AUDITION NOTICE
Violinists and Cellists
Application deadline: Friday, September 5, 2008

Click here to download the Application Form (PDF Format)

The Jeunesses Musicales of Canada Foundation (JMCF) is pleased to announce the creation of a stringed instrument bank for young Quebec musicians intending to embark on a professional career.

Violinists and cellists are requested to submit their application to take part in this instrument-lending programme established by the JMCF before Friday, September 5, 2008. The winners will be selected by means of a competition involving an audition before a jury on September 18 and 19.

The instruments from the bank will be loaned for a period of two years.

Eligibility criteria
The sought-after candidates must meet the following criteria:

• be a student of violin or cello and be enrolled full-time in a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd cycle university music performance programme, or the 3rd, 4th, or 5th cycle in a music conservatory

• be a Canadian citizen whose main residence is in Quebec

• have strong musical abilities (classically trained)

• intend to pursue a professional career in music

• be recommended by his or her instrument teacher

With this programme, the Foundation hopes to support the most promising students who want to further the study of their instrument but whose financial situation may prevent them from acquiring an instrument of high quality.

To participate, please read the complete details in section II, and send us your application, including your completed form (available above), by mail.

Mandate
As part of this project, the JMCF called on the participation of luthiers and bow makers residing in Quebec to create a bank of high-quality, contemporary instruments. Following this stringed instrument-making competition in June, the JMCF will acquire two violins, a cello, and corresponding bows made entirely by luthiers and bow makers from Quebec. With this instrument bank, the JMCF hopes to support young musicians from Quebec in their ongoing higher education, and to offer them the opportunity to use a very high quality instrument and bow.

A crowning jewel of our cultural heritage, Jeunesses Musicales of Canada (JMC) has a mandate that is twofold: to promote the performance of classical music, especially among youth, and to support young musicians in their career development, both at home and internationally. JMC today produces some 700 concerts annually.


Evaluation process:
• Analysis of the applications by the selection committee. Candidates who are not selected will be notified by mail.

• 20-minute auditions by the best candidates before a jury; the jury reserves the right to stop the candidates’ performance at any point during the audition. Candidates selected to audition will be notified by telephone.

• Depending on the number of candidates selected, the Foundation reserves the right to organize a second round of auditions to select the finalists.

• An interview with the finalists, lasting approximately 10 minutes, will be the final step in determining the winners.

Audition repertoire:
The repertoire presented must include works from various eras and in various styles, highlighting the candidate’s musicality and virtuosity.

• The list of works must include:

- the 1st movement of a concerto
- the 1st movement of a classical sonata
- a movement of a work for solo instrument by J.S. Bach
- a virtuoso piece

• The choice of works heard at each round of auditions is at the jury’s discretion; the pieces heard will be selected from the list of works submitted at the time of application; no changes to the list of works will be accepted after the application has been submitted.

• The candidates are requested to provide the jury with a copy of the scores for the pieces they intend to perform at the audition. The scores must be submitted to the jury at the audition.

Accompanist:
• A piano will be made available to the candidates during the auditions in the Chamber Music Hall at the JMC House.

• If they so desire, candidates may use the services of an accompanist, however, it is the candidates’ responsibility to hire the accompanist and provide him or her with the details of the audition.

• In the event that a candidate cannot find an accompanist, the candidate may use the services of an accompanist appointed by the Foundation.

Finalists’ interviews (10 minutes):
• This step is an integral part of the final phase. Each finalist must be ready to discuss his or her career plan and explain how the loan of an instrument from the Jeunesses Musicales of Canada Foundation’s instrument bank is an indispensable tool in the continuing study of his or her instrument.

Winners:
• The Foundation will contact the winners directly in the days following the audition. In order to benefit from the loan of an instrument, the selected candidates must formally commit themselves to the Foundation, in writing, and respect the conditions of the loan contract established by the Jeunesses Musicales of Canada Foundation.

• In the event that a candidate cannot comply with the instrument loan contract, the candidate will not be eligible to benefit from admission to the programme and his or her candidacy will not be considered.

Documents to include with your application:
• A presentation file, including:

i. Biographical notes or a curriculum vitae

ii. Press clippings (if available)

• A detailed list of your audition repertoire (composer, title, duration).

• Proof of your status as a full-time student enrolled in a music performance programme at a recognized university or music conservatory.

• A letter of reference from your instrument teacher (music performance programme).

• A copy of your birth certificate or certificate of Canadian citizenship or a proof of permanent resident status.

• A maximum 350-word letter explaining the reasons why the loan of an instrument from the Jeunesses Musicales of Canada Foundation is indispensable to the ongoing study of your instrument and the development of your professional career.

Application deadline: Friday, September 5, 2008

Audition schedule:

• 1st round: September 18 and 19, 2008

• 2nd round (to be confirmed): September 20, 2008

Location of auditions:
Chamber Music Hall
Jeunesses Musicales of Canada House
305 Mont-Royal Avenue East, Montreal, Quebec

Note Incomplete applications cannot be properly evaluated and will therefore not be considered.
The JMCF reserves the right to modify the audition schedule if necessary.

Applications:

Jeunesses Musicales of Canada Foundation
Att. Marie-Claude Matton
305 Mont-Royal Avenue East
Montreal, Quebec H2T 1P8

Telephone: 514-845-4108, ext. 245
Email: mcmatton@jeunessesmusicales.ca