The International Music Festival of the Adriatic (IMFA) is a summer chamber music festival for strings, piano, voice, and composition. Open to students from any educational institution, as well as young professionals, the program is designed for musicians ages 18 and up.
IMFA participants experience four weeks of collaborative music making in the inspirational setting of Duino, Italy, along the coast of the Adriatic Sea. IMFA’s renowned faculty members mentor participants in private lessons, workshops, and coaching sessions. Through master classes with esteemed guest artists and numerous performances, IMFA students deepen their musicianship and technical skills and grow into the artists they aspire to be.
Scroll down for more specific information about the program and areas of study, as well as details regarding tuition and scholarships.
Co-sponsored by Luther College and the United World College of the Adriatic.
Program Overview
Composers, pianists, singers, and string players — immerse yourself in music, art, and creativity by the beautiful Adriatic Sea!
At IMFA, you will experience four weeks of faculty-student collaborative music making in the inspirational setting of the United World College of the Adriatic in Duino, Italy. This vibrant region of Italy enjoys a blend of Italian, Slovenian, and Austrian cultures and is famous for being the location where the poet Rainer Maria Rilke composed some of his most celebrated verses. As a student at IMFA, you will experience first-hand the sweeping views of the sea, the craggy cliffs along the Rilke Trail, and the fascinating variety of cultures that this region has to offer.
The UWC Adriatic campus creates the perfect residential environment for the musical community of IMFA, and you will enjoy frequent lessons, coachings, master classes, and rehearsals as a participant in this program. Italian instruction will be available and is required for singers and optional for instrumentalists and composers. Click here to take a look at the typical daily schedule.
Student and faculty concerts will be held in Duino and in the surrounding areas, and most evenings will be spent performing in or attending recitals or masterclasses. Performance venues include concert halls, art galleries, churches, and castles. In addition to independent time set aside for exploring the area, you will also participate in group excursions to nearby Italian and Slovenian cities, such as Trieste, Piran, and Ljubljana, among others.
Looking for more details? Click on one of the buttons below, or send an email to imfa@luther.edu.
Strings
Sadie Fields, Violin
Piano
Gjergji Gaqi, Piano
Vocal
Beth Ray Westlund, Mezzo-Soprano
**Nicholas Shaneyfelt, Vocal Coach
Composition
Jules Pegram, Composer
* = Program Director, ** = Associate Director, ‡ = Artistic Administrator
Chamber music is the main focus at IMFA. As such, each string student will be placed in two chamber ensembles with standard literature assignments. Possible assignments include:
- String quartets and trios
- Piano trios, quartets, and quintets
- Performing in a larger chamber group or small chamber orchestra with all IMFA string students
Chamber groups will be given several performance opportunities over the course of the festival. Repertoire assigned has included:
- String Quartets by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Dvořák, Schubert, Ravel, Prokofiev
- String Trios by Beethoven, Dohnanyi
- Piano Trios by Beethoven, Dvořák, Smetana
- Piano Quartets by Mozart, Brahms, Schumann, Dvořák, Dubois
- Piano Quintets by Schumann, Brahms, Dvořák
On occasion, larger ensembles have been assigned. Repertoire has included the Mendelssohn Octet, Brahms’ Sextet in B-flat Major, and Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence.
String students are encouraged to bring solo literature to study in master classes at IMFA. There are numerous opportunities to perform on violin, viola, and cello master classes, in chamber music master classes, as well as in concerts.
Pianists will have the opportunity to work with both faculty pianists. Collaboration is the primary focus of this festival, and pianists will be given a variety of assignments which will include:
- Chamber music with string players
- Art song collaboration with a singer
- Solo piano literature
- Collaboration with student composer on a new work
Pianists will have frequent access to faculty for lessons, coachings, and master classes, and are encouraged to bring solo literature in addition to the works assigned.
Singers in the IMFA Vocal Studio will have the opportunity to work with all faculty members in a curriculum that will include:
- Private lessons and coachings
- Italian language instruction
- Singing-acting workshops
- Performance master classes
- Round table discussions of singing and career topics
Students bring with them the solo repertoire that they wish to study and perform. In addition, all students are assigned an opera scene to perform during the festival.
Collaboration is a primary emphasis of the festival, and singers will be given a variety of other assignments which may include:
- Art song collaborations with a pianist
- Other vocal chamber music, such as pieces for string quartet and voice
- Collaboration with student composer on a new work
Singers will have frequent access to IMFA faculty for lessons, coachings, and master classes.
The IMFA composition program provides young composers with mentorship from seasoned teachers who are also active composers, access to talented singers and instrumentalists who are eager to collaborate on composition projects, and time in which to compose.
We believe that collaboration and mentorship are both essential elements in an inspiring, creative environment.
Collaboration: Composition students at IMFA have the opportunity to compose three works to be premiered during the course of the festival:
- a chamber work for one of the following standard chamber groups: violin & piano, viola & piano, cello & piano, string duo, string trio (violin, viola, cello), string quartet (2 violins, viola cello), piano trio, piano quartet, or piano quintet
- an art song for solo voice and piano
- an electronic piece (electronics only or electronics plus solo instrument).
Other IMFA participants will be the performers for the new art songs and chamber pieces. Faculty-coached rehearsals for these ensembles help provide opportunities to experiment and to refine ideas.
Composers may submit a previously-composed work for performance consideration at IMFA in lieu of one of the three pieces that they would compose at the festival.
Mentorship: Since enrollment in the composition program is limited, participants receive significant mentorship through individual and group composition lessons each week. Composers also benefit from the availability of the performance faculty, who are eager to help composers refine their musical ideas.
The Duino Prize in Composition
- What is it? An additional $750 scholarship and a performance in Duino, Italy, during the 2024 session of IMFA.
- Who may apply? Any composition student who plans to attend the 2024 session of IMFA.
- What do I need to submit? An original chamber work, not more than 10 minutes, that uses instruments/voices from this list: violin, viola, cello, voice, and/or piano.
- How do I submit? Composers may send scores (with recordings, if available) in the application. PDFs and MP3s only, please. Indicate that you are interested in the Duino Prize in the application.
The winner of the 2024 Duino Prize will be announced by May 15, 2024. The prize money is offered as a scholarship in addition to any other scholarship the winner may receive. If no suitable work is submitted, IMFA reserves the right not to award a prize. Questions? Please email imfa@luther.edu.
The comprehensive fee for the program is $5,500. This includes tuition for all classes and lessons, plus lodging and meals from throughout the festival.
Students are responsible for arranging and paying for their own travels to and from the festival.
In order to secure their place in the program, students need to submit a $500 enrollment deposit once admitted. Deposits are credited toward the tuition balance and are non-refundable. The following is IMFA’s refund policy for emergency cancellations:
- Email notification received between April 12 and May 9: Forfeiture of $500 deposit
- Email notification received on or after May 10: Forfeiture of received tuition payments to date and $500 deposit
Students may qualify to use financial aid through their home institutions to cover some of the costs of IMFA. Meet with a financial aid officer at your home institution to see if you might be able to use funds from your financial aid package.
We encourage all students to seek financial assistance from outside sources. Music clubs and organizations, youth orchestras and bands, service clubs (e.g., Rotary, Kiwanis, etc.), businesses, and foundations may be willing to help. Be professional and creative, and start planning early!
A limited number of scholarships are available. These awards are based on exceptional talent, financial need, and the needs of the overall program. All students who apply to the program are considered for a scholarship. Scholarship awards typically do not exceed $1,000.
Please be advised that, in the event the US Dollar-to-Euro exchange rate varies significantly in the coming months, it may be necessary to add a surcharge to the program cost.
| Data/Ora del Concerto | Luogo |
|---|---|
| 8 giugno 20.00 | UWC Adriatic Auditorium, Duino |
| 9 giugno 11.00 | Castello di Duino - Sala dei Cavalieri |
| 10 giugno 20.00 | UWC Adriatic Auditorium, Duino |
| 11 giugno 11.00 | Sala Luttazzi, Trieste |
| 15 giugno 20.00 | UWC Adriatic Auditorium, Duino |
| 17 giugno 20.00 | UWC Adriatic Auditorium, Duino |
| 23 giugno 11.00 | Castello di Duino - Sala dei Cavalieri |
| 24 giugno 20.00 | UWC Adriatic Auditorium, Duino |
| 25 giugno 18.00 | Sala Barocca - Radovljica, Slovenia |
| 26 giugno 20.00 | UWC Adriatic Auditorium, Duino |
| 27 giugno 17.30 | UWC Adriatic Auditorium, Duino |
| 27 giugno 20.00 | UWC Adriatic Auditorium, Duino |
| 28 giugno 19.00 | UWC Adriatic Auditorium, Duino |
Application & Audition Information
String players will need to prepare and submit the following materials:
- High-quality video recording of two contrasting pieces
- A list of recent solo and chamber repertoire studied
Applications will be accepted until all spots are filled.
Pianists will need to prepare and submit the following materials:
- High-quality video recording of two contrasting pieces
- Not required, but strongly encouraged: a third video recording of a work that is collaborative in nature
- A list of recent solo and chamber repertoire studied
Applications will be accepted until all spots are filled.
Singers will need to prepare and submit the following materials:
- High-quality video recording of two memorized & contrasting pieces in two different languages, uploaded to YouTube in separate clips.
- A list of solo pieces studied and/or performed in the past year; a list of all stage experience in opera, operetta, and musical theatre (scenes, excerpts, and full roles)
Applications will be accepted until all spots are filled.
Composers will need to prepare and submit the following materials:
- PDF scores of 2-3 contrasting works (if applying for the Duino Prize, one work should be an original chamber work, not more than 10 minutes, that uses instruments/voices from this list: violin, viola, cello, voice, piano)
- Audio/video recordings (optional) may also be submitted with the scores
Applications will be accepted until all spots are filled.