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There is no fee to apply or audition for Southbank Sinfonia’s fellowship.

Yes. Demand for places in Southbank Sinfonia is high and sometimes players who eventually gain a place in the orchestra were unsuccessful on their first or second attempt. If you have applied before but feel you have made good progress since then and would like to try again, please do not give up. When applying, it is important that you tell us in your form what new things you have done musically and how you have progressed since your last application.

Southbank Sinfonia's Fellowship is an intense programme of activity, so it is not practical to be part of the orchestra whilst still studying. We strongly recommend that you either apply for the year following graduation or wait to apply once you have graduated. In exceptional circumstances we may consider an application from a student, but you must arrange for your Head of Faculty or whoever runs your degree course to send us a detailed letter about your situation, vouching that they are willing for you to put Southbank Sinfonia ahead of studies next year.

Officially there is no age limit for Southbank Sinfonia though principally we are here to help people in the first few years of their career, so most members are usually in their twenties. Some have just graduated or completed equivalent training, but others have already been working for a few years, so you can still apply even if you left education a while ago.

This is rare but we are happy to have a conversation about it. It may be that we can help you decide which would be the best instrument to apply on based on your experience so far, or – in exceptional circumstances – we may be able to accept two applications from one person. If you would like to talk about this, please contact us at auditions[AT]southbanksinfonia[DOT]co[DOT]uk and we can chat further.

Many Southbank Sinfonia players have completed an undergraduate or postgraduate music degree in the UK and are therefore familiar with living and working in a major UK city, but each year we also welcome players who have studied abroad and those who have taken an alternative route to get to where they are now outside of formal education.

If you are not a British national and do not have existing permission to settle in the UK under the EU settlement scheme or other valid leave to remain in the UK, you will need to acquire a visa to enable you to undertake the Southbank Sinfonia programme. We have authorisation from the UK Home Office to assist a limited number of musicians to gain a visa to move to the UK for the duration of the Southbank Sinfonia programme via the ‘Temporary Work – Creative worker’ UK visa route. We encourage applicants to arrange their own visas wherever this is possible (for example via the Youth Mobility Visa Scheme). If you are not able to arrange a visa for yourself which enables you to live and work in the UK for the period of Southbank Sinfonia’s programme, we will do all we can to arrange a visa on your behalf within the limits permitted to us by the UK Visa & Immigration service, however we are unable to guarantee that we will be able take your application forward, as a result of these limitations. You are warmly welcome to contact us at auditions[AT]southbanksinfonia[DOT]co[DOT]uk to discuss this in more detail if you are not sure of what is required.

As you are likely aware, Britain left the European Union on 31 January 2020. Therefore, musicians based in the EU or EEA will need a visa in order to participate fully in our 2024 – 25 Fellowship. We are committed to continuing to welcome musicians of all nationalities, both from the EU and beyond. At the heart of Southbank Sinfonia is an amazing collection of cultures, languages and personalities that make our orchestra all the stronger. As an organisation, we are actively committed to the principle that music transcends borders and that dedicated musicians from overseas have much to contribute to Britain’s diverse musical heritage, just as British musicians do abroad. We will keep doing all we can to ensure talented young musicians can join us and make a positive impact in Britain. As a result, we hope you will apply for Southbank Sinfonia. If you have any concerns relating to Brexit and would like to talk to one of the team, we are very happy to hear from you.

Yes. All of our team, guest artists and partner organisations converse and write in English, so it’s vital that you have very good use and understanding of the language.

In order for you, and all your fellow players, to get the greatest value from being part of Southbank Sinfonia, we do expect you to commit to the whole programme from September to August. Our usual working pattern allows you many Mondays, Fridays, and weekends to pursue your other career interests. Occasionally some concerts and workshops fall on these days, but we will provide you with a list of these ‘dates to note’ when first joining, and then in good notice throughout the year.

If you already have musical commitments planned for next year, you can tell us about these at your interview and we can address together whether you would be able to fulfil them. During the programme, if you get a work opportunity with a notable professional ensemble, venue or festival that is likely to make a genuine difference to your orchestral career prospects – such as an audition, trial, or concert with a major orchestra – we will always consider the possibility of granting you an ‘NA’ (not available) meaning that you can miss some activities to facilitate this, with a relative deduction to your bursary. Naturally, we expect you to participate as much as possible in the programme - principally so you can derive all the skills, insights and experience that being a full member of Southbank Sinfonia offers - so NAs cannot always be granted, but we always aim to help you in the best way we can.

The fellowship provides unparalleled opportunities to gain crucial orchestral experience and the skills that a 21^st century musician needs to thrive. In addition to orchestral music, there will be many opportunities to rehearse and perform chamber repertoire at our base and at prestigious venues further afield. You will also have the chance to be considered for a concerto performance with the orchestra during the programme.

In addition to being part of an orchestra, we are also mindful that each of you will have individual professional goals. These are determined by you at the beginning of the programme, with regular opportunities to reflect on your progress with our Artist Development Manager throughout the fellowship.

Presenting to an audience or networking with potential funders can be a daunting prospect for many musicians. Workshops led by actors and voice-coach specialists will help you build the technical skills and confidence to speak fluently in a variety of contexts, from the concert hall to receptions. You will also have the opportunity to contribute to marketing materials, with coaching from our Communications team in video production, blog writing and social media. Networking opportunities are rife throughout the year, helping you to make new contacts who will prove invaluable throughout your career.

The ability to communicate in a passionate and engaging manner to audiences of all ages is vital for musicians. It is every musician’s responsibility to help ignite a love for classical music among new generations. Just as with every professional orchestra, this forms a crucial area of activity for us and is something all players need to embrace enthusiastically. Many projects will see you create and devise your own content, helping you to build the skills and confidence to lead workshops and projects in the future.

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In April 2021 Southbank Sinfonia merged with London concert venue St John’s Smith Square in Westminster, central London. This fantastic collaboration offers a permanent home for the orchestral fellowship, and many of our rehearsals and concerts will take place here going forwards. Being based in this popular venue also means that Southbank Sinfonia players benefit from close connections with other external musicians and community groups who regularly come to perform at St John’s Smith Square.

However, throughout the course of the fellowship, the orchestra will perform all around London, the UK and beyond; we have strong links with the likes of the Royal Opera House and the Southbank Centre in London, Marlborough, Guernsey, and Anghiari in Italy…to name a few!

Southbank Sinfonia players are expected to find their own accommodation for the year. We strongly recommend you find somewhere within Greater London, so you do not have to travel excessively; this is especially important on occasions when we have concerts at venues around the UK and return very late at night to London when much of the local transport has shut down and only night-buses across the city and taxis are available. Often Southbank Sinfonia players live with friends or other young people in flats or house shares; others rent rooms from families or individuals who are happy to accommodate young artists. If you have difficulty finding somewhere to stay, we can usually help make some connections for you.

If you know anybody who has been in Southbank Sinfonia in recent years, we strongly recommend you ask them about being in the orchestra: they will be able to give you a good impression of the many opportunities it involves and the commitment it requires.

Team spirit is one of the most important ingredients of Southbank Sinfonia, so there is a very friendly atmosphere not just among the orchestra, but also with the staff who are all here to help you excel, and our family of supporters whose generosity and belief in your potential helps make Southbank Sinfonia happen every year.

Being a professional orchestral musician is demanding work. The programme is therefore action-packed and features some long days and late nights, but every year players build up the energy needed to thrive, standing them in good stead for a career in music. At the start of the year, we will spend our initial days in London plunging into repertoire for our first concerts alongside activities that help shed inhibitions and enable us to start feeling like a real team. Early in the programme, we have a short residency out of London developing our sense of ensemble, delving into chamber music and creative workshops. We could tell you more about what it’s like being in Southbank Sinfonia, but if you know people who have already been part of it, make sure you ask them. Here’s what some recent members have to say:

‘My experience with Southbank Sinfonia has surpassed my expectations. I had anticipated a busy and rewarding programme but never could have expected to have taken on as many exciting and interesting artistic challenges such as those undertaken over the past nine months.’ Jonny Abraham, trumpet

‘I never expected to have such a fantastic time or be able to say I'd played so many major London venues. The repertoire we played particularly exceeded my expectations, as did the standard of the players involved.’ Luke Russell, flute

‘My expectations were to cover a large amount of repertoire and to see what life in a professional orchestral job would be like. Southbank Sinfonia has met my expectations and far, far more - I think the opportunities I have had this year have been incredible and I feel very lucky to have had them.’ Letty Stott, horn