Northern Chords Festival launches mentorship scheme for early-career musicians
Hattie Fisk
Tuesday, February 8, 2022
Mentees will receive one-to-one training from professional musicians, as well as the opportunity to perform at this year's Northern Chords Festival.
Kaupo Kikkas
Applications are open for Northern Chords’ new mentorship scheme, which is providing four talented musicians with support and training as they enter the profession.
The scheme is searching for one candidate in each category: voice, piano, composition and violin.
Successful candidates will receive one-to-one online sessions with mentors, including RCM professor of singing Ben Johnson; highly acclaimed violinist Hyeyoon Park; previous BBC Young Musician winner, pianist Martin James Bartlett; composer Grace-Evangeline Mason.
Extra sessions with guests, including a Q&A with renowned saxophonist Jess Gillam and a well-being session with Elena Urioste, will also be available for the chosen participants.
The scheme will culminate in a performance opportunity at the 14th Northern Chords Festival in May, in which the four mentees will present a programme they have designed collaboratively.
Conductor Jonathan Bloxham (pictured), who founded the Northern Chords Festival and will lead the scheme, said: ‘The arts sector, and the music industry particularly, has been hit very hard by political and global events of recent years.
‘Nurturing a new generation of talented musicians, many of whom may have missed out on opportunities recently, is essential for the healthy survival of classical music.
‘This is a unique opportunity to work closely with world-leading artists, and our hope is to provide holistic guidance to people who might not otherwise have the access or financial resources.’
Applications are open until 21 February for all early-career performance musicians. All ages and backgrounds are accepted, and there is no cost to apply.
