PMF 2026 Orchestra Academy Auditions

The Pacific Music Festival (PMF) is an international educational music festival held annually in Sapporo, Japan.
Applications are now being accepted for the PMF 2026 Orchestra Academy.

OUTLINE

All auditions for PMF 2026 will take place online via “Acceptd”. Applicants must have or make their own personal Acceptd account in order to apply. We will not hold live auditions, nor receive materials by postal mail. Please submit your recorded video audition materials online.

PMF 2026 ORCHESTRA ACADEMY

At PMF 2026, the PMF Orchestra will perform programs led by David Robertson and Ryan Bancroft (Chief Conductor, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra) and much more, along with internationally renowned soloists and musicians from the Wiener Philharmoniker and Berliner Philharmoniker, and principal players from the Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, LA Philharmonic, and other major orchestras of the United States. Programs details will be announced soon!

Daily life as a PMF Academy member

CURRICULUM
Orchestral and chamber music coachings, rehearsals, masterclasses, and concerts.

PROGRAM PERIOD
Thursday, July 2 – Tuesday, July 28, 2026
Although the first concert is on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, all participants are expected to arrive in Sapporo on July 2 for the orientation, seating auditions, and rehearsals. The festival will be completed and members will leave for home from Tokyo on Tuesday, July 28.

PARTICIPATING COSTS
For successful applicants, PMF covers educational costs, round-trip flight costs between the city of origin and Sapporo*, travel costs within Japan, and shared-room accommodations during the festival period. Meals or stipends are provided during the festival period. Participants are responsible for basic travel insurance fees, visa application fees (if necessary), travel costs to/from the local airport (including instrument-carrying costs), and any other personal expenses. *Any costs resulting from deviations from a round trip will be the participant's responsibility.

NOTES ON PREPARATIONS OF RECORDING MATERIALS

1. State your name at the beginning of the video recording, clearly and slowly. (This is used to write the names of successful applicants in phonetic Japanese, in programs, etc., so clear pronunciation is important.)
2. Repertoire must be recorded in the listed order, with no piano accompaniment.
3. Audio-only recordings will not be accepted.
4. Please upload either 1) one file with a single performance of the solo piece(s) and orchestral excerpts, or 2) two files – one with the solo piece(s) and one with the excerpts. No interruptions or cuts between excerpts is allowed.
5. If necessary due to space limitations, percussion applicants may make one cut after the timpani excerpts and submit 2 files.
6. Aside from a single cut between the concerto video and excerpt video (if desired), videos should not be edited in any way.
7. The total length of the audition video(s) must be less than 20 minutes, including performances with auxiliary instruments.
8. The video must have been recorded in or after October 31, 2025.
9. File-types supported: MP4, MPEG, MPG, MOV, AVI, WMV, M4V, FLV, WEBM, MKV, M2V
10. Any video quality is acceptable. Be aware that very large files can take significant amounts of time to upload. Each video must be 4.8 GB or less.
11. Videos uploaded directly into your application are strongly preferred. If attempts to upload fail, after trying multiple devices and internet connections, we will accept YouTube videos instead. For your privacy, make sure videos are set to "Unlisted."

HOW TO APPLY

*Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Microsoft Edge are recommended.

*It is recommended that you use a desktop or laptop computer to apply, as there is a possibility of technical issues arising when using a smartphone.

*Creating your own “Acceptd” account is free, but a $35 USD non-refundable usage fee will be incurred when submitting your online application. This usage fee must be paid with a credit card. No form of payment aside from a credit card will be accepted (this credit card does not have to be the applicant’s own). Applicants are responsible for any and all expenses related to preparation of application materials (video recordings, etc.).

The following credit cards may be used:

*It is possible to complete your application form first and upload your video recordings at a later date, but failure to complete the entire process by the stated deadline will result in the application not being accepted.

1. Access "Acceptd" online, and either create your own personal Acceptd account or log in to your existing account. Make sure that you are able to receive email from support@getacceptd.com, as confirmation emails and more will be sent from that address.
2. Access the Acceptd PMF landing page
3. Choose a program and your instrument. Complete your online application form, filling in all required information.
4. Upload your recorded audition materials. Video recordings are required. Audio-only recordings will not be accepted. Upload times vary widely, depending on your internet connection speed.
5. A preview page will appear.
6. Enter the credit card information and pay the non-refundable usage fee. Once uploaded, videos cannot be altered or replaced.

DEADLINE

The deadline for applications is January 14, 2026 at 12:00pm (noon) Japan Standard Time. Please note that the deadline will fall within January 13 in many parts of the world. For example, Jan 14, 12:00 noon JST = Jan 13, 10:00pm EST.
Applications that are incomplete at the deadline will not be accepted.

*Video uploads become very crowded just prior to the application deadline and upload times may significantly increase. Uploading early is highly recommended.

RESULTS

Applicants will receive notification of the audition results by email by March, 2026.
We will contact you from: academy@pmf.jp
Please make sure that you are able to receive email from that address.
If you do not receive any notification by March (after checking your spam folder), please feel free to contact us.

For further information

Inquiry form >
Tel: +81-11-242-2211
Business hours: weekdays, 10:00 - 17:00 JST

PMF Organizing Committee
Sumitomo Seimei Sapporo Chuo Bldg. 1F
1-14 Minami 2-jo, Higashi 1-chome, Chuo-ku
Sapporo 060-0052 Japan