Britten–Pears Young Artist Programme

The Britten–Pears Young Artist Programme was founded over 40 years ago by Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears to provide high-level performance training for the world’s best emerging professional musicians.

Residential projects and masterclasses take place throughout the year in the beautiful surroundings of the Suffolk Coast where Britten lived and worked. Participants benefit from an exceptional campus of performance spaces and studios, which has grown around the iconic Snape Maltings Concert Hall, home of the Aldeburgh Festival. The BPYAP hosts some of the premier performers and teachers who lead intensive projects, which culminate in high profile performances.

Thanks to the generous support of donors, there are no tuition fees on BPYAP courses, and additionally we cover accommodation and most travel costs.

To get in touch, email britten-pears@snapemaltings.co.uk

Courses for 2017

Applications for the following courses have now closed. Our applications will open in early September 2017 and close in early November. Join our mailing list if you’d like to be notified when applications re-open.

Britten–Pears Orchestra

2–17 April 2017

Inspirational conductor Marin Alsop leads the BPO in two programmes based around works both raw and refined. Week 1 sees the vivid colours of Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé and rhythmic force of Stravinsky’s ground-breaking Rite of Spring fused by a new concerto featuring the “world’s finest and most daring percussionist”, Colin Currie, in a performance at the centre of London’s classical scene, the Royal Festival Hall.

More info

Singing Britten

9–15 June 2017

Dame Ann Murray has a fantastic international career bringing to life the heroes and heroines of opera but she is an equally renowned interpreter of song, and closely associated with Britten’s glorious song cycles for mezzo. In collaboration with distinguished accompanist Malcolm Martineau, they focus on Britten’s prolific vocal output, particularly the song cycles.

More info

Composition & Performance

5–15 July 2017

Instrumentalists join composers to develop new music as well as prepare key repertoire from the last 100 years. Oliver Knussen and Colin Matthews will lead a group of eminent tutors, and all new music will be showcased in a final performance which will be repeated in a high-profile concert at the 2018 Aldeburgh Festival.

More info

Schumann & Schubert Lieder

17–24 August 2017

Especially revered as a Lieder singer, lyric tenor Christoph Prégardien joins forces with accompanist Julius Drake, one of the finest instrumentalists in his field. Together with Richard Stokes, leading lecturer at the RCM with dozens of publications and lecture appearances to his name, they will focus on the intricacies of German Lied.

More info

Strauss Lieder & Arias

3–9 September 2017

Enjoying a versatile operatic career, Angelika Kirchschlager is also a celebrated recitalist and considered one of the foremost interpreters of Richard Strauss. Alongside her, pianist Malcolm Martineau rejoins the artistic team for our 2017 ENOA course in an unmissable opportunity to explore both the luxuriant late romantic Lied and operatic arias of one of the great vocal composers of the twentieth century.

Photo: Marco Borggreve

Hardenberger & Currie

6–12 Nov 2017

Two great virtuosi and ambassadors for their instruments, Håkan Hardenberger and Colin Currie, lead a series of masterclasses on a programme of 20th and 21st century chamber works for trumpet and percussion.

Handel: Theodora

23 March–1 April 2018

British Handelians Sarah Connolly and Christian Curnyn to work on a concert performance of Handel’s dramatic oratorio with singers and instrumentalists of the Britten–Pears Baroque Orchestra. An exciting ten days of coaching, sectionals, tutti rehearsals and public masterclasses will culminate in an Easter Saturday performance in Snape Maltings Concert Hall.

Other opportunities for artists

As part of our uniquely integrated Artist Development programme, there are many more ways to hone your performance or develop new work at Snape Maltings.

Chamber Music in Residence Each year between January and Easter, exceptional emerging chamber ensembles are offered the opportunity to undertake intensive study and rehearsal.

Tunnard Artists Every year an exceptional pianist with a focus on repetiteur work will be chosen to benefit from a bespoke development programme at Snape Maltings.

Snape Residencies offer professional artists at all stages of their career the chance to take time out to develop new work or try new collaborations.

Open Space For emerging individual artists and ensembles, this scheme provides bespoke support for up to three years.