FAQs
The answers given below are based on our experience of the past few years. If beneficiary to our participants, some points may be changed on short notice.
Please note, that all queries concerning the schedules of the groups, as well as travel and accommodation will become clear when the itineraries are finalized.
- General
- Application
- Opening Ceremony / Conductors’ Dinner
- Competition
- Celebration
- Workshops
- Additional Concerts
- Photo Shoot
- Gala Winners’ Concert
- Closing ceremony
- Travel, board and lodging/itineraries
When will we know, if the Competition, the Celebration and the Gala Winners’ Concert will take place in the Musikverein or the Konzerthaus?
We are proud to offer Vienna’s two most prestigious concert halls to our participants. Due to circumstances surrounding summer closing times and necessary repairs in the Musikverein, final confirmation of the availability of the Golden Hall can be given only at the beginning of the festival year. If at all possible, participants will perform in the Musikverein and alternatively in the Konzerthaus.
Which instruments will be provided for by the festival, what about music stands?
Generally, the participants are required to bring their own instruments and music stands (for conductors, orchestra and band members). Please contact us if you require a piano, a keyboard or an organ. Additional instruments and technical equipment are generally not supplied by Via Musica. Should additional equipment be required, the participants are asked to contact Via Musica for organizational assistance as soon as possible. Costs accrued by the hiring of additional equipment are not carried by Via Musica.
Why may I not take pictures in the Musikverein and in the Konzerthaus?
No photo or video equipment is allowed in the Musikverein and in the Konzerthaus. This is not festival policy but a requirement of the Musikverein and the Konzerthaus. Our staff is instructed to act accordingly. However, festival photographers will be present at both venues and the photos taken will be forwarded to all participants after the festival.
What is the dresscode for visitors of SCL Festival events?
Generally the dresscode for all events differs according to the venue.
Opening Ceremony in St. Stephen's Cathedral: Seeing as St. Stephen's Cathedral is a church, clothing should be chosen accordingly (e.g. no shorts or strapless tops).
Conductor's Dinner: No dress code applies. Seeing as the conductors' dinner takes place immediately after the opening ceremony in St. Stephen's Cathedral, no change of clothes is possible or required.
Gala Winners' Concert in the Konzerthaus or in the Musikverein: Neither Konzerthaus nor Musikverein officially require a certain dress code. Considering the festive occasion, we would however suggest smart casual (no shorts, t-shirts). Suits and evening gowns are not required but are also appropriate. Overcoats, bags, rucksacks and umbrellas must be left at the Konzerthaus or Musikverein cloakrooms for security reasons.
Cocktail reception in Vienna's Town Hall: See Konzerthaus/Musikverein. No change of clothes is possible or required.
All other events: For all other events and venues there is no dresscode.
Will festival staff be present during the events of the festival?
Our friendly festival staff will be present at all venues of the festival and will guide you through the events. Should you have any questions, complaints or suggestions please do not hesitate to speak to them!
Who will witness the SCL Festival?
An estimated total of 10.000 spectators will wittness SCL's events. It is important to us to receive wide support for the SCL Festival. For this reason, we also invite ambassadors of participating nations, official representatives of the Republic of Austria and its states as well as representatives of the City of Vienna to the opening ceremony and the Gala Winners’ concert. To view some of the supporters of the SCL festival please click here: Honorary Board
How can we contact our fellow participants?
It is our aim to encourage our participants to get in touch with each other. Should you require any contact information please tell us.
Please also have a look at our Facebook page with past, present and former participants: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Summa-Cum-Laude-Youth-Music-Festival/26462939588
For conductors: please forward this link to your choir and orchestra members!
Is my feedback asked for?
Yes! We are continually aiming to improve our festival and we depend on the feedback of our participants. Conductors will be handed a detailed questionnaire at the beginning of the festival during the conductors’ dinner. All other participants will receive questionnaires at the end of the festival in the Town Hall. All questionnaires will be collected after the official ceremony in the Town Hall.
For any other suggestions or complaints please speak to our staff or contact us any time: office@sclfestival.org.
What can I do if my question has not been answered in the FAQ’s?
We will be happy to answer your query asap! Send us an Email: office@sclfestival.org
How can my ensemble qualify to participate?
Every group, regardless of nationality or musical standard can apply if the participants are below the age of 26 (10% may be between 26 and 30, conductors and piano players can be older).
How do I apply and how long can I apply?
First of all we need you to send us the application form with all the required information. You can apply until the 15th of Feburary of every festival year.
Subsequently we require some material from you, whereby most of it can be sent electronically and we do not need everything at once. For details please click here: application.
Where can I find all of the required pieces?
You can find all of the compulsory pieces and the workshop pieces (orchestras only) here.
What can I do if some of the data I have submitted is incorrect or has changed?
Generally, we try to accept changes as far as possible. Please note however that last-minute changes shortly before the start of the festival will not be accepted.
Why do you need a data list of all the participants?
In order to assure that the ensemble can play all the pieces mentioned in the application form and that it is registered for the correct category, we need the age of the participants and the instruments that will be played/ the corresponding singing voices. The names are required because every participant will receive a certificate during the ceremony in the Town Hall.
What can I do if the number of participants changes?
If you can tell us about changes on time (by the 15th of April), that is generally not a problem. You will receive a new invoice with the total number of participants.
What will be happening during the opening ceremony?
Within approximately 45 minutes the participants will be welcomed by the chairman of Via Musica (the association organizing the SCL festival) and the artistic director of the SCL festival. Every participating group will be introduced by a participant of the respective group. There will also be a brief musical program. Have a look at former contributions (german only):
www.companyofmusic.at
www.bratfisch.or.at
Please note that no seats will be allocated to the individual groups (first come first served). If the schedule allows, all participants will be encouraged to sing the anthem of the SCL festival. The text and the scores will be provided.
Please note, that due to organizational reasons photos in the church can only be taken before the ceremony.
Where will the conductors’ dinner be and how will we get there?
After the opening ceremony all conductors will be asked to meet in front of St. Stephen’s Cathedral (exit to the left when leaving the cathedral). The conductors’ dinner will take place in a restaurant that can be reached by foot from St. Stephen’s Cathedral.
What will be happening at the Conductors’ Dinner?
The conductors’ dinner is an opportunity to meet your fellow conductors and to speak to our artistic director about any last minute queries on artistic issues. Please note, that the conductors’ dinner is compulsory – the conductor of the group should be present. You may of course bring a spouse, chaperone etc. Please note that per group only two persons are admitted.
You will also receive some important materials for the 4 days of the festival.
What is the difference between the Competition and the Celebration?
Participants in the Competition will be judged by a jury. The best groups will have the opportunity to perform in the Gala Winner’s concert, one of the highlights of the festival.
Participants that do not wish to compete can take part in the Celebration. This means that they will perform in the Musikverein or in the Konzerthaus before their fellow participants in an afternoon concert. All groups are encouraged to take this opportunity to listen to their fellow participants.
Both the participants of the Competition and the Celebration take part in all of the other events of the festival.
Can we rehearse for our performance in the Musikverein or in the Konzerthaus?
There is no rehearsal space in the Musikverein or in the Konzerthaus apart from the dressing rooms – therefore no proper rehearsals or sound checks are possible once the group is in the building. You will however have the chance to tune your instruments in your dressing room.
Will there be an audience during the competition?
Generally there is no external audience during the competition. All groups as well as friends and family are however encouraged to watch.
What is the difference between the Competition and the Celebration?
Participants in the Competition will be judged by a jury. The best groups will have the opportunity to perform in the Gala Winners’ concert, one of the highlights of the festival.
Participants that do not wish to compete can take part in the Celebration. This means, that they will perform in the Musikverein before their fellow participants in a concert during the day. All groups are encouraged to take this opportunity to listen to their fellow participants.
Both the participants of the Competition and the Celebration take part in all of the other events of the festival (see Participation Fee above).
What will be happening in the Celebration?
In the Celebration, the groups will perform for 20 minutes before their fellow participants and are encouraged to listen to their peers. There is no jury present.
Can we rehearse for our performance in the Musikverein or in the Konzerthaus ?
There is no rehearsal space in the Musikverein or in the Konzerthaus apart from the dressing rooms – therefore no proper rehearsals or sound checks are possible once the group is in the building. You will however have the chance to tune your instruments in your dressing room.
What will be happening during the workshops?
You will be attending two workshops in the University of Music and one additional lecture, each of which will have a length of approximately 45 minutes.
The workshops are aimed at practicing various music pieces (which will be in the Viennese music style for the orchestras).
For the orchestras, workshop pieces must be prepared by the groups and will be practiced during the workshops. You can find the workshop pieces here
Who will be conducting the workshops?
The workshops will be held by members of the festival’s choir, orchestra or band jury, as well as other qualified lecturers. Please note that due to the schedule and the limited time it is not always possible for jury members to give additional feedback on the group’s performance in the competition.
Will there be more than one group attending a workshop?
If at all possible we try to organize the workshops in a manner, where the choirs can sing together. Depending on the size of some groups and the logistics involved, this is however not always possible.
Do we have to bring our instruments?
Yes, all orchestras and bands need to bring their instruments in order to work on the workshop pieces. Please think of the additional time required.
What can we do in between workshops?
If the schedule and the size of the lecture rooms allow, participants are encouraged to visit other workshops and seminars. Also, the grounds offer extensive space to relax.
What are the additional concerts?
In addition to the performances in the Musikverein, each group will be attending 2 additional concerts in and around Vienna in the length of approximately one hour each. For examples of venues of past festivals please click here.
There will be a local audience present at the additional concerts, its size depending on the festival-partner responsible for the event.
How are the additional concerts allocated to the groups?
Due to organizational reasons it is not possible for you to pick a certain additional concert. All concert locations are special and are chosen for the groups depending on the overall festival schedule. Concerts are held in Vienna and in the vicinity of Vienna (not more than approximately two hours’ drive from Vienna).
Will there be tickets for the additional concerts?
Apart from very few exceptions the additional concerts are held free of charge. Please note that the festival does not in any way make money with these concerts.
What will be happening during the photo shoot?
All groups will be asked to arrive before the Gala Winners’ Concert for the group photo with all the participants. The photo shoot should not take more than 15 minutes if all groups are on time. After the photo shoot the groups have free time until the concert starts.
Who gets to perform in the Gala Winners’ concert?
Only the best groups in the Competition will perform in the Gala Winners’ concert, as selected by the jury. It is our aim to let as many groups as possible perform, which means that there can be no clear rule as to who will get to perform (e.g. all finalists of each category).
What will be happening in, before and after the Gala Winners’ concert?
Before the Gala Winners’ concert, all groups that will be performing are required to be present backstage. We do try to make your stay as pleasant as possible but please note that we are stretching the capacities of the venue in order to have as many groups as possible perform. This means that there will be groups in the entire backstage area and we have a very tight schedule – please comply with the instructions of our staff.
In the Gala Winners’ concert each of the selected groups will perform a piece chosen by the jury before the next group comes on. Musicians can watch the concert in that half of the concert, which they are not performing in. Owing to the resulting disturbance of the audience, no one may enter the concert hall during the performances.
Can we rehearse for our performance in the Musikverein?
There is no rehearsal space in the Musikverein or in the Konzerthaus apart from the dressing rooms – therefore no proper rehearsals or sound checks are possible once the group is in the building. You will however have the chance to tune your instruments in your dressing room.
What will be happening in the Town Hall?
All participants are invited to the Town Hall by the Lord Mayor of Vienna. Once all groups have arrived, there will be a brief speech by the Lord Mayor or a representative of the Lord Mayor before the buffet is opened.
Every group and every participants will then be awarded their respective certificates. The group certificate will show the category and the ranking achieved in the competition (if applicable). One representative of each group (preferably the conductor) will be asked to come on stage to receive all the certificates for his/her group.
The questionnaires on the 4 days of the festival will be handed out and collected.
Please note that no alcohol will be served to participants in the Town Hall.
How will I know when to be where during the festival and how will I get there?
Considering that the festival organization and the organization of travel and lodging are very closely linked, you will receive a detailed itinerary including all services. (travel, meals and lodging, all the venues with exact schedules etc.). Once we have received all of your materials, we will send you a personalized link to our homepage, where you can find a presentation of your group and the appropriate schedule.
The SCL festival and CONCERTS-AUSTRIA staff is in constant contact, assuring your timely arrival and departure to and from all festival venues.
We are planning on touring in Europe before or after the festival, do you offer any support?
Our inbound travel partner, CONCERTS-AUSTRIA is one of the best music travel agencies in Austria and is well equipped to handle all of your travel during, before and after the festival. Feel free to present your travel plans or ask your local travel agent to contact CONCERTS-AUSTRIA.
