Coming of age: London Philharmonic Orchestra Foyle Future Firsts

In many ways, our teenage years can be our most musically enriched. There are orchestras, chamber ensembles and choirs for us to throw ourselves into. When we enter higher education, those opportunities become greater still, thanks to a wealth of university societies or music conservatoire training on offer. But what happens after that when we free fall into the world of work? Many find themselves at sea, unsure of where to start with carving out a portfolio career as a musician. Performance opportunities become harder to come by and the realities of the cost of music lessons suddenly much starker.

This is why the London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) founded its Foyle Future Firsts annual development programme 18 years ago. For musicians sitting in that strange liminal space between higher education and the world of work, the scheme offers an opportunity to equip individuals with the tools they need to thrive as they embark on an orchestral career.

Unique opportunities

Since its inception, roughly 280 musicians have ascended through its ranks, many of whom have gone on to take up posts in leading orchestras in the UK and Europe. ‘Name an orchestra or opera company in the UK and there'll be a former Foyle Future Firsts (FFF) participant in its ranks,’ says Talia Lash, the programme's interim education and community director. This isn't just speculation: it's fact. In anticipation of its anniversary celebrations, the London Philharmonic did some research into its alumni. They found that 88 per cent are now working professionally as musicians, with 25 per cent holding professional orchestral positions in the UK or Europe.

The yearlong programme is an apprenticeship for budding orchestral musicians, offering lessons with the LPO principals and the ability to sit in on LPO rehearsals, take part in performances, enjoy free tickets to LPO concerts, get involved with education and community programmes, and engage in professional development workshops. These unique opportunities are the next step for those leaving higher education. ‘People might have played in conservatoire orchestras, but this is something else,’ says Lash. ‘They are trained in a real-world environment.’

Tailored training

Sitting in on a professional orchestra's rehearsal is not something usually available to the general public, but it's an experience that allows scheme participants to get to know new and established repertoire and learn about how professional orchestras rehearse under different conductors. For bassoonist Patrick Bolton, who was part of the 2019/20 intake of the programme, these rehearsals were invaluable. ‘Having studied with the orchestra's principal bassoon, it was particularly useful to be able to see everything he had taught me put into action in LPO rehearsals,’ he says. ‘It was also a really welcoming atmosphere, which has made a huge difference to how comfortable I feel on stage, in rehearsals, and backstage.’

These lessons with principal musicians are also said to be one of the most valuable aspects of the programme, with participants given eight hours of tuition over the year. ‘They work on whatever they'd like to work on, and are given tailored personal attention to their playing,’ says Lash. What's even more beneficial is that often these relationships continue beyond the scheme. ‘The musicians and their mentors will often encounter each other again. The LPO principals take them under their wing and if there's an opportunity for them to perform with the orchestra, they'll make that happen.’

The broader picture

However, there's much more to being a professional working musician than just playing your instrument. The LPO realises this, offering workshops on freelance finances, wellbeing, and communication skills. Lash says this is one of the aspects of the scheme that has evolved since its early days in response to the changing work climate for musicians. ‘Certain parts of the scheme, like sitting in on rehearsals and performances, have been there throughout, but our professional development work, mock auditions and sectional rehearsals are quite new. In the last few years, we've also connected the project to our Junior Artists programmes and projects for younger musicians.’ This is all part of the LPO's aim to create a pipeline of talent, with musicians growing through its ranks.

A Foyle Future Firsts musician in rehearsal, September 2019 © BEN EALOVEGA

The Junior Artists programme

The Junior Artists programme is a yearlong scheme for teenagers from under-represented backgrounds. The FFF cohort is invited to play with the Junior Artists in their concert performance at the Royal Festival Hall and discuss their experiences of conservatoire or further study. ‘They are such good role models for the younger musicians,’ says Lash. ‘We run “Overture” projects, which are orchestral experience days for young musicians between 11 and 14, and we bring together these young musicians and LPO players to connect generations of musicians and show the younger ones that orchestral music is an art form that is still alive and relevant.’

The FFF scheme also runs alongside the LPO's Young Composers programme, with LPO and FFF musicians performing new works by the composers. This creates a mutually beneficial relationship, with the FFF musicians experiencing what it's like to bring a new piece to life and the composers able to have their music staged and workshopped by top musicians. With these youth schemes, the LPO has created a network of talented young people from the next generation of music-making. In fact, one of the Junior Artists from the LPO's very first intake has now been offered a place on the FFF scheme in the coming year, showing that this pipeline of talent is working successfully.

Ability and suitability

While some of the LPO's other schemes are only open to those from certain backgrounds, FFF is based almost exclusively on a musician's practical skills. They simply need to be over the age of 18 and want to be a professional orchestral musician. They don't need to have gone to conservatoire but have to play at a level that means going into the profession is possible and achievable. ‘We don't just look at playing ability though,’ says Lash. ‘We also consider who would benefit most from the scheme.’ The 300–350 applications they receive each year are whittled down to 16 or 17 successful candidates.

Inevitably though, there are so many more who would benefit from a scheme like this, particularly when you consider the impending cost-of-living crisis and tightening of purse strings in education around the country. Schemes like Foyles Future Firsts rely on there being a stream of talented musicians coming up through music hubs, schools, and higher education. The newly released National Plan for Music Education highlights the need for children to have access to instruments and opportunities to play alongside others, stating that by 2024, every young person in England will have access to regular musical activities outside of school. ‘I just hope the funding is there to back it up, because this has been released at the same time as there are cuts to higher education,’ says Lash. ‘The FFF musicians have been playing for years and you can't overstate the importance of music hubs in giving young musicians an opportunity to take part in group music-making. These players don't just show up overnight – they're like athletes.’

Valuable experience and contacts

Both athletes and musicians have faced unprecedented challenges over the last few years, with young musicians and those in education hit particularly hard by the impact of Covid. Inevitably this had a knock-on effect for the scheme, much of which is based on being in a room with professional musicians and learning about rehearsal and performance etiquette first-hand. ‘All those learning opportunities disappeared overnight,’ says Lash. Although the LPO did what it could in terms of virtual workshops and socially distanced activities, they recognised that it wasn't a normal year. ‘We realised we didn't want to say goodbye and send them off into an industry that had ground to a halt. We asked our funders if we could keep them on for another year so we could continue to support them through that really difficult time.’

When the participants’ time on the programme is up, it's usually not the last time the LPO will see them. ‘They often come back to play in the orchestra as extras, and will keep in touch with mentors and each other,’ says Lash. ‘They socialise a lot together and some have even gone on to live together. It's a great community that enables real friendships to develop.’

As the London Philharmonic Orchestra's Foyle Future Firsts scheme marks its 18th birthday and ‘comes of age’, it's clear that its musicians have done the same. At a time when freelance working can feel unstable and the prospect of trying to carve out an orchestral career seems daunting, opportunities like Foyle Future First are more valuable than ever. With real-world experience, these young musicians can leave behind those post-university jitters and enter the world of professional music-making with contacts, skills, and confidence.

www.lpo.org.uk/education/foyle-future-firsts