AlpenKammerMusik’s strength lies in its diversity. We have had participants as young as 18 and others in their 80s. Whether you are an undergraduate student at a conservatory, a dedicated amateur, or a professional musician, AlpenKammerMusik provides a level of collaboration and instruction that will appropriately challenge you.

• AKM offers one-week or two-week sessions. Please indicate which you’d like to apply for on your application. We also welcome auditors, who are invited to sit in on as many coachings as they wish over the course of the festival.

• Participants rehearse daily with 2-3 thoughtfully placed groups. Every participant will be in at least one ensemble that includes a member of our outstanding faculty, and all groups receive regular coaching.

• AlpenKammerMusik’s focus is chamber music for strings, winds, and piano. Applicants make repertoire requests when applying, and recommendations are considered when building a balanced program for the festival.

• Individual instruction is available on a limited basis at the sole discretion of the faculty member asked to give the lesson.

• In free time, participants can take advantage of the many activities available in the Lesachtal region. The local innkeepers and tourism office can offer information about hiking, fishing, shopping, restaurants, and other activities. AKM has an extensive library of standard repertoire parts and scores, but we encourage you to bring scores and parts for any sight-reading of lesser-known repertoire.

• Most performances happen at the Kultursaal-Liesing, part of the local cultural and community center. The Kultursaal has a Bechstein grand piano and can seat up to 500 people. Other concerts may take place in nearby halls, churches, or schools.

• We aim to keep AKM an intimate, unique experience. Our ideal complement of participants each summer is balanced and diverse, and might consist of twelve violins, six violas, eight cellos, one double bass, six pianos, five clarinets, and potentially other instruments.

• Some instruments are highly competitive, and we advise getting an application in early.

• If you require a visa to travel to Austria, please apply immediately upon your acceptance. The process (as of 2024) has taken much longer than in previous years.

Scholarships (aside from the AKM Fellows Program) are very limited and based on participant need and merit, and on AKM’s need for particular instruments. See our application for details.