In January 2016, 10 students from Music Academy of the West will travel to New York City for the New York Philharmonic Global Academy Fellowship Program. Now in its second year, this program offers these students the opportunity to train beside top Philharmonic musicians as they prepare for their own careers. While more than 60 Music Academy of the West instrumentalists auditioned over the course of the summer, only 10 could be chosen to participate in the fellowship.
The Global Academy Fellowship encompasses 10 days of training. Events include rehearsals and performances with the Philharmonic of Wagner and Strauss compositions. The performances are part of the Philharmonic’s January subscription concerts. Philharmonic Music Director Alan Gilbert aims to immerse the students in all aspects of life as a career orchestral musician and introduce them to the skills they need to realize their own success. The fellowship also provides an opportunity for Philharmonic musicians to mentor a new generation of orchestral performers.
This incredible opportunity for Music Academy of the West students represents the fruit of a long relationship between the school and the New York Philharmonic. More than a dozen members of the orchestra trained at the school, and Gilbert formerly conducted the Academy Festival Orchestra. He plans to continue in this capacity in 2016. Several Philharmonic musicians are also scheduled to serve as guest faculty at the school and will lead chamber music coaching sessions, master classes, lectures, and private lessons.
The 10 musicians chosen as Global Academy Fellows represent a variety of backgrounds, with individuals from the United States, Spain, Australia, Israel, and Japan. Two of the musicians are violinists, and two other string players focus on the double bass and the cello. The remaining six musicians specialize in supporting brass and woodwind instruments, from the tuba to the bassoon. These 10 students represent some of the most promising up-and-coming musicians in the world.