From 1 July to 22 August 2026, the Maîtrise of the Centre de musique baroque de Versailles is holding an additional recruitment round for its Chantres programme, for admission in September 2026. Applications are open for sopranos, countertenors, hautes-contre, tenors, baritones and basses.
A full-time advanced vocal training programme, the Chantres course is open to young singers aged 18 to 30, recruited both in France and internationally. Spanning two years (CPES – Preparatory Classes for Higher Education), it prepares students for a professional singing career through intensive choral training and a strong specialisation in the historically informed performance of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century French music.
The programme combines academic and practical instruction, vocal training, ensemble performance and professional experience. The Chantres regularly take part in professional productions and commercial recordings under the musical direction of Fabien Armengaud and guest conductors, including Emiliano Gonzalez Toro, Damien Guillon, Sébastien Daucé, Emmanuelle Haïm and Hervé Niquet.
The programme benefits from educational partnerships with the Versailles Grand Parc Conservatoire, the Paris – Ida Rubinstein Conservatoire, the Paris-Saclay Conservatoire, and the Conservatoires Nationaux Supérieurs de Musique et de Danse (CNSMD) of Paris and Lyon. As part of its partnership with the CRR de Versailles Grand Parc, the Chantres also follow a complementary curriculum on the Versailles campus, enabling them to participate in joint educational productions and take additional classes alongside CRR students.
Recruitment procedures
Applications open from 1 July to 22 August 2026
This additional recruitment round is open to the following voice types: soprano, countertenor, haute-contre, tenor, baritone and bass.
Applications must be submitted online and include recordings of three works from different periods, including one piece of French Baroque music.
Following a preliminary selection based on the application materials, shortlisted candidates will be invited to an audition on Wednesday 2 September, as well as musicianship and sight-reading tests, a choral workshop, and an individual interview.
Each year, the CMBV Endowment Fund awards a number of scholarships to students on the basis of financial need and academic excellence, as well as grants to support their transition into professional careers.