Candidates for Artist Fellowships:

• Must be residents of the Southern California region (San Diego to Santa Barbara).
• Must be currently enrolled at a higher-education institution with music as their primary area of study OR be non-students who have been enrolled as students within 1 year of application submission.

Candidates who have maintained non-student status for less than one year are eligible to apply for fellowships. 

Candidates who have maintained non-student status for more than one year are only eligible to apply for the CYAS sub list (sub list candidates are not required to play an in-person audition).

Pre-college applicants are only eligible for Apprentice Fellowships, and must be enrolled in private instruction in their performance discipline, and must be at least 13 years of age at the beginning of the upcoming season.

Applicants can only be awarded fellowships and official roster placement through auditions.

First round auditions are held by recording submission. Second round auditions are held live and are recorded for review by the directors and Artist Board.

Audition scores are based on excerpt performance, solo difficulty and performance, resume, and previous rehearsal/concert performance with CYAS.

CYAS accepts applicants based on musical ability, experience, professionalism, and integrity. CYAS does not discriminate by race, gender, disability, background, or income.

Our fellowship program is designed to give aspiring young musicians a platform to develop their individual and ensemble skills in an environment that operates at professional standards with room for productive feedback and growth. Artists collaborate with others in the pre-professional space as well as world-renowned guest artists and directors to help build their bridge to the professional world.

Our fellowship recipients receive concert stipends for each cycle based on their position:

Artist Fellowships: $350-550 Per Cycle
Apprentice Fellowships: $100 Per Cycle

The standard fellowship term for CYAS is 2 years.

Fellows that display exceptional performance at CYAS may be offered extensions at the discretion of the Artist Board.

Trial fellowships (1-year terms) may be offered at the discretion of the Artist Board.

Apprentice fellowships do not automatically roll over into Artist Fellowships.

Our current season is structured around two primary performances (one in the Fall, and one in the Spring).

Our concert season and general rehearsal schedule is posted in advance of in-person auditions, with rehearsal details and rosters posted shortly after auditions conclude. 

We ask each musician to consider their commitment to the entire season’s rehearsals and concerts before applying.

Missed rehearsals will result in a $50 stipend reduction per rehearsal for Artist Fellowships, and a $25 stipend reduction for apprentice fellowships.

Missed rehearsals should be cleared with administration before committing to the cycle, but may still result in losing a seat for the cycle.

Withdrawing from a cycle or season after committing through auditions can be grounds for fellowship revocation.

CYAS maintains its own sub list. Substitute players receive a standard fellowship stipend, or receive a $50 stipend per rehearsal.

Roster placement is based on audition performance, rehearsal/concert performance, experience, and professionalism.

Section players may see their position adjusted within the roster based on rehearsal and concert performance. 

Not every CYAS program utilizes the full roster. CYAS staffs each cycle based on roster placement (musicians placed higher up in the roster will have higher priority for seating).

Musicians that are not available for rehearsals, display inadequate preparation, or are absent/late to rehearsals after confirming their availability may see their roster placement affected, may lose their seat for the cycle, or may lose their fellowships entirely in significant cases.

Musicians are expected to prepare material and be concert-ready at the first rehearsal.

CYAS communicates primarily through e-mail. Prompt and professional communication is required. Fellows are expected to know all information communicated via e-mail.

All musicians and staff at CYAS are expected to behave with professionalism, dignity, integrity, and are expected to treat their colleagues with respect and kindness.

Deviation from our conduct policy for any reason can be grounds for reprimand or dismissal.

CYAS selectively engages with artist partner organizations for collaborative film and performance projects. Our staffing for these projects is based on our current roster.

Outside collaborative projects are voluntary and not part of our primary season performances.