Auditions 2020
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS APPLICATION IS NOW CLOSED. This set of auditions is ongoing due to COVID-19. Please follow social media or sign up to the newsletter for audition updates.
Barbara Hannigan and Equilibrium Young Artists invite applications for an EQ Audition and Intensive Workshop Day
The EQ Workshop/Audition Day will include: a general audition and group sessions with:
- soprano/conductor Barbara Hannigan
- sport performance coach Jackie Reardon
- special guests! (previous special EQ guests have included Daniel Harding, Natalie Dessay, Reinbert de Leeuw, Kasper Holten, and Hans Abrahamsen)
The day will involve two three hour sessions (morning 10-13h and afternoon 14:30-17:30h).
20 young artists will be selected to participate in each day (10 selected participants for morning session, 10 selected participants for the afternoon session), so please expect, if you are selected, that you will need to make a commitment to be present for an entire half day.
A pianist will be provided for you. There is no application fee. The applications are open internationally.
MUNICH
January 5, 2020 (application deadline December 15, 2019)
STOCKHOLM
March 8, 2020 (application deadline January 25, 2020)
PARIS
April 10, 2020 (application deadline February 23, 2020)
Your application must include:
- your updated curriculum vitae
- links (and passwords if necessary) to one or two videos uploaded to either Youtube or Vimeo made within the past 6 months
- a letter to EQ to tell a bit about yourself, your musical (and other!) interests, and why you are interested to get involved with EQ. This letter can be either written OR included as a video
- Please specify the city in which you want to participate
Please send your application to connect@equilibrium-youngartists.com
BEFORE YOU APPLY:
PLEASE spend some quality time on the Equilibrium website (www.equilibrium-youngartists.com) to get a proper idea of the EQ initiative, and its participants.
ALSO please visit both Jackie Reardon's site (https://www.jackiereardon.com) to get an idea of her work, and the website for the courses she offers (https://friendlyeyes.com).
Those selected for the audition will be asked to follow at least two weeks of Jackie's Discover course in preparation for the EQ Intensive Day, so that everyone selected will be similarly prepared. Of course anyone can follow the Discover course already!
The applications are open to young professional singers who have finished their studies and are in the first substantial phase of their career. In special cases we will also accept applications from instrumentalists.
EQ participants of the 2018/19 season one participated in intensive workshops which included daily work with sport performance coach Jackie Reardon, T'ai chi master (Wu-style) Patrick Stanley, and yoga coach Phyllis Ferwerda, and Q and A's with special guests who included:
conductors Reinbert de Leeuw, Sir Andrew Davis and Daniel Harding, director Kasper Holten, composer Hans Abrahamsen, soprano/actor Natalie Dessay, tenor Kevin Connors, casting director Jesus Iglesias Noriega (Netherlands Opera), and Alpha recording label director Didier Martin.
Taking Risks, a documentary made by Accentus films on the Equilibrium auditions, workshops and rehearsals leading up to the premiere of The Rake's Progress in Gothenburg in December 2018, has been aired on European television since May 2019.
EQ season one (2018/19) performances:
The Rake's Progress directed by Linus Fellbom with Gothenburg Symphony, Munich Philharmonic, and LUDWIG Orchestra performed throughout Europe.
Other repertoire included:
Mozart Requiem with the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Mozart Requiem with the Munich Philharmonic
Vivier's Lonely Child for soprano and orchestra, with LUDWIG Orchestra at Ojai Music Festival (California)
Rites of Passage, a programme of folk songs curated and/or arranged by Fleur Barron and Edo Frenkel, at Ojai Music Festival
William Walton's Façade at Ojai Festival and Aldeburgh Festival (England)
Stravinsky's Pulcinella for 3 soloists and orchestra with LUDWIG Orchestra at Ojai Music Festival and Aldeburgh Festival
Twice through the Heart by Mark Anthony Turnage, for mezzo and chamber orchestra, with LUDWIG Orchestra at Ojai Music Festival
Upcoming EQ season 2019/20 performances:
Mozart Requiem with Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France
Mozart Requiem with Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
Mozart Requiem with Toronto Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Sir Andrew Davis)
Stravinsky's Pulcinella with Munich Philharmonic
Stravinsky's Pulcinella with Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
EQ season 3 and 4 repertoire to be announced...
Aesthetic
Equilibrium is for singers who:
- have a specific interest in Barbara Hannigan’s approach to music-making
- have a sense of individual passion, discipline and drive
want to connect with other professionals in a very real working experience - are naturally curious, hard-working, open-minded and flexible
- have a high-level of musicianship
- already have professional solo experience
"I am genuinely interested in hearing who is out there, to develop a pool of singers from which, as conductor and programmer, I can draw soloists for various organisations and engagements. An elite squad, if you will. I am looking for singers who have professional solo experience; Equilibrium should not be your first step on the professional stage. Those auditioning can have professional management or not. The singers will be paid by the orchestral organizations."Barbara Hannigan
Reactions from the last round of auditions:
“To Barbara and Equilibrium: thank you for making the world of opera and auditioning a more human place.” “The whole audition process [was] a joyful and nurturing experience. Who could have known it was actually possible?” “Auditions usually feel like, at best, a necessary evil, and, at worst, a form of licensed ritual professional humiliation (!), so it was really thrilling and refreshing to spend a morning in an environment that was so respectful, welcoming, positive, stimulating and inspiring.” “It was a real pleasure for me to go through this whole process of auditioning for you. I learned a lot about myself, what I really want to do and how to proceed towards it, what are my strengths and how to use them in a good way – and to cherish my weaknesses!” “I’m now starting to enjoy auditioning, after hating it for so many years! I’m really very thankful to you for helping me finding so much joy in such a difficult process with difficult questions!”
Barbara Hannigan
Barbara Hannigan is known worldwide as a soprano of vital expressive force directed by exceptional technique.
She divides her time between singing on the world's major stages and conducting leading orchestras.
EQ Initiative
Equilibrium fosters a culture in which awareness of the total musical picture is an absolute necessity, and not a rare exception. Equilibrium facilitates a channel of communication between singers and instrumentalists in both opera and concert repertoire.
Season 2019/20
Performances of EQ Artists in the 2019/20 season are planned in Toronto, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Aix-en-Provence, Paris, Munich and Gothenburg.
Contact
connect @ equilibrium-youngartists.com
To keep up with all of the latest audition dates and news, connect with us!
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