Classical Futures is Orchestra Europa’s core programme for talented young instrumentalists, who are in the final stages of full-time education and on the cusp of a professional career. Working with higher education institutions, including all of the major British conservatoires, Orchestra Europa offers students the opportunity to round out their education by participating in seasons of professional-quality performances, by receiving coaching and mentoring from practising orchestral musicians and, through the Europa Juniors programme, by tutoring schoolchildren.
Each year, up to 72 musicians are selected, working either as a Fellow or an Associate, depending on their level of achievement and the availability permitted by their studies. The majority of students participate for one or two years, although membership may extend to three years. Classical Futures Fellowships and Associateships are effectively apprenticeships in the art of orchestral playing.
All Fellows and Associates participate in Orchestra Europa’s annual season of public concerts at major venues in the UK. In their studies, many musicians concentrate primarily on solo and chamber performance, but Orchestra Europa seeks to promote orchestral playing as an art in its own right, thus putting Fellows and Associates at a decisive advantage when launching a career as an orchestral player. The New World Symphony has proved that its musicians can typically expect to find permanent positions much earlier in their careers than those players who have not enjoyed these opportunities.
Orchestra Europa’s concerts take place at three points during the academic year, timed to dovetail with college and university terms. In preparation for these concerts the musicians benefit from workshops and rehearsals led by experienced musicians in the Classical Futures Mentoring Scheme. To date these have included players from the London Symphony Orchestra, Welsh National Opera, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Each Fellow or Associate is also assigned a personal mentor for the academic year. The mentor provides support by playing along in rehearsals and performances, advising on instrumental technique and other musical matters and leading small workshops.
In the longer term, Orchestra Europa hopes to create a new generation of mentors; players who have themselves been Fellows and Associates, who will return to share their skills and experience with subsequent participants in the Classical Futures programme.
