Banff Musicians in Residence Winter 2026

Overview  

This residency provides individual musicians and bands/ensembles of all genres with space and dedicated time to research, create, and develop projects within Banff Centre’s exceptional campus and mountain setting. 

You will have the freedom to focus on your artistic process and structure your time according to your project’s needs. Additionally, you'll receive artistic inspiration and career advice from well-established faculty. The diverse range of artistic influences over the three weeks, combined with opportunities for peer interaction and collaboration, will foster new discoveries and transformative experiences. 

Description

This residency offers the unique opportunity for musicians at all career stages and all genres time and space to:

• Research, develop, and create their own projects, taking risks and experimenting with new ideas in a supportive environment to enhance creative practices.
• Focus on creative exploration and experimentation through peer and mentor-led group or one-on-one sessions.
• Be inspired by peers and collaborate with musicians across various genres.
• Explore new material and performance practices through public concerts that simulate professional working conditions and timelines.
• Learn to self-record in your own studio to independently document and disseminate your work.
• Gain insights into industry best practices for recording demos by collaborating with audio engineers, professional training participants, and mentors (if available).
• Join an expanded artistic community at Banff Centre for ongoing networking and support throughout your career.

A limited number of studio recording possibilities will be offered by the Professional Training Program: Audio Engineer: BMiR participants.  

Requirements

The program is ideal for individual musicians, ensembles, bands, composers, and music researchers who wish to:

• Spend focused time on a specific project
• Create new works
• Prepare for concerts, auditions, or competitions
• Explore and research innovative ideas

Participants should be comfortable working autonomously in an unstructured environment to fully benefit from the program. Musicians at all levels are encouraged to apply. Attendance for all three weeks of the residency is required.

Artistic Associate

Those seeking additional professional development can apply for the role of Artistic Associate, this unique opportunity is available to an individual of exceptional musical ability and maturity. In addition to the program elements the Artistic Associate will:

• Act as the liaison between faculty and musicians throughout the program.
• Be involved in the delivery and event curation of the Banff Musicians in Residence program.
• Facilitate communication between visiting artists, resident musicians, Music programming, and production staff.

The successful applicant for the Artistic Associate will receive a scholarship covering 100% of the program costs and a travel award that is subject to regional maximums, not to exceed $1500.