ARCO - Art, Research & Creation Opus, the French-Austrian academy for contemporary composition, is a cooperation between the Mozarteum University and the Gmem Marseille . Since 2019, selected participants in the framework of ARCO receive intensive coaching and immediate feedback on their works in direct work with renowned coaches and professional ensembles.
Mozarteum University
+43 676 88122 317
rektorin@moz.ac.at
Gmem Marseille
+ 33 4 96 20 60 10
End of application period
10.03.2023
ARCO 2023
07.07.2023-16.07.2023
Patronage
Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen
President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron
ARCO has set itself the goal of promoting, making visible and further developing encounters and reflections on French and Austrian culture in the focus of contemporary music and composition. This is done on the one hand through a study and coaching format along selected compositions and concepts, and on the other hand through concerts, discussion forums, productions and social media. In this way, it continues a tradition of Franco-Austrian elective affinity as it was impressively lived by Stefan Zweig, Peter Handke, Romain Rolland, Robert Musil and many others.
Two outstanding institutions are linked by the Academy: the GMEM in Marseille in the immediate vicinity of the famous Festival in Aix-en-Provence and the Mozarteum University in close proximity to the Salzburg Festival. The Academy will take place alternately in Marseille and France. A cooperation with the two major festivals will be gradually established since 2019. Particularly talented, committed and advanced students and postgraduates form the target group, topics such as cultural responsibility, innovation, artistic freedom, individual and society, Europe 4.0, offer essential challenges. The ARCO project is also supported by SACEM (Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music) and by Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne and other sponsors.
Every year, around 50 composers, teachers, instrumentalists, singers and conducting students from all over the world work together with the renowned French ensembles Les Métaboles, Ensemble Multilatérale and the Tana Quartet on works composed especially for this occasion and perform them immediately.
ARCO is a festival, very international and with top-class commissioned compositions, creating a format all its own that you won't find a second time.
— Principal Elisabeth Gutjahr
ARCO is the further development of an academy for contemporary music founded by the French composer Yann Robin and the former Franco-German summer academy OPUS XXI, both of which followed the idea of placing highly renowned French ensembles alongside international young composers for a joint and professional finalization of their works up to public performance. Due to the state funding that ensembles in France receive for mediation work, the awarding of composition commissions and for concerts, an extraordinarily high level of professionalism can be financed.
ARCO has been taking place since 2019, alternating annually in Marseille in a former tobacco factory and at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg since 2022. This creates a contrasting creative environment that inspires in a very unique way. The core team of ARCO focuses primarily on composition; in 2022, vocalists from the Mozarteum as well as a conducting student participated for the first time.
