Young Talents

NB The registration for the Young Talent Class is closed. This page is informational only.

The International Masterclass for Young Talents is a high-level course for exceptionally talented young organists hoping to pursue professional studies.
The Sixth International Masterclass for Young Talents will take place from Monday 18 to Friday 30 July 2022. Ten lessons of two hours each will be directed by several Summer Academy professors. Some of them are public masterclasses. Teaching will be in the English language only. 

Applicants for the 2022 Young Talent Masterclass must be born after 31 July 2004* and before 30 July 2010. In some exceptional cases we can deviate from this regulation; please contact the administration by sending an email to office@organfestival.nl.

Most of the masterclasses will take place on the Müller organ in the Bavokerk and the Cavaillé-Coll instrument in the Philharmonie concert hall. Practise organs will be available within the vicinity of Haarlem.

A minimum of four and a maximum of eight young organ players between the age of 12-18*, who have not yet commenced professional studies, will be admitted. A recording of two pieces by Johann Seb. Bach and Olivier Messiaen (see under), played by the applicant, is obliged and part of the application. Applications, incl. the recording, must be received by 15 March 2022. The recordings will be judged by an independent jury. We will inform you about admittance before 15 April 2022 by email. A warm invitation is also extended to the teachers of those admitted.

*Those who were admitted to the Young Talents Class in 2020, but had to postpone their registration until 2022 due to corona and are now older than 18, will be admitted anyway.

Repertoire

The repertoire for the Young Talent Class is free. You can bring pieces from all composers (incl. yourself!) and periods you want to play and discuss. You must notify the organization before 1 May 2022 about which pieces you prepare. If it turns out that some pieces will be played multiple times, we can ask you to change your repertoire.

The course fee for the Young Talent Class is € 300, which includes registration fee. All festival activities will be open free of charge to the admitted Young Talents. If you want to join the Excursion, you can mention this on your application form.

Method of application

At least four and maximum eight YoungTalents will be admitted to the masterclasses. Application is possible by filling in the Young Talent Application Form. If less then four applicants can be accepted, the Young Talents Class will be cancelled.
NOTE: Although you are asked to do so, do not pay your course fee till you are informed that you are admitted to the Young Talent Class!

The following additional information and documents must be received by 1 March 2022:

1. Letter from the applicant's organ teacher including:

• name and age of the pupil
• number of years of organ tuition
• examples of present repertoire
• examples of public activities of applicant (recitals, competitions and prizes)
• the significance of the Young Talents masterclass for the applicant's development
• a declaration that the submitted recording has been made by the applicant
• a (provisional) list of the repertoire that will be prepared

2. Recording of

• a fast movement from one of Bach's Trio Sonatas BWV 525-530,
• and one of the following movements from Messiaen's La Nativité du Seigneur: Les enfants de Dieu, Les Bergers, Les Anges or Dieu parmi nous.

3. Letter from the parent or guardian, including

• surname, first name and date of birth of applicant
• surname and first name of parent or guardian
• a contact address, telephone number and email address
• a scan or copy of the passport or identity card of the pupil

Click here for the online Young Talent Application Form.

The recording (MP3 or WAV) can be transferred by for example WeTransfer to office@organfestival.nl . All other information can be uploaded in the Application Form or sent directly to the festival email address. See Contact for all details.

Some Summer Academy rules:

• We expect you to attend the Young Talents Class entirely. If you do not attend all lessons without notice, you will not receive the Haarlem Summer Academy Certificate.
• All masterclasses will be in the English language.
• If less then four applicants can be accepted, the Young Talents Class will be cancelled.
• Your Summer Academy application is only definite when payment of the course fee and B&B arrangement (if reserved) is received. You may try to reserve B&B later, but we can’t guarantee there will be a private guesthouse available then.
• The repertoire you will prepare for the courses should be notified to the organization by 1 May 2022 by e-mail to office@organfestival.nl.