Salzburg 2027
July 8-18
Festival Singers
Following the success of our inaugural Festival Singers program in Verona, Italy, in 2026, we are delighted to bring this international choral experience to Salzburg for 2027. Artistic Director Tony Thornton will bring together approximately 40 experienced choral singers to form the 2027 Festival Singers, conducted by Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt. The final concert will take place in the beautiful Christuskirche, with additional informal performances in other remarkable spaces throughout the week, including Salzburg Cathedral. Rehearsals will be held in the mornings and early afternoons, leaving plenty of time to explore, relax, and enjoy all that Salzburg has to offer.
Alongside rehearsals and performances, participants will enjoy a full-day excursion through the Salzkammergut, one of Austria’s most spectacular regions, with visits to the lakeside villages of St. Gilgen and St. Wolfgang and the renowned alpine village of Hallstatt. Another morning excursion will take us south of Salzburg to explore the magnificent Hohenwerfen Fortress, perched high above the Salzach Valley. Together, the music, extraordinary surroundings, and friendships formed throughout the week create the kind of experience that reminds us why we began singing in the first place.
Tony is a proud alumnus of Westminster Choir College, and the Festival Singers experience reflects an important part of his own musical training there. At Westminster, ensemble rehearsals were complemented by focused voice-building work with the legendary Frauke Haasemann, helping singers develop greater vocal freedom, resonance, and consistency within the choral ensemble. In that tradition, Dr. Jamie-Rose Guarrine will join the artistic team in Salzburg to lead voice-building sessions throughout the week, a rare opportunity in a festival setting. Singers can expect the same commitment to beautiful sound, healthy vocal technique, and expressive artistry that has long been associated with the Westminster choral tradition.
Join us in Salzburg for an unforgettable SINGCATION! Apply now.
Who Should Apply?
We encourage applications from singers who are:
- 18+ years of age
- Experienced choral musicians currently singing with, or conducting, a choral ensemble
- Willing to prepare their part in all concert repertoire before arriving in Salzburg
- Generous collaborators who are kind, respectful, and fun
- Open to receiving feedback in a positive environment
About Salzburg, Austria
Salzburg is one of Europe’s great musical cities, a place where centuries of artistic tradition remain part of everyday life. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born here in 1756, and the city in which he grew up still bears the imprint of his early life and work. Mozart and his father, Leopold, served the court of Salzburg’s prince-archbishops, and many of Mozart’s sacred works were written for the city’s churches, including Salzburg Cathedral. His presence is still felt throughout the historic center, from the houses where he lived and the churches where his music was performed to the concert halls where his works continue to be heard today. The International Mozarteum Foundation, established in 1842, has helped preserve that legacy while ensuring that Salzburg remains a center for serious musical study and performance.
Salzburg’s musical importance, however, extends well beyond Mozart. Since 1920, the Salzburg Festival has brought many of the world’s leading singers, conductors, orchestras, actors, and directors to the city each summer for opera, orchestral concerts, chamber music, and theater. Its performances take place not only in traditional concert halls, but also in spaces that seem inseparable from the city itself, including the Felsenreitschule carved into the Mönchsberg, the great festival halls, Salzburg Cathedral, and the churches and palaces of the Old Town. In Salzburg, the setting and the music continually inform one another. For musicians, there are few places more inspiring to gather, rehearse, and perform. We look forward to welcoming the Festival Singers to this extraordinary city in 2027 and experiencing together the musical traditions, beauty, and energy that have made Salzburg such an important part of Europe’s cultural life.
For more information, visit Salzburg’s official tourism website: https://www.salzburg.info/en
