Classical:NEXT launches Berlin development programme for emerging international artists
NEXT:LAB will provide professional development, mentoring, paid artistic opportunities and international exposure for a cohort of Berlin-based musicians, composers and ensembles.
Classical:NEXT's NEXT:LAB is a new multi-month programme for artists working across classical, contemporary, cross-genre and transcultural music.
The Berlin initiative aims to address a gap facing independent professional artists who lack access to the international networks, co-production structures and presentation opportunities needed to build sustainable careers.
Beginning in September 2026, NEXT:LAB will bring together a cohort of six to eight Berlin-based musicians, composers and small ensembles. Participants will receive mentoring from members of the international Classical:NEXT community and take part in workshops covering international project development, pitching, profile-building, career planning and the creation of innovative performance formats.
The artists will also collaborate on new work, including commissioned pieces and cross-genre concert contributions, with the programme designed to encourage exchange between classical and contemporary practitioners and musicians representing a range of global traditions.
From Berlin to an international stage
The programme will take place in three stages. An initial development period from September to November 2026 will be followed by a public networking event in Berlin in December.
At the event, participants will present their jointly developed programme to an invited audience of presenters, festival directors, agencies, record labels, universities, concert halls, orchestras and journalists. Roundtable discussions will consider subjects including diversity, international collaboration and the future of classical music.
The cohort will then travel to Classical:NEXT 2027 in Katowice, Poland, in May. Participants will join the event’s Fellowship Programme, receiving further mentoring, workshops and networking support, and will perform at its closing ceremony.
Classical:NEXT said the initiative was not a competition or prize, but a structured career-development pathway providing practical resources, professional relationships and international exposure.
It responds particularly to the needs of freelance artists, recent graduates and musicians approaching a significant transition in their careers.
Applications are open to professional musicians, composers and small ensembles aged over 18 who are resident in Berlin and have a good command of English. Selection will consider artistic quality, development potential and applicants’ willingness to work collaboratively and across genres.
The organisers will also seek a balance of cultural backgrounds, genders, musical styles and instrumentation within the cohort.
Applications close at midnight CET on Friday 14 August 2026.