Taking part in Young

To apply for Young, you must be nominated by someone who knows you well – a music teacher or a conductor of a local youth orchestra, school orchestra or ensemble, for example. Your nominator does not have to be someone with knowledge of classical music. It can also be another teacher, role model, or an alumnus from an ealier edition of RCO Young. The nominator writes a recommendation, which you can attach to your application on Muvac.com.

You need a referent. This is someone else than your nominator. Your referent makes a recommendation based on your personal and musical qualities. Your referent should therefore be someone with knowledge about classical music and your level of playing. Important questions that have to be answered are:

• What is the musical motivation for making the recommendation?
• How would the nominee contribute to Young’s other objectives regarding diversity, ambassadorship and hidden talent?

The recommendation letter can be attached to the application on Muvac. The letters from your nominator and referent can be written confidentially. In that case, your nominator and referent can send the letters directly to young@concertgebouworkest.nl with your name clearly mentioned.

Describe your background, musical experience and education.

• Where do you come from? Where do you live? Describe your family, your school and your hobbies outside of music.
• How long have you had lessons? With whom have you studied? Have you won any prizes? Do you have experience playing in an orchestra?
• Why do you want to participate in Young? What would participating in Young bring you?

The required audition excerpts will be published on November 1st at the latest. You can find the sheet music on Muvac.com.

The required audition excerpts will be published in November. You can find the sheet music on Muvac.com.

The required audition excerpts will be published in November. You can find the sheet music on Muvac.com.

The required audition excerpts will be published in November. You can find the sheet music on Muvac.com.

All candidates applying to Young must record videos complying with the conditions set out below.

• Each excerpt/piece may be recorded separately. Each separate excerpt/piece does have to be recorded in one take, without editing. You are allowed to record an excerpt multiple times and choose the best take.
• All videos must have been recorded no later than eight months before the end of the application period. That means your videos must be recorded between 31 May 2026 and 31 January 2027.
• Successful applicants to Young are not required to use professional equipment and/or studio space. If you pay attention to a few details, you can communicate your way of making music successfully using readily available consumer electronics. Many successful candidates have submitted videos made using videos made with a smartphone. You’re allowed to record the audio with a seperate microphone and add it to the video, as long as it’s from the same take and there’s no other cuts or edits in the records.
• Watch our video instructions for additional information and suggestions for creating a successful audition recording.

Introduction: before performing your solo selection, please include a spoken introduction in which you state your name, instrument, hometown, and title of the solo work you have chosen. The introduction video can be recorded seperately and added in front of the video of the solo piece.

Solo piece: : The solo piece is preferably the exposition of a classical solo concerto, but can be any work of your choice, or a movement/section of a longer work, provided that it is approximately three minutes in duration. If the piece is longer than three minutes, you may record an excerpt or submit an unedited three-minute section from a longer recording. You may also use a recent solo recording if it meets the Concertgebouw Orchestra Young audition requirements, but please record and upload the spoken introduction separately. A work with piano accompaniment (except if you are applying on timpani, percussion or piano) is strongly preferred.

Excerpts:  Each instrument has to play all required orchestral excerpts for their specific instrument.

Scales: please play one major and one minor (harmonic or melodic) scale in any key of your choice with up to four sharps/flats from memory at a comfortable tempo. Each scale should be played twice, once slurred and once separated, using an articulation or bowing of your choice. Violin and viola applicants should play two or three octaves; wind, and brass applicants should play two octaves. Applicants for cello, double bass, harp, piano, percussion and timpani don’t have to play scales.

Video essay: you are asked to answer the following questions.

• Young aims to select young talent who could use a little extra support in their musical career. How does this apply (or not) to your situation?
• Young aims to represent the diversity of Europe. How can you help us achieve this goal?
• Young invites Young alumni to become ambassadors for the programme and for classical music in their communities or home countries. What would make you a good ambassador?

Please note: this video essay should preferably be spoken in English. If that is too difficult, please record it in your own language.

Where possible, we encourage you to keep the following in mind when making the recording.  

1. Consider lighting, framing, and camera placement. Film in a well-lit space, and be sure that there is mostly lighting in front of you (rather than from behind). Place the camera so that you, your instrument, and your full range of motion are in the frame at all times; we should also be able to see both you and your pianist during the accompanied work, if applicable. Choose a medium distance that shows as much detail as possible, while still allowing the image to be framed as described above.
2. Try to place the camera on a tripod or flat surface when shooting.
3. Test the audio level so that there is no distortion during the loudest passages of your selections, while also making sure that the softest portions can still be heard. If possible, consider using an external microphone connected to your camera to record your playing and speaking.
4. Prior to recording your audition video, clean and/or adjust your instrument to be sure it is in the best possible condition. You may wish to ask your music teacher or a professional repair person to look at your instrument to assist with any necessary adjustments.
5. While it is not necessary to use a grand piano for the accompanied segment, please be sure the instrument is in good tune before recording.
6. Other than stopping and starting the camera between segments, no editing of the audio or video is permitted. Applicants whose videos show evidence of any cuts, splicing, manipulation of pitch, or other alteration within a performance segment will be subject to disqualification. Please note that the selection of a complete, unedited performance of an individual excerpt/piece out of multiple takes is permissible, as well as combining otherwise unedited audio and video from different recording devices.