Classical Music Fellowship

Deadline to Apply: Friday, February 9, 2024

 

Please note the application guidelines below are broken up by strings and winds followed by piano and then voice. They all have different submission requirements.

 

 

Luminarts Classical Piano, Strings, and Winds Fellowships are $10k per artist. The Classical Music Fellowship awards five (5) Luminarts Fellowships to classical musicians in categories of Women's and Men's Voice, Piano, Strings, and Winds. Three (3) $10,000 Fellowships are awarded to musicians in the categories of Piano, Strings, and Winds. Two (2) $15,000 Fellowships are awarded to musicians in Women's and Men's Voice and one (1) honorable mention Voice award in the amount of $2,000. 

 

Luminarts is committed to ensuring equity within its programs and welcomes applicants, artists, audience members, and supporters regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, class, religion, sexual orientation, or citizenship status.

 

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, February 9, 2024, 11:59 p.m. CST.

 

***Please note audition schedules and selection processes are subject to change.***

 

Eligibility Requirements

 

Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:

 

· Be between the ages of 18 and 30 years old on the date of applying

· Be currently enrolled in, or have completed, a degree program, conservatory, or other professional artist development program (not necessarily specific to the program for which you are applying)

· Live in IL, IN, MI or WI

 

While applicants may reapply to Luminarts Fellowship annually, they are only eligible to receive the Fellowship award once. However, once an individual has been designated a Luminarts Fellow they are eligible to apply for Fellow Project Grants through the Foundation. For Project Grant information visit our Artist Opportunities page. Please note that voice applicants who win the honorable mention award are eligible to apply again for the Fellowship again if they meet the other eligibility criteria. 

 

For questions about eligibility or more information about the Fellowship visit our Frequently Asked Questions page or contact Luminarts at info@luminarts.org or (312) 435-5961

 

 

Submission Guidelines for Winds

 

There are four (4) components that must be attached to your application before auditioning:

 

· Two (2) audio recording or sample of a performance that will be reviewed by a panel of jurors to determine your eligibility to move on and schedule an in-person audition;

· A career statement outlining what your career objectives are as an artist, how becoming a Luminarts Fellow would help support those objectives, and how you envision your art/career impacting the greater Chicago community;

· The name, contact information, and relationship to one (1) professional or educational reference; and

· CV/Resume.

 

Read below for specific details about each of these components.

 

Audio Sample:

 

Applicants must attach an audio sample with the application. If you do not have an audio sample, you may record an audio clip using a recorder on a mobile device or other recording equipment. Your recording will be used for judging purposes. Please do not attach a recording over ten (10) minutes long.

 

Career Statement: 

 

Your career statement should outline what your career objectives are as an artist, how becoming a Luminarts Fellow would help support those objectives, and how you envision your art/career impacting the greater Chicago community. Your statement may not exceed 500 words in total.

 

Professional/Educational Reference:

 

Space will be provided on the application to include the name, contact information, and relationship to one (1) professional or educational reference. Note that references may not be contacted as part of this process.

 

 

Audition and Repertoire Information

 

Applicants will schedule an audition online from a list of available audition dates if they have been selected to continue with the audition process. Please note, there is no fee to book an audition.

 

 

Scheduling the Audition

 

Applicants will be notified via email by Monday, February 26, 2024 if they have been selected to continue with the audition process. At that time, those selected will begin scheduling their auditions. The email message on February 26, 2024 will include a link and instructions on how to schedule the winds audition online. Auditions are booked on a first come, first serve basis. All auditions must be scheduled by 9 a.m. CST on Thursday, February 29, 2024. Audition times are not guaranteed until you receive an email confirmation from Luminarts with the booked audition time. If you have questions or need assistance with scheduling an audition, please contact the Foundation.

 

What to Bring to the Audition

 

Bring three (3) copies of a list of your repertoire to the audition. Jurors will request selections based off your repertoire list. You do not need to bring the sheet music for the jurors. Only bring a list of the repertoire pieces. Be prepared to perform any selections listed on your repertoire list. Audition slots are ten (10) minutes per musician; therefore, jurors might not request every selection be performed. Applicants must provide their own accompanist (excluding musicians auditioning in piano). If a selected piece does not have accompaniment, perform the piece as the composer intended it to be performed.

 

Auditions will be held at the Union League Club of Chicago, located at 65 West Jackson Boulevard in Chicago. 

 

Audition Dates:

· Monday, March 4, 2024 - Winds Auditions (morning)

 

 

Repertoire Requirements:

 

Winds Repertoire:

 

· One (1) complete concerto from memory or your choice of 12 minutes music that showcase artistry, musicality and coherence of the concerto.

· One (1) sonata with piano (memory not required)

· One (1) contrasting modern or contemporary composition, 1945 - Present (memory not required)

 

*It is recommended that the concerto and the sonata represent different music periods.

 

*To best showcase your talent, jurors recommend you work with your accompanist to cut any music where the accompanist is playing for a long period of time.

 

After the Audition

 

Winds musicians will be notified by 12 p.m. CST on the day following their audition whether they have been selected as a winner and Luminarts Fellow.

 

Cancelling/Rescheduling Auditions

 

Applicants will be able to cancel or reschedule an existing audition using the links included in the audition email that will be sent to applicants. The deadline to schedule or to cancel an existing audition is Friday, March 1, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. CST. After that time, you must contact the Foundation at info@luminarts.org or (312) 435-5961 to cancel an existing audition. Cancellations after the cancellation deadline will be subject to a cancellation fee, including a no call/no show, and in addition, any applicant who is a no call/no show to a scheduled audition without previously contacting the Foundation will be disqualified from any future Luminarts programs. 

 

Applicants who arrive five (5) minutes past their scheduled audition time will not be able to audition. 

 

Warm-Up Room Information

 

While warm-up space cannot be guaranteed, Luminarts will make every effort possible to provide a warm-up space for applicants who are auditioning in classical music. Applicants who wish to use warm-up space are required to arrive twenty (20) minutes before their scheduled audition time and must check in to the audition registration area prior to using the room. Applicants will have ten (10) minutes to warm-up, approximately ten to twenty (10-20) minutes before their scheduled audition time. This will allow enough time to return to the registration area five to ten (5-10) minutes prior to the scheduled audition. For example, if your audition is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. you must arrive by 10:40 a.m. to check in and will have warm-up space available from 10:40 a.m. - 10:50 a.m., then returning to registration for your audition to begin at 11:00 a.m. Note that Luminarts does not monitor the warm-up room, and therefore we expect all applicants to be respectful of one another’s audition times.

 

 

 

After Submitting Your Application

 

You will receive a confirmation email immediately after successfully submitting your application. If you do not receive a confirmation email, please check your spam/junk filter settings. If you still have not received confirmation after submitting your application, please contact the Foundation. Once your application submission is confirmed, you do not need to do anything until Luminarts contacts you on Monday, February 26, 2024 with audition scheduling information if you’ve been selected to continue on with the application/audition. The email at that time will include a link and instructions to schedule your audition online. Once scheduled, you will receive a confirmation email with the booked audition.

 

Submission Guidelines for Strings and Piano

 

There are four (4) components that must be attached to your application before submitting your application:

 

· Audio and video recordings that will be reviewed by a panel of jurors;

· A career statement outlining what your career objectives are as an artist, how becoming a Luminarts Fellow would help support those objectives, and how you envision your art/career impacting the greater Chicago community;

· The name, contact information, and relationship to one (1) professional or educational reference; and

· CV/Resume.

 

Read below for specific details about each of these components.

 

Audio/Video Sample:

 

Applicants must attach one (1) video fifteen to twenty (15-20) minutes in length. The applicants’ hands must be visible in the video to best showcase the applicant’s artistry and skill. While the video does not have to be professionally filmed, we do expect the video to represent the applicant’s musical ability.

 

The video must include relatively close-up footage of the applicants’ hands and must adhere to the following guidelines:

 

· While some of the repertoire requirements are longer than fifteen to twenty (15-20) minutes, we ask that you use your best judgement on what portions of the requirements to submit. For example, you might choose: one (1) fast movement and one (1) slow movement of a classical sonata (total of two (2) movements), plus a bravura etude. The video can be broken up and submitted in parts (totaling less than twenty (20) minutes) as long as each segment is labeled with the correct piece being played. 

· YouTube link or file uploads are allowed.

· File name should be the title of the piece.

· Files and images may not include your name or other personal information.

· Please provide the highest quality recordings possible and note a variety of selections within the guidelines is preferred. 

· All submission must be unedited except for purposes of shortening the submission

· Please save all recordings and videos in the event we need you to resubmit any of the materials.

Career Statement: 

 

Your career statement should outline what your career objectives are as an artist, how becoming a Luminarts Fellow would help support those objectives, and how you envision your art/career impacting the greater Chicago community. Your statement may not exceed 500 words in total.

 

 

 

Professional/Educational Reference:

 

Space will be provided on the application to include the name, contact information, and relationship to one (1) professional or educational reference. Note that references may not be contacted as part of this process.

 

 

Repertoire Requirements:

 

Please submit your repertoire list in the designated field on the submission application. Please list the pieces in the order they are submitted in the audio/video recording section. 

 

Piano Repertoire (All From Memory):

 

· Prelude and Fugue, Bach’s Well Tempered Clavier (no repeats)

· One (1) sonata (complete movements) or other major work from Classical Period (no repeats)

· One (1) major work from the Romantic or Impressionist Period (no repeats)

· One (1) bravura etude or toccata (no repeats)

· One (1) contrasting composition from 20th or 21st century. Please provide the score if the piece was written after 1970. 

 

Strings Repertoire (recommended to play with an accompanist):

 

· One (1) complete concerto from memory or your choice of 12 minutes music that showcase artistry, musicality and coherence of the concerto.

· One (1) sonata with piano (memory not required)

· One (1) contrasting modern or contemporary composition, 1945 - Present (memory not required)

 

 

 

After Submitting Your Application

 

You will receive a confirmation email immediately after successfully submitting your application. If you do not receive a confirmation email please check your spam/junk filter settings. If you still have not received confirmation after submitting your application please contact the Foundation. 

 

Applicants will be notified by or before Monday, February 26, 2024q as to whether they have been selected as a finalist.

 

The finals audition is scheduled to be a live event from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. CST on Thursday, March 7, 2024 at the Arts Club of Chicago. You must be available for the final auditions at the time of your initial submission. Finalists will receive a $500 honorable mention award.

 

What to Bring to the Final Audition

 

Bring three (3) copies of a list of your repertoire to the audition. Jurors will request selections based off your repertoire list. You do not need to bring the sheet music for the jurors. Only bring a list of the repertoire pieces. Be prepared to perform any selections listed on your repertoire list. Audition slots are ten to fifteen (10-15) minutes per musician; therefore, jurors might not request every selection be performed.

 

Please note there will not be a warm-up space provided for the finals so please come warmed up! Strings finalists are required to bring their own accompanist with them to the final audition. 

 

 

Submission Guidelines for Classical Voice

 

There are four (4) components that must be attached to your application before submitting your application:

 

· Audio and video recordings that will be reviewed by a panel of jurors;

· A career statement outlining what your career objectives are as an artist, how becoming a Luminarts Fellow would help support those objectives, and how you envision your art/career impacting the greater Chicago community;

· The name, contact information, and relationship to one (1) professional or educational reference; and

· CV/Resume

 

Read below for specific details about each of these components.

 

Audio/Video Sample:

 

Applicants must attach two (2) audio samples and one (1) video sample with the application (three (3) total music samples) totaling no more than fifteen (15) minutes long. You may record an audio clip using a recorder on a mobile device or other recording equipment. Your recordings will be used for judging purposes.

 

Please record a selection of your choice of the audition repertoire listed below and upload these recordings to your application. Recordings that feature an accompanist are preferred. Recordings with play-along recordings are also acceptable.

 

· Please limit file size to 50 MB or less and length to less than ten (10) minutes per audio/ video submission. While some of the repertoire requirements are longer than ten (10) minutes, we ask that you use your best judgement on what portions of the requirements to submit.

· YouTube link or file uploads are allowed.

· File name should be the title of the piece.

· Files and images may not include your name or other personal information.

· Please provide the highest quality recordings possible and note a variety of selections within the guidelines is preferred. 

· All submission should be unedited.

· Please save all recordings and videos in the event we need you to resubmit any of the materials.

Career Statement: 

 

Your career statement should outline what your career objectives are as an artist, how becoming a Luminarts Fellow would help support those objectives, and how you envision your art/career impacting the greater Chicago community. Your statement may not exceed 500 words in total.

 

 

Professional/Educational Reference:

Space will be provided on the application to include the name, contact information, and relationship to one (1) professional or educational reference. Note that references may or may not be contacted as part of this process.

 

 

Repertoire Requirements:

 

Please submit your repertoire list in the designated field on the submission application. Please list the pieces in the order they are submitted in the audio/video recording section. 

 

If one (1) of your pieces does not have accompaniment, perform the piece as the composer intended it to be performed.

 

Voice Repertoire (all from memory, except #2 oratorio):

 

· One (1) aria from an opera in its original language

· One (1) aria from an oratorio

· One (1) selection of each of the following:

o Italian song of the 17th - 19th centuries, sung in Italian

o German song from the Classic, Romantic, or Modern Periods, sung in German

o French song from the Classic, Romantic, or Modern Periods, sung in French

o Contemporary song by English or American composers, sung in English

 

*To best showcase your talent jurors recommend you work with your accompanist to cut any music where the accompanist is playing for a long period of time.*

 

 

After Submitting Your Application

 

You will receive a confirmation email immediately after successfully submitting your application. If you do not receive a confirmation email please check your spam/junk filter settings. If you still have not received confirmation after submitting your application please contact the Foundation. 

Men's and Women's Voice musicians will be notified by Thursday, February 29, 2024 as to weather they have been selected as a finalist.

The finals audition is scheduled to be a live event on from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. CST on Tuesday, March 19, 2024 at the Union League Club of Chicago.

 

What to Bring to the Audition

 

Bring three (3) copies of a list of your repertoire to the audition. Jurors will request selections based off your repertoire list. You do not need to bring the sheet music for the jurors. Only bring a list of the repertoire pieces. Be prepared to perform any selections listed on your repertoire list. Audition slots are ten (10) minutes per musician, therefore jurors might not request every selection be performed. Applicants must provide their own accompanist (excluding musicians auditioning in piano). If a selected piece does not have accompaniment, perform the piece as the composer intended it to be performed. 

 

Winners will be announced live the night of Tuesday, March 19.