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Audition Information
PMF 2020 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 2020 Orchestra Academy.
OUTLINE
All auditions for PMF 2020 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. *Please note that there will be no harp auditions in 2020.
| AUDITION ELIGIBILITY | Orchestral instrumentalists between the ages of 18 and 29 as of July 1, 2020 |
|---|---|
| REPERTOIRE | Please refer to the audition repertoire list here |
| SUBMISSION FEES | $30 USD *This usage fee for submitting an application through Acceptd is payable only by credit card and is non-refundable. |
| APPLICATION DEADLINE | January 16, 2020 at 12:00 noon Japan Standard Time |
| RESULTS | Audition results will be announced by March 2020. |
PMF 2020 ORCHESTRA ACADEMY
GENERAL INFORMATION
In 2020, the Pacific Music Festival Orchestra (PMFO) will perform Mozart’s Don Giovanni as a full-production opera under the baton of Artistic Director Valery Gergiev. Orchestra programs will be led by Marek Janowski, Alexander Vedernikov, and more. Faculty will include internationally renowned soloists, and principal players from the Wiener Philharmoniker, Berliner Philharmoniker, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and other major orchestras of the United States.
| CURRICULUM | Orchestral and chamber music coachings, rehearsals, masterclasses, and concerts. |
|---|---|
| PROGRAM PERIOD | Monday, July 6 – Tuesday, August 4, 2020 Although the first concert is on Saturday, July 11, 2020, all participants are expected to arrive in Sapporo on July 6 for the orientation, seating auditions, and rehearsals. The festival will be completed and members will leave for home from Sapporo on Tuesday, August 4. |
| 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
- 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.)
- Repertoire must be recorded in the listed order, with no piano accompaniment.
- Audio-only recordings will not be accepted.
- Video(s) must be recorded in one time-sequence, with no interruptions or cuts between the excerpts.
- 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.
- Aside from a single cut between the concerto video and excerpt video (if desired), videos should not be edited in any way.
- The total length of the audition video(s) must be less than 20 minutes, including performances with auxiliary instruments.
- The video must have been recorded in or after November, 2019.
- File-types supported: MPEG, MPG, MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, M4V, FLV, WEBM, MKV, M2V
- Any video quality is acceptable. Be aware that very large files can take significant amounts of time to upload.
HOW TO APPLY
*Google Chrome or Firefox are recommended. “Acceptd” does not support Internet Explorer.
*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 $30 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.
- Access "Acceptd" online, and either create your own personal Acceptd account or log in to your existing account.
- Access the Acceptd PMF landing page
- Choose a program and your instrument. Complete your online application form, filling in all required information.
- 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.
- A preview page will appear.
- 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 16, 2020 at 12:00pm (noon) Japan Standard Time. Please note that the deadline will fall within January 15 in many parts of the world. For example, Jan 16, 12:00 noon JST = Jan 15, 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, 2020.
We will contact you from: academy2020@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
Email: audition@pmf.jp
Tel: +81-11-242-2211
Business hours: weekdays, 9:00 - 17:30 JST
PMF Organizing Committee
Sumitomo Seimei Sapporo Chuo Bldg. 1F
1-14 Minami 2-jo, Higashi 1-chome, Chuo-ku
Sapporo 060-0052 Japan