit” button.

Step 5: Mail your letters of letters of recommendation, audio CDs, video (DVD or tape), and reviews and press materials (optional) to
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
ATT: CMS Two
70 Lincoln Center Plaza
New York, NY 10023

IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT YOU USE OVERNIGHT OR REGISTERED MAIL.

All applicants will receive a confirmation via email that their completed application has been received.

*RECORDING GUIDELINES

PLEASE NOTE that recording guidelines have been revised as of November 1, 2007

Applicants must submit one audio CD recording of solo or concerto performances including a representative work from each of three periods: Classical, Romantic, and 20th century. We suggest you submit complete works as opposed to single movements. Solo pieces may include sonatas for your instrument and piano. Concertos may include reductions with piano accompaniment.
Applicants must submit one DVD or VHS recording to include two solo or concerto performances, one from each of two periods: Classical and Romantic. These must be recordings of live performances made within the past three years. They need not be the same performances as on your CD.
In addition to the above, we strongly suggest you submit at least one chamber music performance on your CD as well as on your DVD.
All recordings should be of the highest quality possible, as this will influence the judges’ decisions. We strongly prefer unedited recordings of complete performances, although they need not be recorded before a live audience – i.e., they may be studio recordings, but unedited. You may submit professionally produced and/or commercially released product. If not professionally produced, closer camera and microphone positions are more desirable than more distant positions. If arranging to record your own DVD, use a high-quality external microphone connected to the camera, if possible, rather than a camera microphone.
All recordings, both CD and VHS/DVD, should be labeled with the following information: name and address; title, movements and composer of each selection; date and venue of performance. Recording information must also be included on the electronic application on the website.