Announcing The Gilmore Festival Fellows Program
January 27, 2023
Following the success of its inaugural 2022 launch, The Gilmore today announced the return of the tuition-free Piano Festival Fellows residency. Applications are open for three five-day residencies during the biennial Gilmore International Piano Festival, April 24–May 11, 2024. The application deadline is December 17, 2023. The unique career-advancement program is designed for pianists 18 and up to develop musicianship, career-building skills, and a personal artistic voice.
A total of 27 participants will receive coaching and master classes with renowned clinicians, learn from presentations by guest speakers, and immerse themselves in the music of the Festival – along with full tuition and a $500 stipend for travel, lodging, and meals. For further details, including eligibility requirements, visit the Fellows web page.
The Gilmore Festival Fellows program is made possible through the generous support of the Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne and the John W. and Rosemary K. Brown Family Foundation.
“We know that mastery of repertoire is only the beginning of a successful career,” says Executive and Artistic Director of The Gilmore Pierre van der Westhuizen. “These days any artist – but especially a musician – needs to hone their unique artistic voice, and amplify that through social, marketing, and networking skills to navigate their industry. Helping prepare rising concert pianists for a career in the 21st century is an essential piece of The Gilmore’s mission, which is why our Festival Fellowship is affordable and supportive, focused on the art, the business, and the person.”
During the 2022 Festival, two dozen career-focused pianists from around the world came to Kalamazoo for the program, reporting that their time was “One of the best musical experiences of my life… I made lasting friendships,” and that “There was so much practical, step-by-step, realistic advice on how to build your career.”
Each residency will be led by one of three Artist Teachers in Residence:
Piotr Anderszewski, 2002 Gilmore Artist
Session #1: April 27—May 1
Gabriela Montero, pianist, composer, and educator
Session #2: May 2—6
Mūza Rubackytė, founder and artistic director, Vilnius International Piano Festival
Session #3: May 7—11
Fellows will also attend talks by Guest Speakers:
Aubrey Bergauer, CEO, Changing the Narrative
Bergauer will present Run it Like a Business: Strategies to Unleash the Full Power and Profit of the Arts, outlining how to build audiences and maintain relevance as an artist.
Amanda Cook, Director of Publications, American Composers Forum
Cook will present Pitching to Media Outlets as an Independent Artist, outlining how to build relationships, develop assets, and pitch stories without the help of a publicist.
Loki Karuna, Director of Artist Equity for the American Composers Orchestra
Karuna will present Agitato: Framing Social Change Through Arts Activism, offering insight on artists as activists to impact immediate and long-term social change.