Odyssey Festival Orchestra: On the quest for innovation

Martha Neugarten is a 22-year-old violinist who has recently graduated from UCL with an MSci in Natural Sciences. She is now working as a Net Zero and Circular Economy intern with the Environment Agency's sustainable business team.

For me, Odyssey is about family. I was in the LSSO (London Schools Symphony Orchestra) for four years, attended the CYM (Centre for Young Musicians) for 10 years, and met some of my closest friends through this. Of course, we all kept in touch through university – a quick coffee before rushing to a lecture, maybe dinner in the holidays when we were all back in London. So now to have Odyssey – with the same faces, same exciting repertoire and drive for excellence, same 10–5 long rehearsal days – feels incredible.

I mentioned family: both my parents are musicians. My brother is studying at the Purcell School and has just put his application in for conservatoire to start next year. He's an incredible bassoonist, but the opportunities he received to gain as much orchestral experience as I did were hugely impacted by Covid. He played in Odyssey's launch concert, and during the rehearsals had the chance to play both bassoon parts alongside seasoned conservatoire students. This experience was incredibly impactful for him and formed the basis of his personal statement.

In my day job, I focus a lot on engagement with young people and EDI. Classical music has a diversity problem, which I have seen from my time in various orchestras and from my parents’ experience working in music education. Outreach is incredibly important, and I'm really excited about the links Odyssey is building with London state schools, and the plan for Odyssey to present well-known repertoire in a new and fresh light.

Classical music, in my opinion, now has an incredible opportunity to reinvent itself and push the boundaries of what has been done traditionally. Other orchestras working at these edges of ‘normal’ that come to mind are Chineke! and Aurora Orchestra – both orchestras are presenting classical music from a fresh perspective, and to a new and more diverse audience.

In Odyssey's debut concert, we connected Beethoven's third symphony with music from his only ballet, Prometheus, and poetry from his contemporary, Shelley. Moulding the concert around the character of Prometheus – the god in Greek mythology who stole fire from Olympus and gave it to humanity – was unlike anything I've ever been part of. As someone who chose not to study to be a professional musician, being part of the explanation behind Shelley's and Beethoven's work and getting a much better understanding of their inspirations and influences was a highlight.

Odyssey is still very new, and we are all figuring out the specifics of what Odyssey's journey will look like. Everything that is planned is very exciting, but for me it comes back to the feeling of family. Music can be such an amazing vessel for collaboration, creativity, and community, and I can't wait to see where we go next.

Odyssey Festival OrchestraThe Odyssey Festival Orchestra is headed up by Peter Ash, who was artistic director at LSSO for more than 20 years. Odyssey aims to provide orchestra training for conservatoire students, young professionals and accomplished amateurs aged 18–30.Membership of the orchestra is based on talent, and provision is given to players from less privileged backgrounds to prepare for auditions. Joining Odyssey is free at the point of entry, but musicians are encouraged to donate if they feel they can.Odyssey's launch concert, Prometheus – The modern superhero, took place on 15 September at Cadogan Hall.

www.odysseymusic.org