OAE Education 2022 / 23

A programme to involve, empower and inspire

OAE Experience scheme

The Ann and Peter Law OAE Experience gives gifted period instrument musicians the chance to work alongside our orchestral players. The year-long scheme is aimed at players who have already finished or are finishing their studies and allows participants to be mentored by our musicians as they participate in a variety of events across the year. This important work in career development ensures that the scholarship of historically informed practice is passed on from generation to generation.

In February this year, we ran our annual OAE Academy, a crucial part of our Experience scheme where musicians are mentored intensively by OAE players. In a three-day programme at St John’s Smith Square and Acland Burghley School, Margaret Faultless, Leo Duarte and Roger Montgomery worked intensively with our new cohort on a rich programme of classical repertoire including Haydn Symphonies Nos 31, 39 and 72 as well as works by Gossec, JC Bach and Wanhal.

In addition to the OAE Academy programme, the OAE Experience scheme also offers participants lessons with OAE principals, professional engagement with the OAE Experience ensemble and OAE Education, access to rehearsals, and discounted tickets for events.

‘The way the orchestra members worked with us in the rehearsal made me notice even more what makes the difference between good musicians and brilliant musicians.’

– OAE Experience violinist 2023

OAE Experience Participants (2023)

Violin

Aleksandra Kwiatkowska, Alexandra

López Arca, Elana Cooper, Emma Williams, Guillermo Santonja di Fonzo, Guo Yu, JennieMarie Wszolek, Rebecca Kohler Baratto

Viola

Angel Munoz-Vella, Helena Reguera

Cello

Majella Münz, Matylda Adamus, Samuel Ng

Double Bass

Giuseppe Ciraso-Calì

Flute

Beth Stone

Oboe

Maria Jesus Moreno Ciudad

Bassoon

Javier Sánchez Castillo

Horn

Nivanthi Karunaratne, Peter McNeill

OAE Young Associates

This year we are pleased to announce the expansion of this scheme with a new initiative, OAE Young Associates. These students receive coaching or masterclass sessions, lessons with OAE principals as well as access to rehearsals and discounted tickets for events.

OAE Young Associates (2023)

Clarinet

Brenda Lopez, Carolina Guiducci, Hugo Lau, Sergio Sánchez Martin

Keyboard Continuo

Apolline Khou, Dominika Maszczynska, Jorge Silva, Matthew Brown

Timpani

Lewis Blee

OAE Educational Activity in 2023

Principal Residency at Acland Burghley School

Acland Burghley School is a home for our players, staff and governance. It is also a crucial hub for our educational programme. Here we engage students in a range of different programmes that support curricular and extra-curricular activity from dance projects to our own unique jamming sessions, Musical Connections, and our Dreamchasing Young Producers programme. We bring the school community into our musical world through workshops, access to rehearsals and concerts and carefully curated Encounter Sessions where students have their own unique introduction to the OAE.

National Residencies

For many years, the OAE has been committed to a national programme of engagement in underserved communities. In 2023, that work continues in key residencies in North Walsham, Ipswich, York, Durham and King’s Lynn with community concerts, workshops, programmes for early years (TOTS), and specially curated programmes for schools (The Magic Flute and The Life of the Sea) based on the core repertoire of the OAE.

In London Schools

The OAE has long-established relationships with many schools across London. In harmony with the national plan, the OAE will offer The Magic of Mozart and The Life of the Sea to young people from Camden, Brent, Merton, Wandsworth and Ealing.

Special Needs

A key priority for the OAE Education team is to respond meaningfully to the additional educational needs of young people. We are proud to be working with students at Swiss Cottage Special School, Camden, and Thomas Worsley Special School, Ipswich, as part of the Musical Connections project that is also a crucial component of our residency at Acland Burghley School.

Alongside a choir of 1,500 in a musical spectacular (Something Special) at the Royal Albert Hall, we will be sharing music created by young people from Great Ormond Street and University College Hospital Schools as well as students from Swiss Cottage Special School.

For Families

Throughout the year, we present specially curated events for families. These include OAE TOTS concerts at the Southbank Centre (Pack Your Bags), OAE TOTS FUNharmonics workshops with the LPO and The Magic Flute at the York Rise Street Party in our home borough of Camden.

Developing Young Talent

The OAE is committed to developing the next generation of talent in the following programmes: OAE Experience scheme to help aspiring young professional musicians develop in historically informed performance practice.

OAE Rising Stars is a biennial competitive programme for debutant singers, offering high-profile opportunities with the OAE on the international stage.

Suffolk Young Strings Project is a project to encourage players to create new compositions inspired by baroque music.

Our participants come from a wide range of backgrounds and we pride ourselves in working flexibly, adapting to the needs of local people and the places where they live. The extensive partnerships we have built up over many years ensure maximum and lasting impact.

We take inspiration from the OAE’s repertoire, instruments and players. This makes for a vibrant, challenging and engaging programme where everyone is involved; players, animateurs, composers, participants, teachers, partners and supporters all have a valued voice.

We do hope you can join us for some of these events! Please contact us if you would like further details on how to attend or support these projects.