The high-pressure environment of performance means that the orchestral world can become highly stressful and competitive – particularly for students and young professionals, and even for amateurs. Rehearsal times in the professional field are short, requiring sharp practical musicianship and repertoire knowledge, and competition for work is high. To gain a decisive edge on the job market, young musicians need a way to bridge the skills gap between college and the professional world.

For 70 years next year, our orchestral courses have offered high-level training through intensive rehearsal. The supportive, non-competitive environment allows players to grow as musicians throughout their adult lives, without the pressure of a public performance. Places on every course are heavily subsidised to enable as many players as possible to benefit from the opportunities we offer, and we award additional course-fee bursaries to young musicians, to remove financial barriers to access.