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Canadian Orchestra Mentorship Scheme
Exceptional career development opportunities are being offered to international musicians and conductors
Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra's call for applications for its mentorship programme is now open until 27 January 2025. Taking place in Ottawa from 14 June until 1 July 2025, the unique side-by-side programme with Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) offers exceptional career development opportunities to international musicians and conductors and Canadian music librarian and orchestra personnel manager candidates.
The NACO Mentorship Program is designed for emerging and early-career orchestral musicians and conductors and library and orchestra personnel manager candidates to hone their skills under the mentorship of musicians and professional staff of one of North America's leading orchestras. The programme is centred on NACO rehearsals and performances of major contemporary and classic symphonic works led by the orchestra's music director Alexander Shelley. All participants receive an honorarium, free accommodation, a meal allowance and travel subsidies.
A scene from Canada's National Arts Centre's 2024 orchestral mentorship programme. Photo © 2024 Curtis Perry
Alexander Shelley comments:
The NAC Orchestra is an accessible, inclusive, and collaborative ensemble. Our Mentorship Program creates space to encourage and support emerging artists and orchestra administrators. By the end of the program, participants will have gained practical and relevant skills and have a clearer understanding of their unique artistic purpose and how to achieve it, wherever their career takes them.
Applications are open to international instrumentalists and conductors aged eighteen and older completing their performance degree and on the audition circuit or those in the early stages of their professional orchestral career. Musicians who recently earned a position with a professional orchestra are also invited to apply. Conducting candidates should have a wide knowledge of orchestral repertoire and be classically trained.
Applications are open to Canadian music librarian and orchestra personnel manager candidates aged eighteen and older with some experience or understanding of the roles of music librarian or orchestra personnel manager. Ideal candidates seek to further their knowledge and gain hands-on experience in these two very important aspects of orchestral performance. The selected participants will travel to the NAC ahead of the program to help with preparations and return to join the conducting and instrumental participants from 14 June until 1 July 2025.
The NACO Mentorship Program takes place in the National Arts Centre's Southam Hall, the University of Ottawa School of Music's Pérez Hall and associated internal rehearsal spaces.
Canada's National Arts Centre (NAC) Orchestra is praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary learning and engagement programmes and its unwavering support of Canadian creativity. The NAC Orchestra is based in Ottawa, Canada's national capital, and has grown into one of the country's most acclaimed and dynamic ensembles since its founding in 1969. Under the leadership of Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, engaging communities from coast to coast through inclusive programming, compelling storytelling and innovative partnerships.
A scene from Canada's National Arts Centre's
2024 orchestral mentorship programme.
Photo © 2024 Curtis Perry
The National Arts Centre is Canada's bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts, presenting, creating, producing and co-producing performing arts programming in various streams - the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety - and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.
Application materials and further information about the mentorship programme can be found at: nac-cna.ca/en/orchestra/naco-mentorship-program
Posted 10 December 2024 by Keith Bramich
