Aurora Chamber Music and Musikakademi Vänersborg welcomes young exceptional international artists to apply for the Aurora Master Classes in April 2012 in Vänersborg /Sweden. In recent years, over 1500 amazing young artists from 50 countries have participated during the now world famous Aurora festivals.

Master classes – Chamber music – Seminars

Relish the chance to perform in public and exchange creative ideas. Take risks, inspire audiences, meet people and have fun. Become an integral part of a performing arts community of which many of the world’s most important performers are also members.

We take pride in what we offer our participants so take time to read all of the information included in this document before you apply, so that you know what it’s all about.

Very welcome!

Ola Larsson/General Manager and Per Nyström/Artistic Director
Master Class leaders and professors

Krzysztof Wegrzyn – Violin
Professor at the University of Music and Drama Hannover

Latica Honda-Rosenberg – Violin
Professor at the Berlin University of the Arts.

Maxim Rysanov – Viola
Soloist and chamber musician

Torleif Thedéen – Cello
Professor at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm /Edsberg Manor

Fabio Bidini – Piano
Professor at the Academy of Music Hanns Eisler Berlin

Per Nyström – Chamber Music
Solo cellist and artistic director of Aurora Chamber Music

• All students will be offered at least 2 open individual master classes and at least 2 open chamber music lessons. (There will be no piano accompanists for the master classes)
• Groups and repertoire will be selected by the course management before arrival in Vänersborg
• The professors will be performing in the festival concerts, and some student ensembles and student soloists will be selected to also perform in these concerts. This selection will be made by the course management and professors after the first few days of the course. All these concerts are usually sold-out and draw a lot of media attention. Participants are asked to acknowledge that their master classes or concert performances may be filmed, recorded or photographed as and when required by the course management, and that they consent for such activities to take place on the understanding that they are not filmed, recorded or photographed for any commercial gain.

 Qualification requirements

Selection criterion: Musical skills based on your audition. You have to attach URL with Youtube and / or Sound Cloud, Technical guide – Aurora audition , with optional repertoire.

A recording with free choice of repertoire, MP3 format and no larger than 8 MB

The selection will be based upon musical skills, education and experience.

The number of places is limited. We will send to all applicants the list of selected participants at the latest Mars 15.

Application & Course fee

Last day for registration: 15 February 2012

Course fee: 4 000 SEK. The course fee does not include costs for travel and accommodation and food. Further down on this page you can read about a lot of affordable options for this if you want to book this from Aurora.

“Aurora application form” click here. Finish by clicking ”Submit”

Accommodation offers & info

Important information!

• Your submitted application is binding and you cannot remove it with less than a signed medical certificate.
• The list of selected students will be sent to all applicants by e-mail at the latest Mars 15.
• The payment for your course fee, food and accommodation (if chosen) has to be paid latest Mars 21 and cannot be refunded.
• Without ANY exceptions you have to be 100% present in Vänersborg between Monday 23 April at 09.00 and Sunday April 29 at 22.00.
• There will be no piano accompanists for the master classes.
• Concerts and the seminar are obligatory for everyone.
• Each participant is responsible for bringing his/her own solo and chamber music scores to Vänersborg.

Accommodation offers

We know, and feel for, that student’s finances are often under pressure. Therefore we try our very hardest to get maximum good and cheapest possible accommodation options for all. Many individuals and families in Vänersborg help in a non-profit way with concept – again, for the best of all students. We have added up all the costs for youth hostels, private homes, transports, service/administration fee etc and then divided the total costs equally among all students. In this way, everyone get really good and cheap accommodation options starting from 1200 SEK in total for all days, 22 – 30 April, in Vänersborg.

Students from all around the world appreciate this; especially our many students who have expensive travel costs.

What is crucial in order to offer these great benefits, is obviously that, everybody are onboard the ship. The principle is that all shares all costs, and then it will be cheap for everyone.

-One for all, all for one-

Perhaps you of practical and personal reasons wish to arrange a completely independent living, but anyway wish to support Aurora’s housing system to keep the accommodation fees low for your fellow students? Then there is a voluntary option for you to pay 600 SEK as a contribution. This deal of accommodation only applies to bookings of all 8 nights 22-30 April. The reservation must be prepaid by Mars 21 and cannot be refunded.

Instructions for accommodation at private host families, 22-30 April 2012

1. Accommodation can be a bit outside Vänersborg. You must then organize and pay for your travel by bus to and from Vänersborg every day.
2. You must follow the host family’s rules and show respect for their daily routines. Keep your room and bathroom clean and tidy every day.
3. You must arrange your own breakfast. If the host family provides breakfast, be sure to offer payment for it.
4. You have to bring your own bed sheets or sleeping bag and towels
5. It’s totally forbidden to invite other people to your room at the host family without a clear permission from the host.
6. If these rules are not followed Aurora has the right to dismiss you from the course.

Food card

If you want you can buy our special ”Food card” for the course. That includes 10 hot meals (lunch and dinner). NOTE! You are in Vanersborg for 8 days and your needs are probably more than 10 meals. Our ”Food Card” is tailored to the participants also want to eat at other places and times during the week sometimes.

The 10 meals, included in this ”Food card” are served in the restaurant located in the same building as the course venue and are of basic and good standard including salad, drink, bread and coffee. There will also be vegetarian alternatives.

The ”Food card” costs 850 SEK.
The Food card has to be prepaid by Mars 21 and cannot be refunded.
This is just an offer from Aurora, and of course free of choice

Where?

Vänersborg is a town located 80 km north east of Gothenburg, Sweden. Read more about Vänersborg and see map here

The easiest connection to Vänersborg is trough Gothenburg. From both airports in Gothenburg you find Airport busses going to the Central train station (around 30min). From Gothenburg central train station you take a regional train going every hour to Vänersborg and the tickets for that doesn’t have to be booked in advance, just buy them when you arrive to the station. The train takes around 60 min to Vänersborg and costs around 70 SEK.

It’s also possible to take trains from Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo directly to Trollhättan but that normally takes a bit longer time and has to be booked in advance.

Badge

All participants receive an Aurora Festival badge. This allows free access to the Festival concerts (if not sold out)

Practice rooms

We have many practice rooms and pianos that can be reserved at course venue.

Contact

Ola Larsson General Manager – Aurora Chamber Music. Ph+46 (0) 70 654 12 50
Per Nyström, Artistic Director – Aurora Chamber Music. Ph +46 (0) 708 19 43 47