Orchestral Artistry in association with the London Symphony Orchestra (commencing September 2013).

The Orchestral Artistry specialism will be delivered in association with the London Symphony Orchestra.

In addition members of the Barbican International Associates (Concertgebouw, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic Orchestra) will deliver a number of Masterclasses each year to add an international element to the provision, exploring the differences in playing styles and sound worlds of the various orchestras. There will also be opportunities for one-off projects with their artistic directors, such as took place in 2010 with Gustav Dudamel. 

A highly distinctive and ground-breaking specialism, it is designed to attract the very finest students from around the world to work alongside LSO players, international artists/conductors and Guildhall School professors in a context akin to a professional environment. The aim is to produce fully rounded, excellent musicians who have acquired the professional and entrepreneurial skills, knowledge and capability to become high achieving 21st century musicians.

The programme is focused on excellence in 1) performance, 2) core musicianship and 3) leadership and communication, and will explore the diverse skills required to become a modern professional ensemble player; a musician with a high level of leadership skills who is equally at home in a symphony orchestra as they are in a trio, or as a soloist, in a recording studio, managing and promoting their own concerts, speaking publicly or delivering education and community work.

The programme will not only feature LSO coaching and mentoring, but students will be given the opportunity, where appropriate, to play in LSO schools and family concerts, conducting masterclass series, as well as to participate in outreach work alongside LSO Discovery staff.  In addition, LSO players will play side-by-side in student rehearsals or public workshops (but not in performances as this would change the nature of the School’s concert presentation).

The student cohort will be between 60 and 70. This will enable the core group to form a large chamber orchestra as well as string ensembles, wind ensembles and brass ensembles, finally leading to full symphony work supplemented by numbers from other postgraduate programmes and the undergraduate 3rd and 4th years. 

The cohort may be formed into smaller groups for performances and also for work on community and outreach projects, whilst learning the processes involved in delivery of such programmes alongside professionals from LSO Discovery and Creative Learning.