YEREVAN — Applications are now open for the second Academy for Young Conductors by Maestro Vasily Petrenko, taking place in Yerevan, Armenia, from June 23-28, 2026. The deadline for applications is May 3, 2026.
The Academy brings together Vasily Petrenko, Music Director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and a select group of emerging conductors from around the world for an intensive week of masterclasses, individual tuition and orchestral work with the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra. This year, the orchestra marks its centennial anniversary, making the 2026 edition a particularly significant occasion.
Now in its second year, the Academy was founded in 2024 by the Primavera Charitable Foundation, of which Petrenko serves as Chairman of the Artistic Council. It’s also co-organized by the Foundation and the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra (Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Eduard Topchjan). The inaugural edition attracted applications from 15 countries, with five conductors selected from China, Mexico, Russia, Iran-Armenia and Norway-Ukraine.
Participants will receive 20 minutes of daily individual work with the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra, one-to-one sessions with Petrenko, and access to an exclusive workshop, The Secrets of a Conductor’s Job Beyond Music. The week culminates in a public gala concert on June 28 at the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall.
Vasily Petrenko said: “The Academy is an opportunity for young conductors to have a workshop with someone more experienced, with a bigger career, and with a real orchestra. For me, the Academy is about supporting the growth, nurturing the talents of the next generation of conductors, and giving them chances.”
To apply, conductors must submit at least two recent, unedited videos, a 300-word application letter and a biography. Applications are open now via the Primavera Charitable Foundation website. The deadline is May 3, 2026.
