Auditions: what Theresians think of them

By Emilia Campagna - May 21, 2024

A new round of auditions is coming up, and we are seeking musicians who play violin, viola, cello, double bass, oboe, bassoon, and horn. Hear from a couple of our recent Theresians as they share their audition experiences.
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A new round of auditions is coming up: we are looking for musicians who play violin, viola, cello, double bass, oboe, bassoon and horn, and we are offering each of them a grant worth of 3,500 euros, which will cover the activities of our Learning Program and participation in five orchestral residencies between August 2024 and January 2026. The auditions take place in Antwerp on July 8-10 and are organised in collaboration with AMUZ, a major venue for early music in Flanders. The deadline for applications is Monday 3 June and you can submit your application here!

We have often told you about our auditions, detailing their unique features and explaining why we believe they offer an exceptional opportunity for personal growth. Today we want to let those who have experienced our auditions firsthand speak for themselves. We have gathered comments from some of our recent Theresians to give you their perspective.

The importance of being auditioned

Auditions are crucial part of a young musician’s journey toward gaining professional experience. Our violinist Lorenzo Molinetti had already participated in several: “Before I auditioned for Theresia, I had done about five or six auditions. I auditioned mainly for symphony orchestra academies, always made it to the finals, but never got the real job….. Pretty frustrating!” Auditions can be not only frustrating but also impersonal, as was the case for Maddalena Bortot, who before Theresia had only attended auditions that consisted of video presentations.

A welcoming environment

Theresia’s auditions are not designed as individual, high-pressure hearings (like the “do or die” variety), but rather as an extended period during which the board of examiners can get to know the candidates. And because we know that tension can run high in front of a jury, we opted for a format that allows us to observe the musicians truly “at work” rather than just in a solo performance.

But back to our Theresians – let’s hear what they tell us about their experiences:

What were your expectations?

Lorenzo Molinetti: “I am also a EUBO member, so I was expecting that very nice and welcoming environment that I encountered during my previous ICONS audition. I had never played classical repertoire on my baroque instrument before, so I had no idea of how my instrument (and my hands) would have reacted. That was something that was both exciting and frightening, especially because I had to perform very new repertoire in front of such an important panel of musicians and experts.

What are the challenges you had to go through?

Maddalena Bortot: “I first had to learn a Beethoven quartet (plus both violin parts), which was a completely different approach to playing a series of orchestral passages. In addition, the real challenge was to play with complete strangers, musicians from all over the world, communicating in a language that we all use, English, which may not be the first language for everyone: because to put a quartet together you have to talk as well as play! Finally, I also played in different ensembles, one day the first violin part, the next day the second violin part. It was really two days of full immersion!”

What did you like most about auditioning for Theresia?

Lorenzo Molinetti: “I loved the repertoire and the different interactions I managed (and was asked) to create with the other aspiring candidates. To be able to play a lot of music and for a lot of time is really something amazing for an orchestra audition, where usually five minutes of playing (or even less) determine the outcome of the whole process. Auditioning for Theresia felt like giving proper recognition to all the work I put into the preparation of the piece beforehand.”

Maddalena Bortot: “For me, it was particularly inspiring because I am still a newcomer to performing on historical instruments and it is not so common for me to have the opportunity to hear so many other young musicians live, with their different experiences and sensibilities.”

Do you have suggestions for improving the format of our auditions?

Lorenzo Molinetti: “It was very nice to be able to interact and develop a piece with input and ideas from the other candidates, and we were lucky to play in front of such esteemed jurors. We really had the chance to respond to their feedback, observe our responsiveness, and receive some really valuable guidance and suggestions. All this did happen to a some extent, but I would have liked even more of it!”

If you would like to take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity to showcase your musical skills as a performer of classical repertoire on period instruments, Theresia’s auditions are for you! Don’t miss this chance!

Concerts, travel, recordings… A look back at the cool and new things that 2023 has brought us

By Emilia Campagna - December 28, 2023

At this time of the year, we take a look back reflecting on the highlights of 2023 in concerts, travel, and recordings.
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For many of us, this is our favourite time of year: the holidays are approaching, we’re spending time with family and friends, and the New Year is about to begin, with its promise of a fresh start. This is also the time of year when we look back on the past twelve months and take stock of our accomplishments. We do this every year too, and we do it with great pleasure, because looking back always gives us a great deal of satisfaction.

In constant renewal

Even as our passion lies in performing classical music repertoire according to historically informed practice – something deeply rooted far back in time – you know we are eager to renew ourselves. We like to play music we don’t know, discover hidden gems, visit new places, and expand our network of collaborations.

Almost each of the 2023 projects brought the thrill of “firsts”: let’s look at these moments together in the light of novelty and discovery!

Many new things at the start of the year

This wonderful 2023 started off with an orchestral project led by conductor Giovanni Antonini: do you remember? We were in Ravenna, Rovereto and Florence playing Beethoven with the excellent soloist, Dmitri Smirnov, for the Violin Concerto. Well, let’s stop there for a moment, as there are already so many new things here that my head is spinning. First of all, a conductor who is leading us for the first time, sharing his long experience to enrich our orchestra; secondly, a young virtuoso who literally electrified us; and finally, performing Beethoven (the Eighth Symphony in addition to his Violin Concerto). This meant, we got to expand our repertoire in an important way. As Giovanni Antonini explains well in the interview published on the blog, “it must be said that a remarkable technical leap was taken by Beethoven: his music was extremely difficult at the time, specifically because of its technical complexity, which often had to do with the required dynamics. Beethoven was the first composer to demand such a high degree of intensity from the orchestra, which was truly unheard of in those days. Taking on Beethoven is quite a challenge and also an opportunity for both technical and musical growth.”

Dmitry Smirnov: “Gut strings taught me a great deal”

Giovanni Antonini and Beethoven as you do not expect

An expanding network of collaborations: new opportunities for Theresians

An exciting development is our collaboration with Il Giardino Armonico as the ensemble offered to host four of our musicians on a European tour. The operation was so successful that both parties have expressed interest to continue this apprenticeship programme.

Musicians involved this year were violinists Lucas Bernardo da Silva, Guillermo Santonja Di Fonzo, Natascha Pichler, and cellist Matylda Adamus. They embarked on a European tour to perform Haydn’s The Seasons led by Giovanni Antonini at prestigious venues in Lucerne, Bonn, Bremen, Wroclaw, Antwerp, Bucharest. Three of the performances were broadcast on national radio, and the Wroclaw performance was also filmed for MezzoTV, reaching an even wider audience.

Working with Giovanni Antonini also meant expanding on our network of collaborations and benefitting from his connections. We treasure his interest in our orchestra by involving Antonini in our upcoming auditions in Paris in January where he will be part of the selection committee.

Our cellist Matylda Adamus has written a passionate account of the experience of touring with Il Giardino Armonico: we invite you to read it again!

Four Theresia members join Il Giardino Armonico on major European tour

Matylda Adamus: A wave of beauty

Not just one record: the beginning of a multi-year project with a prestigious music label

Last November our new CD featuring Kraus Overtures conducted by Claudio Astronio, was released as the first album in a series of recordings we are producing in collaboration with the CPO record company.

Future releases of Theresia on CPO are planned for 2024 featuring various seldom-performed orchestral pieces and opera rarities. In February the next album will be released featuring four symphonies by Ernst Eichner, one of the early masters of symphonic compositions, in which Theresia is conducted by Vanni Moretto. Later in the year, two opera recordings will be released: Le astuzie femminili by Domenico Cimarosa and Rossini’s L’inganno felice, both conducted by Alessandro De Marchi.

August will see the release of the world premiere recording of Traetta‘s oratorio Rex Salomon. We recorded and performed this work dating from 1765 which Traetta wrote for the female voices of the Conservatorio dell’Ospedaletto in Venice, at the Innsbrucker Festwochen under the passionate guidance of Christophe Rousset, an expert in reviving unfamiliar works.

Christophe Rousset: music as an endless discovery

These recordings are an extraordinary opportunity to enrich the professional experience we offer to our musicians, leaving a tangible trace of our many musical projects.

Theresia starts new recording collaboration with CPO

“My love for Kraus is well-known”: Claudio Astronio about Theresia’s new album

New places to perform? Yes, please!

Even though Rovereto is a city where we have played many times and where it all began, we had never played in the wonderful Teatro Zandonai, a true jewel of 18th century architecture, perfectly in tune with our repertoire! In the same tour, Teatro Goldoni in Florence was another precious addition to our travel journal.

Truly inspiring... Teatro Zandonai in Rovereto was the venue of our first 2023 concert — Truly inspiring… Teatro Zandonai in Rovereto was the venue of our first 2023 concert

The May Wind Residency took us to familiar and beloved places such as Lodi, our adopted city, and the Palazzo del Quirinale in Rome, where we made a welcome return after a few years. Our wind players also went to Koper (Slovenia) to perform at a beautiful and historically rich venue, the Regional Museum.

Theresia Wind Ensemble’s whistle-stop spring tour

In June, Germany was a happy destination, where we took part in something totally unusual, a bicycle concert!

That sounds new: a bicycle is not exactly the first thing that springs to mind when you think of a classical music concert: but it’s probably what you think of when you imagine a get-together with friends on a beautiful day in spring, isn’t it? Well, the organisers of the Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci managed to bring music and cycling together in a series of open-air concerts along a route to which the audience members were encouraged to cycle along. Theresia’s wind quintet and a trio of trumpets and timpani were part of these inviting bicycle-concerts. Find more here.

Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci have managed to bring music and cycling together

Theresia in Potsdam: a short guide to our next musical adventure

Alexis Kossenko and the joy of sharing a passion for music

Among the 23 different locations where we performed in 2023, we want to tell you about the Penderecki Centre for Music which really stands out as a remarkable destination. This amazing project is a beautiful place, born out of a community’s love for its esteemed composer. The Penderecki Centre provided an awe-inspiring setting for five days of rehearsal, followed by our Polish tour with stops at the at the Ruins of the Victoria Theatre in Gliwice, and at the National Theatre and Opera in Warsaw. It was really inspiring to experience the genuine passion Polish audiences have for classical music: we hope to play for this wonderful audience again in future!

Our places: the Krzysztof Penderecki European Centre for Music

These are some of the remarkable things that happened to us in 2023; it’s good to linger on memories, but know that we’re already working on upcoming projects. Follow us to find out what 2024 has in store for us!

Get ready for the next auditions!

By Emilia Campagna - December 1, 2023

Theresia is organising new auditions that will take place in Paris on January 19 and 20 and will focus on string instruments, with conductor Giovanni Antonini joining the examining board.
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New year, new opportunities!

Theresia has launched a new set of auditions that will take place in Paris on January 19 and 20 and will be dedicated to string instruments: we are particularly looking for violin, viola and double bass players to join our orchestra for the period between March 2024 and September 2025.

As a youth orchestra, we are always on the lookout for talented young musicians who we can offer the chance to gain real professional experience in a classical orchestra that plays according to historical practice. For the second time round, auditions will be held in Paris thanks to the partnership with the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Boulogne-Billancourt, which is both a prestigious and convenient location from a logistical point of view. The deadline for the submission of applications is Thursday 14 December 2023.

An exciting addition to this round of auditions is the presence among the examiners of conductor Giovanni Antonini, one of the most highly regarded conductors on the international scene. Antonini conducted Theresia for the first time in this year’s initial residency as the start of a new partnership. Thanks to his confidence in our project, four of our musicians recently joined Il Giardino Armonico on a European tour.

Download the full audition guidelines here

Who can apply?

First of all, you have to meet some mandatory requirements: you need to be born after 1 January 1996 (we are a youth orchestra, folks!), and be a citizen of one of the Countries of the European Union or of the European Economic Area. Non-EU citizens can apply if they have a residence permit for study in one of the Countries of the European Union. As a HIP orchestra, we require in-depth knowledge of performance practice on authentic instruments, the use of a classic bow and a period instrument (or a copy).

How to apply?

Simply fill out the application form and send it along with a video of a live performance: due to the high number of expected applications, the Board of Examiners might make a pre-selection on the basis of the CV and the video recording. Only a limited number of musicians will be invited to the audition sessions in Boulogne-Billancourt.

What to expect during the auditions…

These are not the classic “make it or break it” auditions: in recent years we have perfected a method that allows us to get to know the candidates not only through solo performances, but also to test their ability to work with colleagues through ensemble rehearsals: the auditions will be held as chamber music workshops under the supervision of the Board of Examiners; as a consequence, candidates are required to attend the entire event. We also try to understand motivation and attitude towards teamwork through an interview.

…and what to expect after.

Selected musicians will become part of Theresia: they will receive a grant of 3500 euros to take part in five orchestral or chamber music projects during the period March 2024 – September 2025. This means participating in in the scheduled concerts and recording activities, but also in the learning and artistic activities of the Theresia Academy, including capacity building sessions, soft skills development, and co-creation workshops.

Those who won’t get selected may still have a second opportunity: a candidate may qualify for the Theresia Orchestra talent pool reserve list without receiving one of the full scholarships, if the jury evaluates him/her positively after the audition. The qualified candidates will be placed on a reserve list of musicians who may receive a scholarship for their instrument in the event a grantee drops out or withdraws. In addition, eligible musicians will be added to a list of candidates who may receive invitations to join Theresia for specific productions. They will also have the opportunity to participate in online activities related to Theresia Orchestra’s learning cycle, including musicological webinars and other educational activities designed for young professional musicians.