The English Concert UK Fellowship Scheme 2026–27
The English Concert invites applications for our early career Fellowship scheme in 2026–27. The Fellowship offers recently graduated instrumentalists and singers (or those about to graduate) a grant towards their professional development, and the potential for opportunities to perform or cover roles in larger productions with The English Concert.
About The English Concert
The English Concert is an outstanding orchestra: exceptional, in the world-renowned quality, ambition and variety of its live and recorded output; unique, in the zeal of its players for working and performing together; unwavering, in its desire to connect with its audience throughout the world.
Under the artistic direction of Harry Bicket and principal guest Kristian Bezuidenhout, The English Concert has earned a reputation for combining urgency, passion and fire with precision, delicacy and beauty.
About the Fellowship Scheme 2026–27
| Fellowship length: | 18 months (February 2026 – August 2027) |
| Bursary: | Each Fellow will receive a bursary of £1,000 towards any travel costs associated with taking part in the scheme, and towards their studies and professional development. |
| Opportunities: |
Fellows will each be appointed a mentor from The English Concert, who will oversee the activities of the Fellowship.
These activities will be planned individually according to the experience, availability and instrument/voice type of each Fellow, and also depend on the ensemble’s working patterns and schedule. Fellows will be invited to sit in on rehearsals for selected projects across the season, and offered coaching appropriate to those rehearsals. Singers may also be invited to cover roles, again with coaching as appropriate. Fellows may be invited to perform with The English Concert on projects, but this is not always possible and cannot be guaranteed. Where Fellows are invited to perform with the ensemble, they will be treated as members of the ensemble, with the same expectations and the same remuneration as the members. Fellows will be offered the opportunity to film material and are welcome to use the footage for their promotional activities. |
Applicant requirements
- Applicants must have graduated / have a graduation date from a UK/Europe-based conservatoire within the year range 2025–27 and be resident in the UK or EEA.
- Applicants must be aged 18 or above at the time the Fellowship commences.
- Applicants will need to demonstrate the right to travel to the UK during the Fellowship.
- The English Concert is unable to contribute towards travel costs for attending in-person auditions for the Fellowship.
The application process
The Fellowship application process is in two stages:
Stage 1: Application form and recording submission
Applicants are invited to fill in the application form, which includes providing a link to a performance recorded within the past 6 months (please use unlisted entries on YouTube or Vimeo, maximum 10 minutes). The panel will use this video to select a shortlist for invitations to an in-person session.
Instrumentalists: please submit a solo, accompanied or chamber recording, or a combination of these, totalling not more than 10 minutes.
Singers: please submit a Handel/Bach aria, or two contrasting arias/excerpts if you prefer. Sacred or secular are both fine, but again the total must not exceed 10 minutes.
Stage 2: In-person sessions
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to in-person sessions on 26 February 2026. In the first session, applicants will perform solo or as accompanists; in the second, the group will play orchestral repertoire with members of the panel.
For the first session, applicants will be asked to prepare the following:
- Strings and wind instruments: please bring a couple of movements of an accompanied sonata. You may bring an unaccompanied piece if you prefer.
- Plucked and keyboard continuo: please bring a solo piece you would like to play, but also be ready to accompany your fellow applicants for their sonatas (see line above). We will inform you of the repertoire and send music at least one week in advance.
- Singers: please bring two Handel and/or Bach arias in different languages. There will be a harpsichord (A = 415) and accompanist present.
How to apply & timeline
Please apply by filling in this application form (which includes uploading a CV) by 09:00 on Friday 16 January 2026.
If you have any questions about the application or the Fellowship, please contact Juliette Reid on juliette@englishconcert.co.uk.
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 23 December 2025 | Applications open |
| Friday 16 January 2026 | Applications close |
| Wednesday 21 January 2026 | Successful applicants informed |
| Thursday 26 February 2026 | In-person sessions (in London) |
| Late February 2026 |
Candidates informed of results Fellowships awarded and Fellowship begins |