Directrice artistique Villa Mercier

Villa – Château Mercier
Call for applications for a musical composition residency

For fifteen years, Villa – Château Mercier (Sierre, Valais, Switzerland) has been hosting artists in residence. Since 2026, writing related to musical composition and screenwriting has been its new focus. That is why, in collaboration with the Haute École de Musique – Valais-Wallis, Villa – Château Mercier is launching an international competition for a composition residency.

Aimed at professional artists under the age of 35, it offers the support of a string ensemble (students from the HEMU) to experiment and develop their compositions.

Conditions

·      Residency period: September–December 2026

·      Individual accommodation and a piano will be provided

·      Residency allowance of CHF 1,500 per month

·      Travel expenses covered (up to CHF 1,000)

·      Public performance: approximately 20-minute piece at the end of the residency.

Schedule

·      Application deadline: April 30, 2026, at midnight

·      Committee meeting: end of June 2026

Application file

·      A detailed resume and biography

·      A written statement of intent or a video of less than 5 minutes in which candidates explain their particular interest in this residency or the region.

·      1 recording of a work and its score, as well as a short presentation text

·      1 form of identification

·      1 personal health insurance certificate

Documents must be submitted in French or English. Any missing documents will result in the application being rejected.

Jury

Sandrine Rudaz, Composer

Guillaume Bourgogne, Conductor

Sylvain Jaccard, Director of the HEMU Valais-Wallis

Andreas Zurbriggen, Composer, to be confirmed

Alain Dubois, Head of the Culture Department of the Canton of Valais

To apply: please send your application (in PDF format) to villa@chateaumercier.ch before April 30, 2026.

For more information: New Narratives, writer residencies at Villa Mercier