Run by the award-winning ORA Singers, the programme will see 10 ‘Young Composers’ each receive 10 hours of free one-to-one mentoring from professional composers, who will help them write a brand new choral piece to be performed and recorded by ORA Singers in concert. Halfway through the scheme, Young Composers also get to join ORA Singers for a Workshop, where they’ll be able to hear their ideas and sketches sung by professionals, who will offer specialist tips and advice along with a Guest Composer.
The programme comes to a close with the Final Concert, where the Young Composers have their completed pieces performed by ORA Singers in front of a live audience and a panel of industry experts at the world-famous Three Choirs Festival in Gloucester. Young Composers receive a video recording of the performance to kick-start their portfolios, and are given feedback from the panel. Previous panels have included Stephen Fry, John Rutter, Katie Tearle, Gareth Malone, Susanna Eastburn, Donna McKevitt, and several others.
Pictured top to bottom: The 2022 Young Composers with John Rutter, and a 2019 Young Composer at the Final Concert with Stephen Fry
This year, the scheme will also be welcoming 40 ‘Apprentices’. The Apprentice route runs alongside the Young Composers’, and will see our Apprentices gain first-class coaching in composition through 8 in-depth, online Workshops, free of charge. Apprentices will fast-track their compositional development, and will also gain invaluable insight into the world of professional composition by hearing from experts in the industry.
To apply, applicants simply need to complete an online form and upload an Entry Composition. The deadline to apply is 6th February 2023, and full details can be found on our website.