40 Years of CFA

Photo: Jörg Bongartz

Four Decades of Carl Flesch Academy in Baden-Baden

with a fresh wind in the sails and a new program

Novelties in 2023:

New master-class concept with international instructors. Read more

Soloist performance with the Baden-Baden Philharmonic and its principal conductor. Read more

Professional video recording of the orchestra concerts – free of charge! Read more

Chamber music projects and chamber music concerts with the instructors. Read more

Workshops and coaching on career development and marketing in the fields of solo, chamber and orchestral music. Read more

Awards and scholarships worth over 20,000 €. Read more

Unique living and working in the Cloister Lichtenthal during the academy week. Read more

... and a new team with plenty of energy:

New Team

Photo: Tyron Montgomery

Inspiration, Interaction & Innovation

Heiko Mathias Förster (right), Overall Director:
Almost a century ago, Carl Flesch began holding summer master-classes here in Baden-Baden, giving world stars such as Henryk Szeryng, Ida Haendel and Ginette Neveu decisive musical impulses. As principal conductor of the Baden-Baden Philharmonic, I consider it a great honor and an inspiring pleasure to be able to lead the Carl Flesch Academy, which is not only one of the most successful, but also one of the most modern master-classes in the world.

Kirill Troussov (left), Artistic Director:
Records and CDs have given way to streaming services, and our concert culture is undergoing changes. In addition to an excellent musical education, it has become more and more important for aspiring classical musicians to market themselves with good websites, professional online videos and social-media channels with quailty content, in order to stand out from the crowd. We want to equip tomorrow's musicians with tomorrow's tools, to lay the foundation for the best possible development of their careers. I am delighted to have my long-time partners Pirastro, Gewa Music, The Violin Channel and G. Henle Verlag as generous supporters and prize sponsors of this unique academy!

Arndt Joosten, Managing Director:
The Carl Flesch Academy focuses on the qualified integration of course participants into a professional working environment. This refers not only to the instrumental lessons, but also to the opportunities to work as an intensively observed soloist with a first-class professional orchestra. The Carl Flesch Academy also offers its participants a look behind the scenes of the professional orchestra and concert business in lectures and coaching sessions. The soloists in our orchestra concerts take a live recording of their performance in the master concerts with them into their professional lives. In the evening chamber music rounds, contacts and networks are created that open up a new world for the young virtuosos. Numerous awards and scholarships facilitate course funding. Four decades of experience have gone into this course concept.

© 1981 – Carl Flesch Academy