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Education and Community Work
Education and outreach are at the heart of the work of the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra. We are ambassadors for music education, nurturing and cultivating young talent, and helping children and young adults of all backgrounds to become involved in music.
Residency at the University of Oxford
Our unique Residency Programme at the University of Oxford offers a wide range of special benefits to the most gifted young musicians:
Young Artists’ Platform
Tuition Scheme
Composers’ Workshop
Orchestral Apprenticeship
Oxford Piano Festival
The Festival’s objective is to inspire, support and encourage music-making at the piano of the highest quality. Welcoming world-renowned soloists and teachers each year, the Festival provides rising-star pianists from around the globe with a rare opportunity to work alongside and learn from some of the world’s finest pianists and teachers, as part of a dedicated community of artists which encourages exchange over competition.
Oxfordshire Concerto Competition
Side-by-Side Scheme
Collaborations with University of Oxford choirs
Masterclass Series
Primary Schools and Special Schools
We are actively involved in bringing music to disadvantaged communities with high levels of unemployment, crime and social service intervention where there is little or no music education. We run in-house programmes with Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools and primary schools in ethnically diverse areas of the city. We host days of music-making and learning for children from across Oxfordshire. Here are two recent highlights:
The Afghan Songbook Project
We visited four schools, bringing three professional Afghan musicians and 25 total visiting Afghan students from bridging hotels to share the unique musical culture of Afghanistan through song. The workshops culminated in a pre-concert performance at the Sheldonian Theatre by 40 Afghan refugee children, received with both tears and a standing ovation.
Opera in a Week: Noah’s Flood
Four OPO musicians led a three-day opera project at Wood Farm Primary, a school with 55% non-native English-speaking students in a financially underprivileged area. 60 students participated, showcasing singing, improvisation, and choreography skills in a final performance for their families.
Hospitals
Over the years we have been very active in local hospitals and have established special relationships with a number of units in Oxford. Our workshops for patients of all ages, with both those physical and mental conditions, continue to be recognised for their significant therapeutic effects.
