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Join our International Masterclass for Lied Duos now!

international master class for song duos

17 - 24 May 2026

Joining our International Masterclass for Lied Duos means seizing the opportunity to work on your artistic development in a stimulating environment with the world's greatest masters of art song.

Masters in 2026
  • Robert Holl, bass-baritone, founder and patron, focuses on Schubert
  • Pauliina Tukiainen, pianist and song professor
  • Hans Eijsackers, pianist and song professor
  • Bernarda Fink, mezzo-soprano
  • Olaf Bär, baritone and song professor
  • Waltraud Österreicher (performance coaching)
Festival theme 2026: Back to Nature

There's a strong connection between Internationaal Lied Festival Zeist, the green ambiance of Zeist and art song. Nature has inspired countless poets and composers to write the most beautiful poems and music to honour her and to shed light on our relationship with the world we live in. This year we celebrate nature itself by giving her a voice of her own. And what better way to do so than by listening to songs that so often celebrate her and tell stories that resonate with our own?

By choosing Back to Nature as the 2026 festival theme, artistic directors bass-baritone Henk Neven and pianist Hans Eijsackers invite us to explore our relationship with nature: how do we relate to ourselves and to our origins? Because even though we seek refuge in nature from our hectic existence, she is not merely an amusement park meant for entertainment and relaxation; we are part of it and can both ‘make’ it or ruin it. A quick glance at the news already reveals that climate challenges are facing us head on. Can we pause to truly listen, we can hear the beauty and wisdom that nature has to offer? From 15 May to 23 May, 2026, International Song Festival Zeist will delve into our intricate bond with nature, emphasising that it is not just a place for pleasure but a vital part of our existence. Join us in this exploration!

Masterclass 2026: 17 - 24 May 2026

Our 8-day International Masterclass lasts from Sunday to Sunday and consists of a unique series of both public and private lessons on interpretation, poetry, language, cultural history and performance coaching. All sessions take place in the historic and green surroundings of the Moravian Church nearby Slot Zeist (Zeist Castle).

  • Welcome, getting acquainted, informal get-together with masters, attending recitals: Sunday, 17 May
  • Masterclass sessions and attending recitals: Monday, 18 May - Friday, 22 May
  • Presentation recital and closing lunch: Saturday, 23 May
  • Recitals by masterclass students at locations in (the vicinity of) Zeist: Sunday, 24 May
Repertoire requirements

Please take note of the following conditions concerning your choice of songs. We invite you to send us a proposal for a recital consisting of a minimum of 8 songs considering this year's festival theme and taking into account the expertise of this year's masters. Your programme is required to feature the following:

  • at least 3 songs in German, two of them by Schubert
  • 2 songs in French
  • 2 songs in English
  • one or two songs in another language may be added

Also, include a short motivation for your programme proposal in your application.

During the master class, you will have the opportunity to work on parts of your proposed programme. The masters will choose in consultation with you which songs will be worked on. All songs must be sung by heart.

Application and admission

The master class is meant for (pre)professional singer-pianist duos. We do not accept applications form singers or pianists separately. To apply, please send in the completed application form and upload the following:

  • individual photos of both singer and pianist as separate files (jpeg, pdf, tiff, eps / max 4 Mb each)
  • a biography (so not a resume) of both singer and pianist (max 300 words, in English or German, in word-format without any layout or pictures)
  • a link to a YouTube video (or 2 separate ones) featuring a performance of 2 songs (contrasting in character) by you and your duo partner in high quality of both picture and sound
  • your programme proposal and motivation (max 300 words, in English or German, in word-format without any layout)

You should send in your application before 1 April 2026. Applicants will receive notice before 12 April 2026 whether they have been accepted.

Tuition fee

The tuition fee for the masterclass is € 350,00 per musician and must be paid before 1 May 2026:

IBAN NL03 SNSB 0925 0975 43
International Song Festival Zeist Foundation
Citing: Tuition fee masterclass

Your admission will automatically be cancelled if the tuition fee has yet to be received by 1 May 2026. 

Accommodation 

Participants will be accommodated with host families from Saturday, 16, until Sunday, 24 May 2026. Coffee, tea, and lunch will be provided on masterclass days. In addition, you will receive a passe-partout for all recitals during the festival.

Why choose our International Masterclass?
  • Broad curriculum
    Continuous development is essential for the careers of young singer-pianist duos. That's why our masterclass is an inseparable part of International Lied Festival Zeist. We offer a unique opportunity to work with renowned singers and pianists who have earned excellent reputations. You can expect a broad and immersive curriculum ranging from public sessions on interpretation to private performance coaching and lectures on poetry, culture and history.

  • Become a unique duo
    The masterclass offers both private and public teachings. During the private sessions, the masters will work with you on forging and moulding your craftmanship to become a unique duo by focusing on the unity of text and music. Music and poetry will be treated equally and thoroughly. Due to the private setting, masters and students build the trust necessary to enhance artistic expressiveness through experiment.

  • Interaction with a warm audience
    The public sessions are attended by an educated, and eager but friendly audience. The audience is offered a rare chance to see artists grow on the spot, a ‘glimpse behind the scenes’. But, more importantly, it has a function on its own. As young singers and pianists, you experience whether what you have learned as a duo comes across, which enables you to shape your musicianship in dialogue with the audience. The intricate interaction between music and text, your duo, and the audience comes to life during these sessions. When young talents succeed in establishing this threefold relationship, a bright future lies ahead. That is what makes our masterclass so extraordinarily special.

  • Working together as a group
    Our aim is to create a welcoming and safe working environment, in which artistry can blossom and you feel invited to explore your ambitions. Setting goals and working hard to reach them can be a personal, somewhat lonesome journey at times. Inspired by Schubert's Freundeskreis - the theme of our first festival but always at the heart of everything we do - we offer an opportunity of a lifetime where you also find new professional friends for the rest of your career.

  • International opportunities
    Participating in the masterclass also means embarking on our Next Generation programme. Participants of our International Masterclass will be invited to join our Young Artist Platform in the coming years. Winning this audition means further performance opportunities in future editions of International Lied Festival Zeist and our international collaborators, such as Oxford International Song Festival and Wonderfeel.

masters

© Benjamin Ealovega
Robert Holl

Over the years, Robert Holl has become one of the most renowned interpreters of Lied of our time. He is well-known for the expressivity of his interpretations and the intimacy he invokes. Always putting the text first during a recital is distinctive in his performances. Robert Holl's vision of the art of song is rooted deeply in his extensive knowledge of poets and the philosophy of the time they lived in. Since 1998 Robert Holl is a professor at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna. Robert Holl was the first artistic leader of International Lied Festival Zeist in 2015 and serves as its patron, together with Elly Ameling.

© Marco Borggreve
Pauliina Tukiainen

Pauliina Tukiainen has gained a reputation as a versatile interpreter and professor of art song repetoire. In addition to giving recitals with her regular duo partner baritone Arttu Kataja, she has also collaborated with Ingeborg Danz, Henk Neven, Christoph and Julian Prégardien and Marie Seidler, among others. Many of her concerts were recorded and broadcast on international radio and TV stations. Tukiainen recorded several CDs, including two with Kataja. In addition to her busy concert schedule, Tukiainen is a much sought-after teacher at conservatories and for master classes and workshops. She is artistic advisor to the Bonner Schumannfest, where she set up a stage for young song duos. She also holds a chair of ‘liedgestaltung’ at the Mozarteum in Salzburg.

© Marco Borggreve
Hans Eijsackers

Hans Eijsackers is a renowned pianist who regularly appears on stage as a soloist, chamber musician and collaborative pianist. As such, he has worked with numerous singers and instrumentalists worldwide. With baritone Henk Neven, he has formed a longstanding collaboration as a lied duo. Since 2013 he has worked as a professor of Liedgestaltung at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf and teaches chamber music at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. In addition, he regularly is a member of national and international juries, teaches master classes and is the artistic leader of the International Student LiedDuo Competition in Groningen. In 2022, Eijsackers and Henk Neven took over the festival's artistic direction from Robert Holl. Hans Eijsackers will appear in concert at opening night with Christoph Prégardien and on Friday 23 May with Henk Neven and Dutch writer Arthur Japin.

© Shirley Suarez
Bernarda Fink
Bernarda Fink
is one of the most sought-after singers in concerts and recitals and has been acclaimed for her musical versatility. She has been invited by the leading orchestras and conductors in Europe and America and has appeared to widespread critical acclaim in Argentina and at the most important opera houses in Europe. Her repertoire ranges from ancient music up to music of the 20th century. Fink regularly holds master classes at among others the Wiener Meisterkurse and the Schubert-Institute in Baden. Also, she was on the jury of serveral song competitions. Her recital during the 2016 festival was memorable.
Olaf Bär
Olar Bär is one of the foremost Lieder interpreters of his generation. He has appeared worldwide in recitals and has made major tours of Australia, Israel, Japan and America. Equally at home in the concert hall and opera house, Bär's concert repertoire ranges from the baroque to the contemporary. As an opera singer Bär has appeared at numerous stages and festivals worldwide, including Covent Garden, La Scala di Milano, the Opera House in Vienna and Bayreuth. For many years he was a principal member of the Semper Oper in his hometown Dresden and continues to make guest appearances there. Since 2004 Olaf Bär is professor for interpretation of Lieder at Hochschule für Musik in Dresden. He is also regularly invited as juror in numerous international singing competitions and to give master classes, specialising in the interpretation of German Lieder.
© Waltraud Österreicher
Waltraud Österreicher

Austrian actress Waltraud Österreicher is a versatile person. She graduated as a musician and actor and made several films and theatre performances at home and abroad. Her passion for people and her broad background in music, theatre, and psychology mean she is now a sought-after musician coach.
She gained significant knowledge on vocalisation and text delivery, diction, pantomime, posture and movement, and group dynamics. Her expertise and experience enable her to analyse a musician's unique gifts and personal barriers quickly. With all her diverse training and coaching, extensive experience, and strong intuition, she loves to accompany musicians into a happy, fulfilling, and successful life, both professionally and personally.

application form masterclass

uploads:
photo: jpeg, pdf, tiff, eps / max 4 mb
biography: pdf, word (doc, docx) / max 4 mb
programme: pdf, word (doc, docx) / max 4 mb
motivation: pdf, word (doc, docx) / max 4 mb
video: p
lease copy and paste a link to your YouTube video

Having trouble with your application? Contact us at: masterclass@ilfz.nl

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