Privacy

Privacy notice for applications

Data controller
Creative Services Sagl
Via Calgari 2, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland
Telephone: +41 78 950 13 40
Last updated
1 August 2026

This notice explains how personal data submitted in connection with an application to Studio IV are collected, used, disclosed and deleted.

1. Scope and applicable law

This notice applies to personal data processed for applications to Studio IV, a six-day private piano mentorship programme for four selected pianists. Processing is governed by the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection and, where applicable, by Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR).

2. Personal data collected

Depending on the fields enabled in the application form, we may collect:

  • identity and contact details, including name, surname, email address, city and country of residence;
  • date of birth, nationality, educational institution and principal teacher, where requested;
  • information concerning a parent or legal guardian where an applicant under 18 is admitted;
  • links, passwords and descriptive information relating to performance and motivation videos;
  • curriculum vitae in PDF format and written motivation;
  • confirmations and acknowledgements submitted with the application;
  • technical information generated when the form is submitted, such as date and time, IP address, browser information and security or anti-spam data processed by the hosting and form provider.

We do not request identity documents, payment information, medical information or other special-category or particularly sensitive personal data. Applicants should not include such information in their CV, motivation or videos unless strictly necessary. Unnecessary sensitive information may be removed or the relevant document may be deleted.

3. Purpose of processing

Personal data are processed solely to receive, verify, assess and compare applications; communicate with applicants; select participants and, where necessary, manage a shortlist or waiting list until Studio IV has concluded.

Data are not used for advertising, commercial profiling or unrelated communications, and are not sold.

4. Legal basis

Under Swiss law, processing is carried out in accordance with the principles of lawfulness, good faith, proportionality, purpose limitation and data security, and is justified by the applicant’s request to participate and by the controller’s overriding private interest in conducting a fair and effective selection process.

Where the GDPR applies, processing is necessary to take steps at the applicant’s request before possible participation in the programme and is also based on the controller’s legitimate interest in organizing and safeguarding the selection process. Where consent is specifically requested by law, it may be withdrawn at any time without affecting processing already carried out lawfully.

5. Mandatory and optional information

Fields marked as required are necessary to assess the application. If they are not completed, the application cannot be submitted or evaluated. Optional information may be omitted without affecting the possibility of applying, although it may help the selection panel understand the applicant’s artistic path.

6. How data are processed and protected

Data are processed electronically and accessed only by persons who need them for the selection. Reasonable organizational and technical measures are used to reduce the risks of unauthorized access, loss, alteration or disclosure. Nevertheless, no transmission or online storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

No decision is made solely by automated means, and no profiling is carried out. Applications are reviewed by natural persons.

7. Persons who may receive the data

Access may be granted, strictly on a need-to-know basis, to:

  • authorized personnel and collaborators of Creative Services Sagl;
  • Alexander Romanovsky and any formally appointed members of the Studio IV selection panel or project organization;
  • technical service providers acting on the controller’s instructions, including Netlify, Inc., which hosts the website and processes form submissions and uploaded files;
  • public authorities or professional advisers where disclosure is required by law or necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

Personal data are not publicly disclosed. Video links are accessed only for assessment, subject also to the privacy settings and terms of the platform chosen by the applicant.

8. Processing outside Switzerland

The website and application form use Netlify services. As a result, personal data may be processed in the United States and in other countries in which Netlify or its subprocessors operate. Where data are transferred to a country that does not provide an adequate level of protection, the controller relies on safeguards permitted by applicable law, including contractual safeguards and other transfer mechanisms made available by the service provider.

Further information is available in Netlify’s privacy policy and data processing agreement.

9. Retention and deletion

Application data, CVs, written motivations, video links and related passwords are retained only for the selection process, communication with applicants and management of any waiting list until Studio IV has taken place. They will be permanently deleted from the controller’s active systems as soon as reasonably practicable after the programme and, in any event, no later than 30 days after its conclusion.

Residual copies may remain for a limited period in technical backups operated by service providers and will be overwritten or deleted according to their normal retention cycles. Data that must be retained to comply with a legal obligation or to establish, exercise or defend a legal claim may be kept only for the period strictly required for that purpose.

For selected participants, any separate administrative, contractual, travel, insurance or accounting data required to organize participation may be processed under a separate notice and retained for the periods required by law. The original selection materials remain subject to the deletion period stated above.

10. Withdrawal of an application

An applicant may withdraw the application and request deletion before the selection has concluded. Unless retention is legally required, the application materials will then be deleted. Withdrawal means that the application can no longer be considered.

11. Rights of applicants

Subject to the conditions and limitations of applicable law, applicants may request access to their personal data, correction of inaccurate data, deletion, restriction of processing, objection to processing and, where applicable, data portability. Where processing is based on consent, consent may be withdrawn at any time.

Requests should be sent in writing to Creative Services Sagl at the postal address above, with sufficient information to identify the application and a contact address for the response. Additional proof of identity may be requested where reasonably necessary.

Applicants may also lodge a complaint with the Swiss Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) or, where the GDPR applies, with the competent supervisory authority in their country of residence or work.

12. Applicants under 18

Where applications from minors are accepted, the application must be submitted with the knowledge and authorization of a parent or legal guardian. The controller may request the guardian’s contact details and confirmation of authorization. If the required authorization is not provided, the application may not be considered.

13. Website data, cookies and local storage

The website does not use advertising cookies or analytics in its initial version. It stores only the selected language in the browser’s local storage so that the preference can be remembered. The hosting provider may process ordinary technical logs and anti-spam information necessary to deliver and secure the website and form.

14. Changes to this notice

This notice may be updated if the application process, service providers or legal requirements change. The version published on this page at the time of submission applies to the application. Material changes will be made visible before further data are collected.

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