The National Music Festival offers apprenticeships in all orchestral instruments, conducting, arts administration, recording engineering, and music library. Apprentices are selected via a competitive application process, and all accepted apprentices receive full tuition scholarships and housing.
Select a Program to Learn More:
Orchestra
As an orchestral apprentice at the National Music Festival, you will have the opportunity to play in a variety of orchestral and chamber repertoire. You will work closely with your mentor(s) and other apprentices in an intense, demanding and rewarding schedule of rehearsals and concerts.
The daily schedule will usually consist of orchestra rehearsals in the morning, chamber music, or chamber orchestra rehearsals in the afternoon and one or more concerts in the evening. The second Sunday will be a free day for you to enjoy the Kent County and Chesapeake Bay communities. Everyone will play in at least three orchestral programs and one or more chamber works.
Conducting Institute
Under the direction of the Artistic Director, Richard Rosenberg, the Assistant Conductor(s) of the Festival Symphony Orchestras will serve as cover conductor and assist the conductors/guest conductors as assigned as well as conduct several concerti, orchestral works, and large chamber ensemble music in performance. They may be asked to periodically help the librarian and with some administrative duties, though there will be one library apprentice and several administrative apprentices as well. The assistant conductor will be an apprentice to the National Music Festival, and all apprentices receive a full tuition scholarship as well as housing. The Assistant Conductor(s) must arrive early and remain through the end of the Festival.
Arts Administration
National Music Festival Arts Administration Apprentices work independently and as a team to assist in the management of a music festival with multiple nontraditional venues and an intense schedule. The Festival produces approximately 30 performances and dozens of free open rehearsals in a two-week period. Please note that Arts Administration Apprentices are required to arrive before the beginning of the Festival and remain until shortly after the end of the Festival. Arts Administration Apprentices will work closely with the Festival’s Executive Director and Director of Operations.
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, either completed or in progress. An interest in arts administration as a career option, and a willingness to learn. Experience in nonprofit and/or classical music organizations is helpful, but not required. A love of classical music and an entrepreneurial attitude are advantages, as are self-motivation and the ability to work independently.
Benefits: Full scholarships and housing will be provided to each accepted apprentice. We will be happy to provide recommendations and references for employment, advanced training and/or scholarships following successful completion of the apprenticeship. For those needing to complete an internship as part of their degree requirements, we are happy to work with you and your college or university to allow you to receive credit.
Music Library
Music library apprentices will work closely with the Library Mentor throughout the Festival.
Recording Engineering
Apprentices will assist the Recording Mentor in all areas of recording production, including recording all concerts (as well as orchestral dress rehearsals) and submitting to Performance Today.
