Stephen McHolm heads the Verbier Festival Academy
The Verbier Festival has announced that Stephen McHolm will become Director of the Verbier Festival Academy (VFA) and the corresponding special projects as of December 1 this year. McHolm succeeds Christian Thompson.
As artistic and administrative director of the international Honens Piano Competition in Calgary since 2004, Stephen McHolm has directed the competition, organized a festival and annual chamber music concerts, and initiated music education programs in Canadian communities. Two of the last three winners of the Honens Competition were former students of the Verbier Festival Academy.
Stephen McHolm succeeds Christian Thompson, who has shaped the Verbier Festival Academy over the past twelve years. The VFA bases its good reputation "on its commitment to excellence and creativity, an exceptional teaching staff and a visionary approach to how young musicians can build a career in the 21st century", is how the institution characterizes itself.
