Tanglewood Music Center

Timeline

• Applications Due: Tuesday, February 3, 2026 at 11:59pm Eastern
• Decisions Sent: March 2026

Requirements

• Age: Applicants to the Tanglewood Music Center must be at least 18 years old as of June 26, 2026.
• Residency: Applicants must be available for the entire duration of the 2026 TMC residency, June 26 – August 17.
• Application Fee: $75 - Applicants experiencing any hardship that they feel renders them unable to pay the application fee may fill out this form to receive an application fee waiver.
• Audition: Applicants must upload a video audition, submitted along with their application.

Application

As part of completing the online application, applicants will be required to submit:

• A current resume
• One letter of recommendation - You will be asked to provide contact information for one refernce on your application. Upon completion of your application, they will be prompted to upload the recommendation directly. Recommendations should be in PDF format.
• A fully detailed and complete repertoire list (NOT a generalized or representative one), including repertoire with voice(s), chamber repertoire with other instrument(s), as well as solo repertoire and concertos, is required. Indicate with an asterisk* those works performed in public. Selections within each section must be alphabetized by the surname of the composer.

Audition

The applicant’s video audition (requirements for filming below) must feature at least THREE of the following FOUR options. Please take care to represent contrasting styles.

• A solo piano work of the candidate’s choice, demonstrating musical and technical ability.
• A chamber work of at least 10 minutes in length in which the candidate performs with a minimum of two players.
• A vocal work or song(s) with one or more vocalists and piano of at least 10 minutes in length. If possible, selections representing contrasting styles are encouraged.
• An idiomatically modern work from the last 100 years, preferably demonstrating rhythmic, tonal, notational, or technical contemporary fluency.

Video Requirements

All video recordings must meet the following criteria:

• Recordings must contain all audition repertoire.
• While each selection may be a separate video, each individual video must be played in one continuous, unedited segment.
• Footage must be from a single video camera, using the same shot for the entire video.
• Your full body must be in the shot.
• Any indication that there has been editing or that recording equipment was paused/stopped between excerpts will result in the disqualification of the applicant.

Some advice for getting the best video possible: 

• We strongly recommend you view your recording in its entirety before submitting it.
• Record in a quiet space with no background noise present. If you are at home, make sure you are away from noisy appliances like refrigerators and air conditioners.
• Ensure your microphone is not too close to you.
• Note that the sole purpose of the video is to ensure that you are the one playing your audition, and that it is in one continuous segment. If you must choose between amazing audio and amazing video, choose amazing audio.