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• Edinburgh International Festival is welcoming applications from early career woodwind musicians as part of its Rising Stars program. The international call-out, which is central to the Festival’s continuing mission for championing and supporting emerging talent, provides budding musicians with access to world-class training, networking and development opportunities. Running for the third consecutive year, the program will
welcome the world’s most promising young musicians, offering them the opportunity to shine on an international stage.
• As a testament to the Emerging Talent initiative’s transformative ability, the 2023 emerging string cohort will join Nicola Benedetti on the Usher Hall stage for a Tribute to Menuhin during this August’s Festival. This follows several years of successful performances for members of the cohort, as violinist Suzie Washu Qiu has played as part of the Kyan Quartet on international stages, as well as in a soloist capacity with the Carme Ensemble, while cellist Maxim Calver has successfully graduated from his Masters at the Royal College of Music in London.
• International virtuosos Mark Simpson and Nicola Benedetti will offer their expertise to the 26 Rising Stars, in the mentorship program which culminates in public performances at The Queen’s Hall, Usher Hall and The Hub.
In a continued effort to provide opportunities for access, Edinburgh International Festival’s 2025 programme continues the Rising Stars program, which provides emerging classical musicians with career development opportunities. As part of the initiative, budding talent will receive tailored mentorship, make industry connections, and experience performing at the International Festival.
This international call-out, which builds on 2023 and 2024’s work, welcomes applications from emerging woodwind musicians for the first time, and voice artists for the second consecutive year.
The first call out, for rising stars of woodwind, searches for up to five talented, pre-professional woodwind quintet players (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and French horn) of conservatoire level standard to work with renowned composer and clarinettist Mark Simpson as mentor. The mentorship will culminate in a public performance as part of Edinburgh International Festival’s series of evening concerts at The Hub. There is also an additional performance in a community setting as of the International Festival’s Discovery & Participation work.
The Rising Stars programme is also calling out for up to six talented, pre-professional string players (violin, viola, cello, double bass) of conservatoire level standard to work with and play alongside acclaimed musicians, as well as the Festival’s impressive first cohort of Rising Stars who will share their learning from across three years of participation in the programme.
There will be a public performance as part of a series of evening concerts in the Festival’s home at The Hub, which will include a setlist of canon classical chamber music that is determined in advance by participants. This interactive concert, inspired by the spirit of jazz, will have final pieces and performers selected at random by audience members for a spontaneous, unrehearsed performance. There is also an additional performance in an NHS setting as part of the Festival’s Discovery & Participation work.
The third call-out searches for eight exceptional, pre-professional singers (x2 soprano, x2 mezzo-soprano, x2 tenor, and x2 bass) to take part in a series of rehearsals and masterclasses led by leading song and chamber music pianist and coach James Baillieu, culminating in a public performance as part of Edinburgh International Festival’s world-class chamber music series of morning concerts at The Queen’s Hall.
Additional performance opportunities will be offered for a variety of performances in the Usher Hall series, including roles for the sopranos and mezzo-sopranos in a concert performance of Puccini’s Suor Angelica. There are also planned opportunities to sing alongside the Edinburgh
Festival Chorus with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, and in the Festival’s closing concert for a performance of Mendelssohn’s Elijah alongside the Edinburgh Festival Chorus with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Full guidance for opportunities and submission instructions are available at https://www.eif.co.uk/jobs/emerging-talent-call-out-2025
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