Artist Participation

About Marlboro

Marlboro’s annual seven-week season takes place from late June through mid-August on the campus of Marlboro College in Marlboro, Vermont. Marlboro is not a conventional school or festival. There is no faculty, no formal curriculum in the usual sense, no regular orchestra, and no private lessons. Instead, the focus is on artistic development and the intensive collaborative exploration of chamber music. The Marlboro program is led by Artistic Directors Richard Goode and Mitsuko Uchida in consultation with a committee of resident senior artists.

Marlboro participants are young professional concert artists, symphony orchestra members, chamber music artists, and exceptionally gifted conservatory or university students. The participating musicians, who are expected to be in residence for the full seven-week season, study and rehearse in great depth works from the vast chamber music repertoire, with primary concern for the music itself. The season includes informal musical gatherings, workshops and seminars on musical and other cultural topics. After three weeks of rehearsals, five weekends of public concerts are held as an outgrowth of the ongoing study program. The concerts include only a small portion of the music that is explored each week, and no participant is assured of performing.

There are generally 75 to 80 musicians in residence each season. String and woodwind applicants are generally accepted up to 27 years of age. For singers there is a general age limit of 30 years for women and 32 years for men. The general age limit for participating pianists is 25. Applicants younger than 18 years of age are usually not accepted. Exceptions are sometimes made, considered on their individual merits.

Costs

Marlboro participants are provided with fellowship support. However, participants are expected to contribute toward their room and meal costs; amounts are determined on the basis of individual financial circumstances and need. Participants are not paid to perform.

Scheduling

The works rehearsed at Marlboro are selected from requests by the participating musicians and encompass a wide chamber music repertoire, including works by resident composers. Only a very limited number of the works can be performed at weekend or informal concerts. Therefore, while each participant has an active rehearsal schedule, no one can be assured of performing. Participants should attend for the purpose of intensive learning and artistic development.

Public Concerts

Only Marlboro participants perform in the concerts—no outside artists are engaged. Typically, concert programs are not planned or announced in advance, but are selected from the works studied and prepared during the course of the preceding weeks. Artists participating in the concerts are not paid to perform and donate their services for the benefit of the Marlboro Fellowship Fund.

Living Accomodations

Most participants reside in on-campus dormitories and are provided with all meals. Overnight guests on campus are not permitted (except for spouses and partners with advance permission). Also, there is a restriction against having pets on campus. Permission is required to have guests at meals or prior to any participant’s making arrangements to live off-campus. All participants assist at meals and with community functions.

General Philosophy

Each summer Marlboro forms a closely-knit community of exceptionally gifted musicians, spouses and staff who come together in an environment that is highly conducive to intensive learning. Free from the limitations of typical professional concert life, musicians at Marlboro have extensive time—under the guidance of exceptional master artists—to rehearse in great depth, to share ideas and experiences, to explore a rich diversity of works, and to participate in special workshops on musical and other cultural topics. Marlboro is a non-profit institution that relies upon private and public support and endowment income to balance its annual budget.