Accelerando students with John Williams, September 8, 2017, Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Nashville (click images to enlarge)
Beginning next week, Nashville Symphony EDCE staff will hold a series of public information meetings for students interested in auditioning this year for the symphony’s award-winning Accelerando program. Students selected through this year’s audition process will join the program in August 2018.
Founded in 2016, Accelerando is designed to prepare gifted young students of diverse backgrounds to pursue music at the collegiate level and beyond. Accelerando seeks to create professional opportunities for musicians from ethnic communities underrepresented in today’s orchestras by providing them with instruction, mentorship, performance experience and assistance applying to music schools. With access to the resources of a major American orchestra, these students will be able to realize their full potential and will form the next generation of orchestra musicians.
We are seeking to grow our current enrollment of nine students to a total of sixteen students in 2018-19. Please help spread the word about this unique, ground-breaking program and help us find these students!
The purpose of Accelerando is to prepare students from ethnically diverse backgrounds to win auditions and gain entrance to music school, and to thereby eventually become professional orchestral musicians.
Families interested in learning more about Accelerando are invited to attend one of four public meetings with Nashville Symphony staff:
- 7-8 pm January 16, 2018 at Hadley Park Community Center, 2801 Tucker Rd., Nashville 37218
- 7-8 pm January 18, 2018: Southeast Community Center, 5260 Hickory Hollow Pkwy, Antioch, TN 37013
- 7-8 pm January 23, 2018: Casa Azafrán, 2195 Nolensville Pike, Nashville, TN 37211
- 7-8 pm February 13, 2018: Casa Azafrán, 2195 Nolensville Pike, Nashville, TN 37211
Accelerando auditions are open to students in grades 4 – 10 from ethnic communities underrepresented in today’s orchestras. Students must audition on a standard orchestral instrument:
-
Nashville Symphony Acting Principal Oboe Titus Underwood coaches Accelerando student Angelina Bautista, October 26, 2017
Violin
- Viola
- Cello
- Bass
- Flute
- Oboe
- Clarinet
- Bassoon
- Horn
- Trumpet
- Trombone
- Tuba
- Percussion
- Harp
This program is open only to orchestral instrumentalists. Applications for piano, saxophone, guitar or vocals will not be accepted.
Accelerando is a 100% scholarship program. Students who are accepted to the program will receive instruction, counseling, and many other opportunities, free of charge.
Accelerando is not a needs-based program. Financial/economic status will not be considered during the application process.
Click here to download our 2018 Accelerando bilingual brochure in PDF format.
Click here for Application Information & Audition Requirements.
Click here for the Accelerando category archives here on Off The Podium.
Deadline to apply for 2018 Auditions is Friday, February 16, 2018 at noon.
Auditions will be held on Saturday, March 3, and Saturday, March 10, 2018.
The Nashville Symphony will contact applicants with a scheduled audition date and time following the application deadline on February 16.
The Nashville Symphony is honored to partner with the following organizations in making the Accelerando program available to the Middle Tennessee community:
Blair School of Music
at Vanderbilt University
Metro Nashville Public Schools
Music Makes Us
Leadership funding for Accelerando is provided by
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Nashville Symphony Official Education Partner
Walter Bitner 