The next generation of composers: ORA Singers' Young Composers' Showcase at Kings Place

Suzi Digby & ORA Singers at Kings Place

ORA Singers' Young Composers’ Programme was set up in 2019 to tackle the decline in music provision in state schools. Now in its seventh iteration, each year the scheme welcomes 50 students from non-fee-paying schools across the country, who receive free, first-class mentoring in composition with professional composers.

40 applicants are selected to become Apprentices, who are enrolled onto a free course of online, in-depth workshops, with a further ten selected as Young Composers. These receive one-to-one mentoring with a professional composer who develops their skills and areas of need whilst guiding them through the process of writing a new choral piece. Halfway through the scheme, Young Composers join ORA Singers for a workshop, where they have their ideas and sketches tested out by our professional singers alongside a guest composer. Then, finally, there is a Showcase to feature the ten completed pieces.

As of 2025, the Young Composers' programme has benefitted over 250 students, with 190 schools involved. 

This year's ORA Singers Young Composers' Showcase takes place at Kings Place on Friday 31 July at 3pm. Suzi Digby will conduct eight singers from ORA Singers in a programme that combines Robert Parsons' Ave Maria and Phillipe De Monte's Super flumina Babyloni with the 10 Young Composers’ completed pieces, performed and recorded live by ORA Singers in front of a live audience and a panel of industry experts.

There is the chance for the audience to vote for the recipient of the Audience Prize and at the end, after adjudication there is a prize-giving for the winning composers.

Full details from Kings Place website. 

 

To encourage Birmingham’s young people to get involved with creative opportunities & training: Birmingham Opera Company's Voices of the Future

Almost 1 million young people aged 16 to 24 are not in education, employment or training. And in Birmingham, more than double the national average of young people are on Universal Credit and looking for work.  Birmingham Opera Company is launching its Voices of the Future programme to encourage Birmingham’s young people aged 16 to 24 to get involved with creative opportunities and training.

Birmingham Opera Company has been specially selected by Big Give to receive match funding for Voices of the Future. Through Big Give’s Small Charity week, 22nd-29th June, they’re aiming to raise £10,000 to provide opportunities for Birmingham’s young people.

Over the last year, Birmingham Opera Company has been out-and-about speaking to young people and creating networks with youth centres to deliver opportunities. [The company's website has more about this work including Sandwell Creates, and Four Hubs.]

Eager to play their part in building a healthy and creative future for the next generation of artists and creatives, the company is turning all of their resources towards supporting Birmingham’s young people via the Voices of the Future programme. They’ll deliver hands-on training and mentoring for young people, aiming to reduce isolation and disengagement, whilst increasing confidence and building skills.  

Visit birminghamopera.org.uk or BigGive.org to donate from 22 June 2026 at 12 noon to 29 June 2026 at 5pm to give and double your impact!

Bringing the experience & enjoyment of music to children & young people in Yorkshire & beyond: the Richard Shephard Music Foundation's 2026 Music Day

The Richard Shephard Music Foundation's 2026 Music Day takes places on 24 June 2026 at York St John University. During the course of the day, over 400 schoolchildren from across the region will take part in a variety of musical activities, with a programme of diverse workshops from world-class musicians and performers. These include Opera North’s Mini Magic Flute, an interactive workshop from students at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, theatre with Next Door But One and Japanese drumming with Tengu Taiko.

The Foundation was established in 2021 following the death of composer Dr Richard Shephard with the mission of ‘bringing the experience and enjoyment of music to children and young people in Yorkshire and beyond’.  The Foundation focuses on schools in disadvantaged or isolated communities, reaching children at a critical stage in their development, and through its schools programme, they now support weekly music-making for over 10,000 children in 40 schools across Yorkshire.

The Foundation has been providing weekly music lessons in schools across York for the last 5 years. To celebrate their 5-year anniversary, they recently launched their Celebration Choir giving children from across York a chance to come together and sing! The choir is led by Emilie Bels, a qualified teacher and experienced choir leader, who has worked in primary schools for several years delivering fun and inspiring music lessons. The results will be on show this weekend when the choir performs at St Chad's Church (16 May) and York Mela in Museum Gardens (17 May)

Full details from the Foundation's website. 

Winners of the National Centre for Early Music Young Composers Award 2026

NCEM Young Composers Award - Edward Tait, joint winner of the 19 to 25 years category(Photo: Charlie Kirkpatrick)

Winners of the National Centre for Early Music Young Composers Award 2026, presented partnership with BBC Radio 3, were announced at the National Centre for Early Music (NCEM) in York last week. BBC Radio 3 invited aspiring young composers to compose a new song setting for soprano, cornett and keyboard, to be performed by The Gonzaga Band (Jamie Savan cornett; Faye Newton soprano; Steven Devine keyboard).

The composers took inspiration from the music of Claudio Monteverdi and his contemporaries, evoked in The Gonzaga Band’s recently released recital programme Love’s Labyrinth. The song setting explored the theme of love through the relationship between the voice and instruments, setting a poem by Lady Mary Wroth (1587-1651), published in 1621 as part of the sonnet cycle A Crown of Sonnets Dedicated to Love – one of the earliest by a female poet.

In this strange labyrinth how shall I turn?
Ways are on all sides, while the way I miss:
If to the right hand, there, in love I burn;
Let me go forward, therein danger is.
If to the left, suspicion hinders bliss;
Let me turn back, shame cries I ought return,
Nor faint, though crosses with my fortune kiss;
Stand still is harder, although sure to mourn.
Thus let me take the right, or left hand way,
Go forward, or stand still, or back retire:
I must these doubts endure without allay
Or help, but travail find for my best hire.
Yet that which most my troubled sense doth move,
Is to leave all, and take the thread of Love. 

NCEM Young Composers Award - Kat Farn, joint winner of the 19 to 25 years category(Photo: Charlie Kirkpatrick)

The eight young finalists took part in a day of workshops at the National Centre for Early Music’s home St Margaret’s Church, a popular year-round music venue. The sessions were led by composer Professor Christopher Fox, composer and Honorary Professor of Music at the University of York, and The Gonzaga Band, who performed the pieces in a public performance at the venue.

This year there were two winners in the 19 to 25 years category:

Kat Farn with LABYRINTH and Edward Tait with My troubled sense doth move.

The winner in the 18 years and under category was Laura Kesiak with In this strange labyrinth how shall I turn.

The winning compositions will be premiered by The Gonzaga Band in a lunchtime concert at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire on Tuesday 27 October 2026, which will be recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3's Early Music Show and BBC Sounds.

NCEM Young Composers Award - Laura Kesiak, winner of the 18 years and under category (Photo: Charlie Kirkpatrick)

The final was live-streamed an is available on the NCEM website, and on YouTube.

'Music in Motion' and 'Cosmic': National Children's Orchestras present two showcase concerts at Bristol Beacon with Anna Lapwood

National Children's Orchestras (Photo: Paul Blakemore )

Next month, a pair of concerts at Bristol Beacon will showcase the talents of the National Children's Orchestra (NCO). Music in Motion on Sunday 5 April, sees the 12-13 year olds of NCO’s Under 13 Orchestra present the highlights of their first residential of the year with music from Bernstein's West Side Story, Khachaturian's Gayeneh Suite, Borodin's Polovtsian Dances and works by Arturo Marquez and Perez Prado.

On Sunday 12 April, the 13-14 year olds of NCO’s Under 14 Orchestra will conclude their residential week with a performance of their Cosmic programme where they will be joined by organist (and NCO alumna) Anna Lapwood for music by Richard Strauss, Hans Zimmer, John Williams, Holst, Kristina Arakelyan and John Powell's music from How to train your dragon!

Founded in 1978, NCO brings together nearly 2,000 young musicians annually through residential activities, regional projects, and non-auditioned workshops to foster musical, social, and personal development and provide young budding musicians with the environment and opportunities to flourish and perform to their full potential.

Earlier this year NCO announced an ambitious programme of orchestral weeks, weekends and further public concerts in additional locations across Liverpool, Wiltshire and London. With these public concerts, expanded regional activity, new partnerships and a renewed focus on audience development, 2026 marks a significant moment in NCO’s mission to ensure that more children, regardless of background, can experience the transformative impact of music.

Full information from NCO's website.

Easter Music Course for 8 to 13s, new Movement for Musicians & Creative Writing: Guildhall School's programme of Easter Short Courses

Easter Music Course

The Guildhall School offers a wide range courses above and beyond full-time study. There are Summer Evening Courses, Easter Short Courses and Summer Schools, with many courses offered on-line. 

The Easter Short Course programme features 15 short courses, 6 of which are brand new. These include 4 drama courses, 2 new writing courses, 8 music courses and 1 new skills for the creative industry course. The deadline to book for all Easter short courses is 5pm, Thursday 2 April 2026, or when the course reaches full capacity.

The Easter Music Course is for young instrumentalists aged 8 to 13 playing any bowed string, wind, brass or percussion instrument (Grade 1 or above: equivalent to one year's experience), who are looking to gain some ensemble experience in different performance settings including orchestra, small ensembles, and choir. The course culminates in an informal concert for friends and family to showcase the work they have developed during the course, including a piece of original music, which will be created as a group. This course is taught by tutors from Junior Guildhall, led by Spencer Down – Brass Coordinator at Junior Guildhall and Creative Director of Guildhall Young Artists.  

New courses include two in-person three-day Acting Intensive courses, for ages 11 to 14, and 15 to 17, delving into modern industry practice, building upon traditional Stanislavsky-based methods. Another new, in-person course is Movement for Musicians, designed to inspire fresh enthusiasm and awareness for the importance of bodywork and movement in artistic practice.

There is a new Creative Writing for Ages 14-17 led by London writer Annie Hayter, and Writing a Solo Show (for 18+ ) designed to help you create a one-person performance from scratch. Focusing on Skills for Creative Industries, there is a new one-day masterclass, Creative Evaluation Methods.

Whilst all the acting courses are in-person, three of the music courses are on-line. Full details from the Guildhall School's website.

 

 

 

Applications open for The Cumnock Tryst's 2nd International Summer School for Composers with Sir James MacMillan & Brett Dean

Dumfries House where The Cumnock Tryst's 2nd International Summer School for Composers takes place

The Cumnock Tryst's 2nd International Summer School for Composers will run from 22 to 28 August 2026 at Dumfries House. The course will be led by The Cumnock Tryst’s Founder and Artistic Director, Sir James MacMillan, and acclaimed Australian composer and violist, Brett Dean, and for the first time The Cumnock Tryst is partnering with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO), who will provide an octet of musicians to work alongside the composers throughout the week.  

The inaugural course in 2024 attracted composers from across the UK, Europe, North America and China. The 2026 course will offer eight selected composers an exceptional opportunity to develop their craft throughout the week under the guidance of MacMillan and Dean as well as giving participants the invaluable experience of hearing their works shaped and rehearsed by professional orchestral musicians in real time. 

Sir James MacMillan commented: "The Cumnock Tryst is committed to encouraging the composers of today at all levels, from the very young in our East Ayrshire home to advanced international students at the beginning of their careers. The course also signals The Cumnock Tryst’s intentions to amplify our international standing and impact in the world of contemporary music."

Te course will culminate on Friday 28 August in a public performance of the new works at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall’s New Auditorium at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, presenting the eight compositions created during the course, performed by the RSNO ensemble.

The course is open to composers aged 18 and older. There is no maximum age limit, reflecting The Cumnock Tryst’s commitment to making the course as inclusive and accessible as possible. Applications should be submitted via the Cumnock Tryst website 

The vision of a healthier, higher-achieving future: In Harmony Liverpool Philharmonic recognised by Association of British Orchestras with their Impact Award

In Harmony Liverpool 13 Birthday Concert, 2022 (Photo: Mark McNulty)

Launched in February 2009, In Harmony Liverpool Philharmonic uses orchestral music making to improve the life chances of children by increasing confidence, wellbeing, skills and resilience, enhanced by opportunities to travel, learn, perform and collaborate with professional musicians, international artists and other young people. In Harmony Liverpool Philharmonic’s vision is a healthier, higher-achieving future for North Liverpool.  The programme enables over 1,800 children and young people aged 0–18 to learn music every week, free of charge. 

This week, the Liverpool Philharmonic's work with the programme was recognised when they were awarded the Impact Award for Learning and Development by the Association of British Orchestras for the In Harmony Liverpool Philharmonic programme.    

The programme reaches communities experiencing socio-economic disadvantage and works closely with schools and local partners to provide safe spaces where young people can make music and develop essential life skills, equipping them for broader educational and social outcomes.

This year, Liverpool Philharmonic is expanding its 11–18s programme, with new Youth Hubs opening across the city, including Walton, Kensington, Central Liverpool and Bootle. Designed in consultation with young people, In Harmony Youth Hubs support those for whom formal education can be challenging. They provide safe, welcoming spaces to make music, spend time with friends and access high-quality musical, creative and technical opportunities — all completely free of charge. 

Further details from the In Harmony Liverpool Philharmonic website.

Rhapsodies and Variations: the current cohort of LSO Conservatoire Scholars show what they are capable of in their showcase recital at LSO St Luke's

LSO Conservatoire Scholarships 2026 showcase at LSO St Luke's

Last night, 2 February 2026, was the LSO Conservatoire Scholarships 2026 showcase at LSO St Luke's when this year's LSO Conservatoire Scholars gave a recital featuring music by Paganini, Stravinsky, Glinka, Jessie Montgomery, Lutoslawski, Ernst Sachse, Madeleine Dring, Franck Angelis and Bottesini.

Launched in 2023, the LSO Conservatoire Scholarships aim to ensure that musicians of all backgrounds have access to conservatoire training. Each year, the LSO awards ten new individuals with scholarships to contribute to living and maintenance whilst studying, lasting for the duration of their postgraduate course. There are also professional development opportunities with mentoring, coaching, side-by-side rehearsal and performance opportunities.

Deniz Sensoy - LSO Conservatoire Scholarships 2026 showcase at LSO St Luke's

So far, the scheme has supported over 31 artists and applications are now open for the 2026/2027 cohort. Before the recital, we heard from three previous scholars about how significant the support from the scheme was in terms of allowing them space to concentrate on their postgraduate study without the pressure to teach and work as well.

The recital featured 17 of the 18 artists in the current cohort with a diverse range of instruments including seven violinists, a double bass player, pianists, a harpist, an accordionist and a trombonist. Entitled Rhapsodies and Variations, the recital had these two forms threading their way through the music, with Paganini also a feature.

We began with a passionate account of Paganini's famous Caprice No. 24 from violinist Deniz Sensoy, then pianist Nikita Demidenko demonstrated virtuosity of a different type with Guido Agosti's positively outrageous transcription of the Danse Infernale from Stravinsky's Firebird. In a rather more civilised style, Tannaz Beigi demonstrated great poise with Glinka's Variations on a theme of Mozart for solo harp.

Violinist Ugnė Liepa Žuklytė made Jessie Montgomery's Rhapsody No. 2 for solo violin into something vivid and up-front, relishing the cascades of notes. Violinist Alix Vaillot-Szwarc and pianist Alexander Doronin gave us a forceful, passionate account of Bartok's Rhapsody No. 1. The first half ended with an element of wit and whimsy when pianists Mikhail Kaploukhii and Kasparas Mikužis played Lutoslawski's Variations on a Theme by Paganini.

During the interval there was a panel discussion with Kathryn McDowell (managing director of the LSO), violinist Olwen Miles (one of the current cohort of scholars), violinist Maxine Kwok (from the LSO), Jonathan Vaughan (principal of the Guildhall School), and James Williams (principal of the Royal College of Music). Miles emphasised the difference the scholarships made, allowing the recipients time to work at lessons and absorb information properly. Kwok pointed out that when she was a student, the only aim was to be a better violinist, but nowadays, players need to be so much more than that.

Vaughan used a football analogy, commenting that in expecting postgraduate musicians to study and work meant we were expecting Premiership players to work in non-League conditions. Williams highlighted the differences between London and the areas outside where availability of good teachers can be a problem.

The creative industries in the UK brought in 125 billion, and if we want to preserve that share of the creative economy we need to train for it.

Nikolai Demidenko, José Pedro Teixeira - LSO Conservatoire Scholarships 2026 showcase at LSO St Luke's

The second half began with something of a novelty for the non-trombonists in the audience, the Allegro Moderato final movement of Ernst Sachse's Trombone Concertino in B flat played by bass trombone player José Pedro Teixeira and pianist Nikolai Demidenko. Sachse (1813-1890) was a German trombonist and composer who was based in Weimar, worked with Liszt and played in the premiere of Wagner's Lohengrin. The movement from the concertino proved to be a delightfully jaunty piece, the progressively more complex variations putting a smile on your face.

Another lesser known piece was Madeleine Dring's Three Fantastic Variations on 'Lilliburlero' for two pianos, played by Radu-Gabriel Stoica (from the current cohort of scholars) and Michael McHale from the LSO. We heard the final two variations, the first richly romantic and the second full of perky wit.

Accordionist Alise Siliņa played the Fantasie on a Theme of Piazzolla - Chiquilin de Bachin by the French accordionist and composer Franck Angelis (born 1962). A piece that was full of melancholy romanticism alongside some lovely detailed writing for the instrument. Giovanni Bottesini (1821-1889) is known for a handful of virtuoso works for the double bass, though I also discovered that he conducted the premiere of Verdi's Aida in Cairo. His Grand duo concertante is perhaps one of his best known piece. Here played by Iohan Coman (violin), Strahinja Mitrović (double bass) and Henry Lewis (piano), it was a piece that combined fun with virtuosity, especially watching Mitrovic's left hand dashing all over the fingerboard and producing all manner of dazzling notes.

Strahinja Mitrovic - LSO Conservatoire Scholarships 2026 showcase at LSO St Luke's

We ended with a bit more fun. Irish composer Paul Frost's arrangement of Paganini's Caprice No.24 for four violins, here played by three of the current cohort, Olwen Miles, Emil Hartikainen and Elfida Su Turan plus Maxine Kwok from the LSO. Not so much a transcription as a reworking, Frost gives a catchy jazz-slant to Paganini's piece. Great fun.

But that wasn't the end and everyone joined together for a stirring rendition of the famous slow variation from Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini.

ORA Singers opens applications for its 7th Young Composers' programme for students at non fee-paying schools across the UK

The 2025 Young Composers' Workshop with ORA Singers

The vocal ensemble, ORA Singers, has opened applications for its seventh national Young Composers' programme. This offers secondary students free composition coaching with professional composers, and the chance to have their music performed and recorded in concert by ORA Singers. It is open to students in years 7-13 at non fee-paying schools across the UK, welcoming 50 students each year onto the programme. The scheme has now mentored over 250 students across the UK from a whole variety of backgrounds.

Young Composers: 

• Receive the flagship package of one-to-one coaching with professional composers, who guide them through the process of writing a new piece
• Attend a Workshop with ORA Singers and a professional composer, where they have their ideas and sketches sung by our professional musicians who offer tailored feedback
• Write a new piece which ORA Singers perform and record in concert
• Receive a video recording of their new piece + feedback from a panel of industry experts.

Apprentices: 

• Receive first-class mentoring through a course of online Zoom workshops with composer, Rory Wainwright Johnston
• Receive coaching on composition skills, history, harmony, texture, writing for voices, and more
• Receive regular feedback on tasks and compositions
• Opportunities to meet with professional composers and undergraduates to learn about the music industry, and gain tips on applying to University/Conservatoire. 

Full details from ORA Singers' website. 

The Benedetti Foundation on this week's BBC Radio 4 appeal

The Radio 4 Appeal is a weekly 3-minute programme highlighting the work of a charity and appealing for donations to support its activities. 

This week the focus is on the Benedetti Foundation, with a short feature with violinist Nicola Benedetti broadcast on Sunday 18 January 2026 and repeated on Thursday. 

You can also catch the feature on BBC Sounds, and you can also catch a celebratory video on the Foundation's Instagram page.

You can give to the appeal on the BBC Radio 4 appeal page. 

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York-based music charity, the Richard Shephard Music Foundation celebrates its most successful year to date.

The Richard Shephard Music Foundation (RSMF), the York-based music charity founded in 2021 to bring 'the experience and enjoyment of music to children and young people in Yorkshire and beyond’ is celebrating its most successful year to date. Over 8,685 children received weekly music lessons through partnerships with 34 schools across Yorkshire and Tees Valley, which marks significant progress in the Foundation's goal to teach 10,000 children every week by 2026 - a target that will mean almost one in seven primary-aged children in the region will have regular access to high-quality music education.

Key Highlights from the Foundation’s 2024–25 Impact Report:

• 8,685 children received weekly music lessons, totalling 8,250 hours of high-quality music education.
• 34 partner schools participated – including new additions in East Yorkshire, Saltburn, Darlington, Richmond, and Selby.
• 450 children joined the Foundation’s biggest-ever Make Music Day, celebrating creativity and collaboration through live workshops and performances.
• 10 free “Music Explorers” holiday clubs reached 263 children, with an average of 57% eligible for Free School Meals – rising to 85% in Scarborough.
• 1,943 children took part in Foundation-led events, concerts, and community performance

Independent evaluations and teacher feedback revealed transformative results:

• 99% of staff reported improved confidence among pupils.
• 97% saw enhanced musical knowledge.
• 92% observed improvements in wellbeing.
• 94% said their school’s standard of music teaching had improved.

The recent Child of the North report from N8 Research Partnership [see the report] found that 93% of children are being excluded from arts and cultural education due to a lack of funding in state schools, with almost half (42%) of secondary schools no longer entering pupils for GCSE Music.

Full details of the Richard Shephard Music Foundation's from their website.

National Centre for Early Music & BBC Radio 3 announce the 2026 Young Composers Award writing for The Gonzaga Band

The Gonzaga Band

Each year the National Centre for Early Music Young Composers Award 2026 is presented by the National Centre for Early Music in association with BBC Radio 3 and for the 2026 instalment young composers will be working with musicians of The Gonzaga Band, specialists of late Renaissance and early Baroque repertoire.

Young composers are invited to compose a new song setting for soprano, cornett and keyboard, to be performed by the outstanding Gonzaga Band: (Jamie Savan cornett; Faye Newton soprano, Steven Devine keyboard). The song should take inspiration from the music of Claudio Monteverdi and his contemporaries, evoked in The Gonzaga Band’s recently released recital programme Love’s Labyrinth. Candidates should write a song setting that explores the theme of love through the relationship between the voice and instruments, setting a poem by Lady Mary Wrath, a contemporary of Shakespeare.

Composers selected for the final are invited to a collaborative workshop day in York on 16 April 2026, led by composer Christopher Fox and the members of The Gonzaga Band. This will be followed by a public performance of all the selected compositions at the National Centre for Early Music. 

The winning entries will be premiered by The Gonzaga Band in a lunchtime concert at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire on Tuesday 27 October 2026, which will be recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3's Early Music Show and BBC Sounds. 

The award is open to young composers up to the age of 25 resident in the UK and is divided into two categories: 18 years and under and 19 to 25 years.

Full details from the competition website. 

The Sixteen Ignite, a new, fully-funded, dedicated talent pathway for young singers

The Sixteen has announced a new strand to its Learning & Participation programme which seeks to support young singers in finding a pathway into choral music. The Sixteen Ignite features a new Academy, an extension of the existing Talent Development Programme and a set of digital resources.

The Sixteen Ignite: Academy is a new fully funded programme for singers aged 14 – 18 to gain experience in working in training environments, and to prepare them for working in programmes designed for young singers, such as Genesis Sixteen. The Academy will support 44 young people who show exceptional potential but who have faced barriers in accessing training in choral music. 

The Sixteen Ignite: Inspire will build on The Sixteen’s Talent Development programme, a collaborative partnership between The Sixteen and youth choirs across the UK. This partnership sees The Sixteen provide workshops to support young singers in established youth choirs. The Talent Development programme will continue to partner with new and existing choirs, with a new influx of funding to enable the programme to reach as wide a demographic of young people as possible. 

The Sixteen Ignite: Digital is a set of free digital resources which will be distributed to primary and secondary schools across the UK, allowing students the opportunity to sing virtually with the renowned choir. 

New research shows that access to live music making can be the key to success in any career path: new survey from Making Music & Association of British Orchestras

 

Photo Credit: Royal Scottish National Orchestra © John Young

A new survey has found that people who followed a career in the sciences, education and finance found it particularly beneficial to have access to music education in schools. The Association of British Orchestras (ABO) is raising awareness of the social and economic impact music education has on the UK and its industries. As part of the #AnOrchestraInEverySchool initiative, the ABO and its members are reaching out to children & young people who will be choosing their GCSE and A-Level subjects for the 2026 academic year and beyond, to show how impactful taking part in live music can be regardless of your chosen profession.

Making Music recently conducted a survey in collaboration with the ABO of 900 adult leisure-time musicians aged 18 or over.  This found that many transferable skills including practice and perseverance (89%), focus and concentration (87%) and teamwork and collaboration (85%) proved vital in respondents’ career paths. 

Over three quarters of those surveyed found that performance and presentation were essential skills that they developed through music education, with one respondent saying “I benefited enormously from getting over stage fright at a young enough age to make a difference, as otherwise I would have been too shy to be a doctor”.

•  Close to half of respondents use the transferable skills developed through music education in non-music or non-STEM professions, while 28% found their transferable skills valuable in their STEM career (STEM - Science, Technology, Engineer, Mathematics)
• 79% respondents play in an ensemble, orchestra or band
• 72% regularly go to concerts and 78% listen to music at home – many of those surveyed believed that having access to live music in their life has helped them achieve a positive work-life balance
• The most common sectors in which respondents worked were financial services, medicine (including consultants and specialists), emergency services and religion.
• Of those surveyed, 37% studied Music to A-Level qualification or equivalent (16+), while a third (32%) studied music education in secondary school (11-16) without formal assessment. Just 2% had access to live music making during primary school years only (4-11).

A second survey of 2000 adults, conducted by the Orchestra in the Age of Enlightenment and Opinium, revealed that  64% of respondents believe that cutting arts in schools harms children’s confidence and communication, with almost half describing the arts as one of the most valuable parts of their school experience, a figure climbing to 61% for Gen Z.

Barbara Eifler, Chief Executive, Making Music, says: "We are delighted to have this opportunity to showcase how valuable and appreciated music education is by adults who have chosen careers other than music or the performing arts. Famously, Einstein was an excellent violinist and credited his playing with helping him problem solve and think creatively – many of us may not be at that level of genius, but the data we have gathered demonstrate the very real positive impact of music in school on people’s later lives and careers.  We – and our members - strongly support #AnOrchestrainEverySchool, to open up the benefits of early access to music to all young people in the UK."

Full details from the ABO website.

Sing for Pleasure, the UK’s leading provider of choral conductor training, launches its newly updated Choral Conductor Training Programme

Sing for Pleasure training in action (Photo: Simon King)

This month, Sing for Pleasure, the UK’s leading provider of choral conductor training, launched its newly updated Choral Conductor Training Programme. The Programme, is an expansion and development on existing courses and builds on 60 years of expertise in the field.

The new programme starts with an Essentials module and then there are four levels - Consolidating, Developing, Enriching and Extending. The programme is built around four key aspects of learning:

• Preparation & Planning – the work done before rehearsal
• Teaching – how to run effective rehearsals and teach music
• Gesture – conducting techniques for both rehearsal and performance
• Leadership – developing the skills to inspire and guide singers

Courses are offered in flexible formats, including weekend workshops, four-day programmes, and the annual Summer School. The new training programme is led by expert tutors who are professional musicians with real-world experience from across the UK.

Sing for Pleasure was founded in 1964, and was inspired by the international French-based organisation A Coeur Joie. The organisation aims to encourage people of all ages to enjoy singing. It is the largest provider of choral conductor training in the UK and prides itself on delivering programmes and events that develop choral and musicianship skills. 

Full details from the Sing for Pleasure website.

The National Children’s Choir of Great Britain in Bromsgrove and Birmingham

National Children’s Choir of Great Britain’s Senior Choir performing in Bromsgrove in 2024

The National Children’s Choir of Great Britain’s (NCCGB) Senior Choir will perform a free lunchtime concert in St John’s Church, Bromsgrove on Wednesday 6 August 2025. The concert is at 2.30pm and audience members can simply turn up. Dan Ludford-Thomas, NCCGB’s Musical Director, conducts a programme designed to showcase the versatility of the choir. 

The programme includes music from Josquin and Schutz, to Mozart and Debussy, plus contemporary pieces by Cecilia McDowall and Carl Rütti, gospel choir songs and even an arrangement of Starlight by the French electronic music producer The Superman Lovers. 

Children accepted into NCCGB participate in two courses per year, intensive weeks of singing. The NCCGB choirs sing a wide range of diverse repertoire and members learn choral discipline, musicality, vocal techniques and practical skills such as taking care of their voice. They also receive one-on-one singing lessons with a singing teacher. There are performance opportunities in public concerts in prestigious venues in the UK, and on choral tours abroad. 

Auditions are held every Autumn for entry into the next year. Audition dates for 2025 will be announced later this Summer.   

The Bromsgrove concert falls just days before all 200 voices of all four of NCCGB’s choirs take to the stage at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire for their annual Summer Concert (Saturday 9 August, 3.30pm). Tickets for this concert may be booked via the Conservatoire's website.

Foxtrot: Shostakovich’s Jazz Suite No.1, arranged by Paul Campbell performed by mass orchestra (featuring over 200 young musicians) at Benedetti Foundation's London Sessions with Wynton Marsalis

Following an inspiring weekend at the Southbank Centre for the Benedetti Foundation's London Sessions, the mass orchestra (featuring over 200 young musicians) performed a new arrangement by Paul Campbell of Shostakovich’s Jazz Suite No.1, including an improvised solo from Wynton Marsalis! This performance was the culmination of the weekend’s work.

Led by violinist Nicola Benedetti, the London Sessions bring together young musicians and teachers for high-energy, high-inspiration workshops that explore everything from storytelling and improvisation to sound production and musical expression. This year’s guests included jazz trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis, and saxophonist and presenter Jess Gillam.

Further details from the Benedetti Foundation website.

450 children celebrate & take part in a wide variety of music: Richard Shephard Music Foundation's annual Make Music Day in York

Richard Shephard Music Foundation's annual Make Music Day in York

Over 450 school children gathered last week (25 June) at York St John University for a day of inspiring music as the Richard Shephard Music Foundation hosted its annual Make Music Day. The event brought together over 450 primary school children from across the region to celebrate and take part in a wide variety of music.

There were hands-on workshops ranging from Beatboxing to Trinidadian Percussion, intergenerational music workshops with organisation Musical Connections and interactive performances from Back Chat Brass and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire’s Learning and Engagement Orchestra. 

Since the Foundation was established in memory of composer Dr Richard Shephard in 2021, over 7,500 children have received weekly subsidised music lessons, 15 music specialists have been recruited to work in our schools and 800 places have been provided at free music holiday clubs.

Full details from the Foundation's website.

Festival of Musical Ideas: Gresham College holds inaugural festival fusing music with science and the humanities

Gresham College is hosting the inaugural Festival of Musical Ideas on Friday 20 June 2025 at the college in Barnard’s Inn Hall, Holborn. Gresham Professors will present a day of learning, exploration and music, fusing music with science and the humanities.

Milton Mermikides, Gresham College’s Professor of Music, commented: "By bringing together leading thinkers from across science, humanities, and the arts, the festival invites us to explore music not just as sound, but as a shared and profound way of understanding the world."

The day concludes with a lecture from Sky at Night presenter Professor Chris Lintott (the current Gresham Professor of Astronomy) which explores historic and contemporary musical representations of astronomical data while exploring astro-sonification in black hole radiation and exoplanetary systems.

During the day, Professor Robin May asks if music is an extension of evolution, and why music can evoke strong emotions; Professor Morten Kringelbach, neuroscientist and the founding director of the Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing, talks to Milton Mermikides about music in the brain; Professor Melissa Lane explores Ancient Greek philosophies on music; and Gresham College’s Acting Provost Professor Sarah Hart explores the connections between music and mathematics.

Founded in 1597 by Sir Thomas Gresham, Gresham College has been providing free, educational lectures to Londoners for over 400 years from a lineage of leading professors and experts in their field who have included Christopher Wren, Robert Hooke, Iannis Xenakis and Sir Roger Penrose. 

Entry to every lecture is free and they will be streamed online, people can attend as much or as little as they like. Full details from the college website.