• Home
• Course description
• Media
• Public events
• Faculty
• Roundtables
• Repertoire
• Alumni
• Artistic collaborations
• Apply
• Contact

Course description

The International Meistersinger Akademie (IMA) offers emerging artists an exceptional environment of excellence in the study of opera, oratorio and Lied/Mélodie. Our prestigious staff and guest professors bring their expertise to the vocal and interpretive development of the young professional. The opera gala is with the Munich Radio Orchestra, Bach´s Mass in B- minor will be performed, as well as a recital and an open air concert. Language study in Italian, French and German is considered an important facet. Yoga will be offered, as well as Alexander Technique classes.

European agents, promoters, opera directors and festival managers are invited to hold auditions, give seminars and to take part in roundtable discussions with the young artists, thus providing the networking and professional contacts important to the profession.

Through the IMA, many of our participants have been engaged for concerts and/or were given the opportunity for opera-house auditions in the following year.

In the acoustically famous Reitstadel-Hall, the orchestral gala concert, Bach´s Mass in B-minor, and the recital will be recorded by the Bavarian Radio/Studio Franken.

Our mission

We expect our participants to come completely prepared. All music, with the exception of Bach´s Mass in B-minor, must be memorized.

Our goal is to help each singer find the key to his or her own artistry and individual voice. This includes taking the time needed to work the new ideas into the repertoire and into the body.
To facilitate this, we offer extended practice time, both alone, and in rehearsal with a pianist, in our seven practice facilities.

Participants

The offer is for 12 to 15 emerging artists, not older than 30 years on July 1, 2012.

Location and course dates

Neumarkt is a very welcoming, picturesque town in the Oberpfalz, and is the ideal partner for the IMA: the concert hall Reitstadl is renowned for its acoustics; two other large halls with grand pianos are available, as well as seven practice studios (with pianos) and two teaching rooms without pianos. Neumarkt can be reached from Nuremburg in 30 minutes.

St. Joseph´s monastery, where all the participants are in residence, lies in a beautiful park 15 minutes from city center. Bikes are provided by the city.

Neumarkt is also a town which enjoys festivities. The renowned Volksfest ("peoples´ party") is held during the IMA weeks, and has proven to be huge fun, right down to being in the parade on an IMA float, and enjoying the rides and beer-tents at the fair-grounds.

The IMA takes place from July 7 to August 17 in 2012.

Audition dates

• December 18/19, 2011 in New York at The Juilliard School
• January 6/7, 2012 in Nürnberg at the University of Musik Nuremburg
• January 8/9, 2012 in London at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Music Hall

To apply with a DVD in lieu of the live audition is also possible. All applications must be postmarked by December 10, 2011. See the repertoire page.

Financial terms

• Application fee of 40.00 Euros or $50.00 US/CDN or 35 GBP.
• FULL SCHOLARSHIPS apply for all lessons, coachings, French, Italian, and German diction classes, Yoga classes, Alexander Technique and roundtables during the entire course
• Accomodation in single-rooms with single baths are organized and paid for by the city of Neumarkt
• Breakfast and dinner are organized and paid for by the academy
• Daily language study in German - diction and poetry - as it applies to the repertoire is paid for by the academy. If the participant wishes to augment this with an intense general language course in German, this can be arranged for off campus, and will be paid for by the participant.
• The artist will organize and pay for their travel expenses. The IMA can, in exceptional cases, provide a stipend towards travel costs.