In an age of distraction and anxiety, live orchestral music provides a whole world of meaning, connection and joy. But the majority of people are missing out: fewer than 8% of England’s adults attend a classical concert each year, and just 7% of classical audiences are likely to be aged under 31. A crisis in music education means that children have less access to music at school and in 2023, the number of students taking GCSE music hit an all-time low.

Aurora creates exceptional and inclusive music experiences for audiences of all ages. We engage a broad, cross-generational audience through our ‘Orchestral Theatre’ series, in which performances are infused with staging, movement, memorisation and storytelling, helping to break down barriers to the music. And we place great focus on engaging children with music, through live performances for families and schools, and our ‘Aurora Classroom’ programme of learning resources and teacher training.