15th SIMA Swiss International
Music Academy
Musikinsel Rheinau - Switzerland
July 11th - 20th, 2025
The SIMA Swiss International Music Academy is aimed at advanced students pursuing music studies, as well as university students. The lessons focus on in-depth technical and musical exploration of works, interpretation, and/or preparation for competitions, exams, and auditions. The holistic development of participants is the focus.
SIMA 2025 course content
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Intensive solo lessons* (4 lessons)
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Rehearsals with piano accompaniment
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Chamber music lessons
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Performing during studio classes and internal concerts on the Musikinsel
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SIMA public concerts featuring participants
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Leisure activities
*New: For the cello classes, students will receive three individual lessons each with the professor they are assigned to and one additional individual lesson with one of the other cello professors.
(This is not possible in the violin and viola classes.) Splitting the lessons between two professors (two lessons each) is only possible in exceptional cases. The decision about the assignment is made by the artistic direction and the SIMA faculty.
Special offers at SIMA 2025
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Soloist Prize with the Bodensee Philharmonie Konstanz
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Special guest: Julia Fischer
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Instrument award: Soloist Violin by Stefan-Peter Greiner
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Bow Prize from Florian Leonhard Fine Violins
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Bow Hair Raffle (5 free hairs)
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Faculty Chat
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Sound Competence Center with Stefan-Peter Greiner and Lauri Tanner
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Bow making workshop with Lauri Tanner
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Brain research workshop with Prof. Dr. Jürg Kesselring
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Physiotherapy with Brigitte Gerber-Zaugg
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Improvisation with Tim Kliphuis
Tuition fee
Course costs: none
Every student who is accepted to the academy 2025 receives a full scholarship for the course fee.
Costs for room & board:
For 10 days and 9 nights (3 meals/day included), departure on July 20th, 2025 after the final concert: 890 CHF or 890 EUR
For 11 days and 10 nights (3 meals/day included), individual departure on July 21st, 2025, after breakfast at the IBIS Budget hotel: 990 CHF or 990 EUR
The SIMA 2025 starts on July 11th, 2025 and ends on July 20th, 2025, after the final concert at the Zurich University of the Arts. Please indicate on the application form, whether you would depart directly after the final concert (9 nights on the Musikinsel Rheinau) or if you wish to stay in the Hotel IBIS Budget next to the Zurich University of the Arts for one more night.
Application fee: CHF 100.- or EUR 100.-
Applications without payment receipt proving the payment of the application fee will not be processed.
The application fee will be subtracted from the total costs. In case the applicant does not receive a place at the SIMA 2025 due to too many applications, the application fee will be refunded. If the participant cancels his/her participation, the application fee can not be refunded.
Family members:
Participants under the age of 12 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Parents/adult siblings who accompany participants pay CHF 100 or EUR 100 per night and per person for a double room with full board.
Due to limited number of rooms, parents of participants older than 12 years can not be accommodated on the Musikinsel Rheinau during the SIMA. Information about accommodation possibilities near to the Musikinsel can be found at: www.booking.com, www.hotels.com or www.hrs.com.
All prices are per person and include statutory value added tax applicable at the headquarters of YOUTH CLASSICS.
Registration
Applying for participation at the SIMA 2025: Registration deadline expired on May 11, 2025. Registration for SIMA 2026 starts in early January 2026.
Please submit the online registration form below and note the following points as well as the additional documents that have to be uploaded to the application form or sent by email:
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Signed form "Rules and agreement" (scan as PDF or JPEG file)
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Payment receipt for the registration fee of CHF 100.00 / EUR 100.00 (scan as PDF or JPEG file) – (registration fee will be subtracted from the hotel costs)
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Your CV
The documents need to be uploaded on the online registration form.
Video Links
Please provide two YouTube links in the online registration form below. There are no mandatory pieces for these recordings. It is recommended to submit two works that differ in style and character.
Applicants who don’t need to send a video link upon agreement with their preferred teacher, please fill in the field with the link "www.youth-classics.com."
The members of the faculty will review all applications after the registration deadline (May 11th, 2025). Usually we receive at least 300 applications, around 100 participants will be accepted. The SIMA will notify about the places for the SIMA 2025 not later than May 30th, 2025.
Please submit your application for the 15th Swiss International Music Academy 2025 (SIMA 2025) by May 11th, 2025, using the online registration form below.
If you have questions about the registration process, please contact: registration@youth-classics.com
or Mobile: +41 (0) 76 411 68 16
For general questions about SIMA 2025, contact: info@youth-classics.com
For artistic questions about SIMA 2025, contact: anna.bertogna@youth-classics.com
Documents for Registration:
Online Registration Form (English)
After submitting the online form, you will automatically receive confirmation of your registration.
Agreements and Rules (English):
This form must be signed and uploaded as a scanned PDF or JPEG file to the online registration form.
You can find a list of the clothes and other items that should be brought to the SIMA here.
Application for room and board cost reduction (English):
This form must be signed and submitted to registration@youth-classics.com after completing the online registration if applying for a scholarship.
For the complete application for room and board cost reduction, 2 recommendation letters from renowned musicians as well as a description of the financial situation must also be submitted. If parts of these documents are missing, the application for an additional scholarship will not be processed.
Information:
For questions regarding registration, please contact: registration@youth-classics.com
or Mobile: +41 (0)76 411 68 16
For general inquiries about SIMA 2025, please contact us at: info@youth-classics.com
For artistic inquiries about SIMA 2025, please contact: anna.bertogna@youth-classics.com
Registration deadline May 11th, 2025
Bank details
CHF bank account
Zürcher Kantonalbank
ZKBKCHZZ80A
IBAN CH31 0070 0114 8023 3338 0
Account holder:
YOUTH CLASSICS
Langweidstrasse 6, 8912 Obfelden, Switzerland
EURO bank account
Zürcher Kantonalbank
ZKBKCHZZ80A
IBAN CH54 0070 0130 0091 1880 2
Account holder:
YOUTH CLASSICS
Langweidstrasse 6, 8912 Obfelden, Switzerland
Important Dates
May 11th, 2025
Registration deadline
May 30th, 2025
All registered students will be informed about a place at the SIMA 2025 and the assignment to one of our SIMA professors.
June 15th, 2025
Announcement of chamber music groups, chamber music piece and chamber music teacher.
July 11th, 2025
Arrival of all participants between 12:00 and 17:00
6:00 PM Opening of the 15th YOUTH CLASSICS SIMA 2025
July 20st, 2025
Individual departure after the final concert at the Zurich University of the Arts (approx. 8 p.m.)
OR
July 21st, 2025
Departure individually from Zurich (hotel) after breakfast until 12 noon
Location
Arrival by public transport
From Zurich Airport:
From Zurich Airport there are various train connections to Winterthur (IC / IR) or
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S24 Zurich Airport - Marthalen
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Postbus 620 Marthalen - Rheinau Unterstadt (final stop)
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Walk 5 minutes down towards the monastery church
From Zurich HB:
There is a regular timetable with a travel time of one hour (departure every hour from 06:17 to 23:17, change in Winterthur and Marthalen).
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S12 Zurich HB - Winterthur
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S33 Winterthur - Marthalen
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Postbus 620 Marthalen - Rheinau Unterstadt (final stop)
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Walk 5 minutes down towards the monastery church
Last connection from Rheinau Unterstadt towards Zurich HB at 23:18.
Arrival by car
Distance: Zurich: 40 min. / 47 kmh. Gallen: 55 min. / 80 kmWinterthur: 20 min. / 26 km
Route:
Zurich – St. Gallen motorway
A4 junction towards Schaffhausen
exit Benken/Rheinau
From Rheinau follow signs to the monastery church