Spend a musical summer in Sewanee
June 17—July 16, 2023
Tuition & Fees
Festival costs will be posted shortly. Tuition includes all lessons, coachings, masterclasses, rehearsals, practice and performance space fees, and tickets to all concerts.
INSTRUMENTAL PROGRAM TUITION: $3,475
COMPOSITION PROGRAM TUITION: $3,175
OPERAFEST PROGRAM TUITION: $3,175
ROOM & BOARD: $2,050
This includes a double occupancy room, three meals per day in the McClurg Dining Hall, and use of campus facilities including the Fowler Athletic Center and duPont Library.
SINGLE ROOM FEE: $500
Single rooms are provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
Payment Plans
Payment plans are available for tuition and fees associated with the Sewanee Summer Music Festival through our Acceptd portal. Once you are moved to the tuition phase, you may pay any amount at any time toward your balance until the balance is $0. The full balance is due by June 1, 2023.
Refunds will not be granted for any reason if the inquiry is communicated to our office past May 21, 2023.
Reach out to ssmfadmissions@sewanee.edu with any questions.
Financial Aid
Over 60% of our festival participants receive some kind of financial aid to attend the Sewanee Summer Music Festival.
Generous endowment support allows us to offer assistance to students based on merit and financial need. Students wishing consideration for merit-based or need-based awards are encouraged to apply as early as possible. Students are also encouraged to explore funding sources in their own communities and through various organizations, corporations, foundations, and businesses.
The financial aid application is included in the Festival Application. Award amounts range based upon merit and financial need. There are two types of financial support participants can receive from the Sewanee Summer Music Festival: Work-Study Aid based on need and Merit-based Scholarship.
Students can receive both merit-based scholarship and work study aid to attend Sewanee.
If you do not request work-study aid in your application, you will only be considered for merit-based aid.
Merit-Based Scholarships
Are awarded to any highly qualified participant, based on the quality of your performance application, previous performance experiences, and references. All students are considered for merit-based scholarships. Merit awards are not based on student or family financial need.
We encourage you to complete your application EARLY to be considered for maximum funding.
Work Study Aid
Our Work Study program is based on demonstrated financial need. To be considered for our work study program, you must complete the financial aid portion of the online application. Work study students will be expected to complete a set number of hours each week in a variety of tasks based on their experience and skills. These positions could include work in the office, front of house, library or production/stage crew and will not interfere with rehearsals, lessons, performances, masterclasses, or any other scheduled event.
Alumni Tuition Credit
All summer festival alumni who apply by March 24th and are successfully readmitted to SSMF for the 2023 season will be automatically awarded a $750 tuition credit, in addition to any other types of scholarship or work-study you are awarded.
Orchestral Fellowship Program
Orchestral fellows of the Sewanee summer music festival will serve leading roles performing in chamber groups and in the Sewanee Symphony. Additional responsibility’s may include running sectionals, coaching younger chamber groups, coordinating with the orchestra library, and serving as a mentor for our younger musicians at the festival
Fellows will also be asked to engage with our patrons and supporters.
While there is no set age limit for fellows, the ideal fellowship candidate will be nearing the end of their undergraduate training, or in a graduate program. They will have strong chamber music and orchestral experience and understand what is means to lead a section, communicate with orchestral administration, conductors and the sections they will lead.
OperaFest Fellowship Program
Fellow Artists are advanced artists who are predominantly early in their career, current graduate students, or exceptional young artists pursuing professional training opportunities. OperaFest provides Fellow Artists with hands-on career development experiences, including coaching and performing of aria packages, opera scenes, and chamber music, as well as aria performances with orchestra and professional industry auditions. Fellow Artists will receive additional training in audition techniques and classes in language/diction, acting, and professional development classes.
Up to five Fellows will be on partial or full scholarship and will be asked to engage with our patrons and supporters.
Application Deadlines
September 9, 2022
- OperaFest Application Opens!
- $40.00 application fee
October 14, 2022
- Instrumental & Composition Applications Open!
- $40.00 application fee
November, 2022
- String Academy Application Open!
January 27th, 2023
- OperaFest Application Deadline
February 17th, 2023
- Application deadline for composition and instrumental programs
March 24th, 2023
- $75.00 application fee Feb. 18 — Mar. 24
- Final Application Deadline for ALL programs
After March 24th, 2023
- Applications after March 24th may be accepted on a case by case basis. Some studios will be full.
Application Process
The Sewanee Summer Music Festival is pleased to work with www.getacceptd.com for our application process. Audition recordings will be submitted through this portal as part of the application process.
Video Guidelines
All applications should be submitted using a video – audio-only applications will not be accepted under any circumstances.
Your videos should be of recent performances, no more than one year old.
Please upload the solo video and excerpt video(s) as different files, in accordance with the requirements listed below. Excerpts can be one video, with pauses in between, or separate videos.
Audition Requirements
All applicants – PLEASE REVIEW YOUR AREA AUDITION REQUIREMENTS CAREFULLY.
In addition to the selected excerpts, please upload a solo or selection of solos from a sonata, concerto or other work that amount to 5-7 minutes, demonstrating your current performance ability. These may be performed with or without piano accompaniment.
Precollege applicants:
Mozart Symphony No. 35, Mvmt IV, m. 134-181
SSMF 2022 Pre-College Viola Audition Excerpt
College applicants:
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6, m.19-88
Tchaikovsky 6
Select ONE of the 3 excerpts below. You do not have to prepare all three, just either #1, or #2, or #3
1. Beethoven Symphony 5, mvt 3, mm. 1-200 AND mm. 141-218
Beethoven 5
OR
2. Mozart Symphony 40, mvt 1, pickup to m 115 – m. 138
Mozart 40
OR
3. Wagner Prelude to Die Meistersinger rehearsal J to rehearsal M
Wagner Prelude to Die Meistersinger
Beethoven—Lenore Overture No. 3, m.328-360
Brahms—Symphony No. 4, Mvmt 4, m.89-105
Beethoven Symphony No. 9, Mvt 2: 180-248
Beethoven #9
Rimsky Korsakov Scheherazade Mvt 3: 4 before K—7 after K
Scheherazade
Select TWO of the excerpts below:
Beethoven, Symphony 8, movement 3, Trio only
Beethoven 8
Brahms, Symphony 3, movement 2, measures 1-22
Brahms 3
Kodaly, Galanta Dances, measures 31-65
Kodaly
Mendelssohn, Scherzo, measures 1-48 from a Midsummer Nights Dream
Mendelssohn Scherzo
Rachmaninov, Symphony no. 2, beginning through tied C at 47
One movement of a solo work of your choice and the following:
Solo Requirement:
Choose either a movement of a standard solo work or an etude of your choosing.
Orchestral Excerpts:
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6, Mvt 3, Horn 1 — 50 after A through 79 after A
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No 5, Mvt 2, Horn 1 — 8 before A through 13 after A
For college applicants only (optional for pre-college students):
Shostakovich: Symphony No 5, Mvt 1, Horn 1 — 3 after 17 through the first bar of 21
Solo: one solo on each snare drum ( Delecluse, Peters, Cirone etc…), timpani ( Deleclude, Hochrainer, Carter etc…), and marimba ( bach, or contemporary solo).
If the solo work is over 10 minutes, or multi-movement, selections or a single movement – example: Druckman, Reflections on the Nature of Water, 1st and 2nd movement only would suffice.
Snare drum
Rimsky Korsakov: Scheherazade, mvt. III – letter D to E
Scheherazade Mvt III
Rimsky Korsakov: Scheherazade, mvt. IV – letter P to R
Scheherazade Mvt IV
Orchestral Roll
20 seconds, pp to ff to pp
Xylophone
Gershwin Porgy and Bess — opening
Porgy & Bess
Glock
Respighi: Pines of Rome, mvt. I – 12 bars before Vivace to the end
Pines of Rome
Timpani
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4, 1st movement – 2 bars before Letter T to U
Tchaik 4 Timpani
Tambourine
Dvorak: Carnival Overture, letter T to the end
Carnival Overture
Berlioz – Hungarian March – Reh. J-L
Hungarian March
Prokofiev – Symphony #5, 1st mvt., Reh 3—6
Wagner – Meistersinger Overture J – L
Bach – Sarabande from Cello Suite No. 5 (no repeats)
Mozart – Kyrie (beginning through m. 21)
Strauss – Till Eulenspiegel (rehearsal 36 through 16th measure of rehearsal 37)
Wagner – Entrance of the Gods into Valhalla (final 15 measures)
David – Concertino (beginning through 20 after letter C)
Mozart – Tuba Mirum (solo)
Berlioz – Roman Carnival Overture (7th bar of rehearsal 19 to the end)
Copland – Symphony No. 3, m. 1 (rehearsal 7 through 12)
Solo Requirement:
Choose either a movement of a standard solo work or an etude of your choosing.
Orchestral Excerpts:
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6, Mvt 3, Horn 1 — 50 after A through 79 after A
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No 5, Mvt 2, Horn 1 — 8 before A through 13 after A
For college applicants only (optional for pre-college students):
Shostakovich: Symphony No 5, Mvt 1, Horn 1 — 3 after 17 through the first bar of 21
Two contrasting solo works that represent both lyrical and technical ability. Additional collaborative work may be included.
Solo: one solo of applicant’s choice no longer than 10 minutes in length
Excerpts:
Rimsky Korsakov—Capriccio Espagnol: cadenza
Tchaikovsky—Nutcracker: Waltz of the Flowers
Composition applicants should submit scores of PDF ’s two contrasting works written for solo, chamber or large ensemble (orchestra, chamber orchestra or wind band). Recordings or midi realizations are not required but encouraged. In addition, it is required one letter of recommendation or the contact information for two professional references in the field of music.
Two contrasting arias
Photo by David Andrews