Although professional in standard, Orchestra Europa is not a professional orchestra as such in that none of our musicians receive fees as members. The primary benefit of being a fellow or associate of Europa is the opportunities and experiences which being a member offers. However, there are additional benefits, including receipt of financial bursaries and scholarships, that are on offer to those who are selected to join the orchestra.
Bursaries
Access is of key importance to Europa and we realise that it costs money for our musicians to take part in the various schemes and programmes that we support. Each of our fellows and associates receives a modest bursary from Europa which is designed to enable our musicians to take part in our events whilst also providing some additional financial support for their studies. Bursaries are calculated on an individual basis to reflect the amount of work that an individual undertakes during the academic year, alongside addition factors such as travel and personal hardship.
In addition to the basic bursary Europa is often able to offer contributions to additional travel expenses and to cover other costs that might be incurred. The Board of Directors meets regularly to consider requests for additional financial support for the Europa musicians and we always try to offer support where we can.
Scholarships
Each year Europa also makes available a number of scholarships worth up to £6,000 per year for extremely gifted musicians who would not be able to take part in Europa’s projects without additional financial support. During the 2010/11 season we can offer up to two scholarships, and these are awarded by audition and interview at the start of each academic year following the main audition and selection process. Scholars are assessed on a number of criteria and these are made available to fellows when they join. In return Europa expects a commitment from scholars to support fully the work of the organisation and to take an active role in the various schemes, events and projects that we promote.
Career Advice
To coincide with the start of the 2010/11 academic year Europa will be launching its new career advice service, providing fellows and associates with additional support in planning their future careers. This includes advising on positions to apply for, CV writing, making applications, audition processes and so on. As an organisation Europa is not just concerned with the ‘here and now’ but also the short- and long-term future, and the future wellbeing of our existing fellows and associates is as important to us as the future of Europa itself.
Eligibility
Full details of who is eligible to apply for a Europa Fellowship or Associateship can be found in the Applications section.
