Emerging talent opportunities

As part of Edinburgh International Festival 2025, we are continuing Rising Stars; our Emerging Talent initiative, which provides early career classical musicians with professional development opportunities. Building on our work in 2023 and 2024, we are seeking diverse emerging talent to receive tailored mentorship, make industry connections, and enjoy an International Festival performance platform. 

We have three new opportunities:

1. Rising Stars of Woodwind: 

We are looking 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 a mentor. The mentorship will culminate in a public performance as part of our series of evening concerts at the Festival’s home at The Hub. There is also an additional performance in a community setting as part of our Discovery & Participation work.

You must be available for the following dates:  

Rehearsals: 5–8 August 2025 
Performances: 7 & 8 August 2025 

2. Rising Stars – Classical Jam:  

We are looking 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 our 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 our series of evening concerts in the Festival’s home at The Hub, but this won’t be like any other performance – with 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 our Discovery & Participation work. 

You must be available for the following dates:

Rehearsals: 12–15 August 2025 
Performances: 14 & 15 August 2025 

We are also offering an additional performance opportunity on the evening of 17 August. Please indicate in your application if you would be available for this. If you are not available for this additional performance this will not affect your application for the Rising Stars programme.
 

3. Rising Stars of Voice: 

We are looking 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 our 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 our closing concert for a performance of Mendelssohn’s Elijah alongside the Edinburgh Festival Chorus with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.  

You must be available for the following dates:

Rehearsals:  

Sopranos and Mezzo-sopranos: 15–21 OR 15–24 August 2025 (please confirm availability in your application)

Tenors and Basses: 16–21 OR 16–24 August 2025 (please confirm availability in your application)

Performances:  

16 August (sopranos and mezzo-sopranos only), 19 August, plus 21 OR 23 & 24 August 2025 
 

Audition Requirements:

To be considered, candidates will need to submit:

• A video audition in the format of a private link to the video on YouTube, Vimeo, etc. Please check your video is set to ‘unlisted’ (the semi-private setting that means your video is visible to anyone who has the link).
• A current C.V.
• Details of current teacher (if applicable).
• Equality and Diversity information (optional). 

Applicants for the Rising Stars opportunities must not be part of an existing, recognised chamber group, playing or singing professionally. 

Video audition requirements:

1. Rising Stars of Woodwind

A video audition consisting of a movement from a concerto or sonata (or similar work). Candidates playing without accompaniment will not be penalised.

2.Rising Stars – Classical Jam

A video audition consisting of the first movement of a Classical or early Romantic concerto or sonata. Candidates playing without accompaniment will not be penalised.

3.Rising Stars of Voice

A video audition consisting of an aria and lieder / art song accompanied by piano or orchestra (can be separate tracks). 

Guidance for auditions: The video audition pieces are what we suggest but they are a guide only. If you are unable to meet the specific requirements, we will be happy to accept other repertoire that you feel best demonstrates your skills, and the application will still be considered.  

All applicants must be aged 18 or over and have the right to work in the UK.  

What we offer:

These are paid, professional opportunities. We can offer a fee of £700 per performance, and accommodation and contributions to travel costs are also provided.  

Equality and Diversity commitment:  

The Edinburgh International Festival believes that an inclusive culture is the foundation for a successful organisation, and we strive to increase the diversity of representation across our staff, artists, audiences and the people we work with. As part of our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy, we are working to ensure this opportunity features a balance of genders; representation of people from the global majority; and D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people.    

If you would like to, please let us know:

• Your gender  
• If you consider that you belong to the global majority
• If you consider yourself to be D/deaf, disabled or neurodivergent

We are asking for this information to support us in our efforts to recruit a diverse pool of emerging talent and measure how well we are meeting our EDI aim. Any information you provide will only be used in connection with this opportunity and will be treated in the strictest confidence.

We understand that D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people experience increased barriers to participating in opportunities like this and we are happy to support your access requirements by removing the barriers you may experience. If you have identified as D/deaf, disabled or neurodivergent and you are selected for this opportunity, we will ask you to complete an Access Requirements form which will enable us to provide a level of support to ensure you can fully participate.  

Learn how we define ‘D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent’.

If you have any questions about access please contact our Access Manager, Callum Madge at [email protected]  

Application Process:

Applications should be emailed to [email protected] by Monday 28 April 2025. You will receive an automatic acknowledgement of your application.

Please include the title of the opportunity you are applying for in the subject line of your email.

Successful applicants will be contacted by the end of May. 

Hear testimonies from our Rising Stars 2024