Faculty 2026-27:

Andrea Obiso – Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia

Laura Marzadori – Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala

Gordan Nikolitch – Netherlands Chamber Orchestra

Jiyoon Lee – Staatskapelle Berlin

Kolja Blacher

Sarah Nemtanu – Orchestre National de France

Roman Simovic – London Symphony Orchestra

Vesko Eschkenazy – Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

Anton Barakhovsky – Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks

Leadership Workshop: Marshall Marcus – Executive & Artistic Director EUYO | European Union Youth Orchestra

Andrea Obiso (I) – Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia

• 21 – 24 October 2025

Laura Marzadori – Teatro alla Scala

• 9 – 12 November 2025

Roman Simovic – London Symphony Orchestra

• 9 – 13 December 2025 | Orchestra Project

Jiyoon Lee – Staatskapelle Berlin

• 26 – 29 January 2026

Andrea Obiso (II) – Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia

• 17 – 20 February 2026

Vesko Eschkenazy – Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

• 10 – 13 March 2026

• 20 – 24 April 2026 | Orchestra Project

Sarah Nemtanu – Orchestre de Paris

• 18 – 21 May 2026

Noah Bendix-Balgley – Berliner Philharmoniker

• 15 – 18 June 2026

 Jean Christophe Spinosi

• 3 – 7 July 2025 | Final Concert 

The courses are open to students of all nationalities, not older than 35 at the application deadline.

Applications must be submitted online by no later than 11:59 PM on July 13, 2026, by completing the form through the button “Apply” and attaching the following documents:

• Copy of a valid ID;
• A copy of the diploma or certificate of studies;
• A curriculum vitae, preferably with a list of the studied repertoire;
• A link to the video recording (see below).

A non-refundable annual registration fee of EUR 55.00 is required when submitting the application.

Tuition fees are fully covered by the Stauffer Foundation; travel, accommodation and living expenses in Cremona are to be borne by the students.

The admission exam consists of a video audition. The candidate must create a link to a YouTube video, to be included in the application form, specifying the programme in the description of the video. The requirements for video recordings are described on this page.

Concertos:

• Exposition and Cadence of Mozart’s Concerto No. 4 or 5;
• Exposition of a Romantic Concerto.

Piano accompaniment is not mandatory but strongly recommended.

Required orchestral excerpts and solos:

• Strauss: Don Juan (First page, from the beginning to the 13th bar after C);
• Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, mvt. II (mm 1-5).

One orchestral excerpt to be chosen from:

• Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, mvt. III (mm 99-114);
• Schumann: Symphony No. 2, mvt II (mm 1-54);
• Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, Overture (last 49 bars, upper staff);
• Verdi: La forza del destino (mm 9 – 43);
• Verdi: Traviata, Prelude from Act III.

One solo excerpt to be chosen from:

• Haydn: Symphony No. 6 “Le Matin,” mvt II (mm 18-43);
• Brahms: Symphony No. 1, mvt II (from letter E to the end);
• Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake, Suite No. 4 (from number 26 to the end);
• Strauss: Ein Heldenleben (no. 22 – 32).

The Stauffer Academy does not provide scores; the candidate may choose the relevant edition.