The AAF Young Conductors Fellowship brings promising conductors to the Salzburg Festival to observe leading conductors and artists in rehearsals and performances. The American Austrian Foundation has administered the program since 1998 with support from the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the Salzburg Festival.
Fellows spend up to four weeks in Salzburg and stay at Schloss Arenberg near the festival venues. The 2026 cycle is closed, and the official page says the next cycle will open in early 2027.
Benefits & funding
- Up to four weeks at the Salzburg Festival.
- Accommodation at Schloss Arenberg.
- A $1,500 travel reimbursement.
- A small stipend; the official materials do not state its amount.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be qualified conductors age 30 or younger; the 2026 form accepted applicants born in 1996 or later.
- Applicants must have recently completed academic studies or be working toward a graduate diploma in conducting at a top-ranking American music school.
- Non-U.S. citizens may apply if they are students or recent graduates of an American music program. No nationality or residency restriction is stated.
- English proficiency is required; working knowledge of German is desirable.
- Selected non-U.S. citizens must obtain any necessary visa and pay the associated fees themselves.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Age requirement
≤ 30 yrs
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Application process
- 1Complete the application form and include a recent photograph.
- 2Prepare a current résumé or CV, a one-page essay explaining fellowship objectives, two recommendation letters, and links to conducting excerpts with a detailed list.
- 3Submit the complete package by email or mail by the cycle deadline; mailed applications must be postmarked by that date.
- 4After the fellowship, send a final report to the AAF within one month.
Program timeline
Application deadline for the most recent cycle at 5:00 p.m. EST; mailed packages had to be postmarked by this date.
April 17, 2026
Applicants were due to receive email confirmation that their submission had been received.
Early May 2026
Fellowship period; exact start and end dates were not published.
Mid-July to August 2026
Next application cycle is expected to open; no exact date is published.
Early 2027