UK choral charity, Sing for Pleasure, has announced that funding has been secured to provide training for four would-be choral conductors under its Young Conductors Programme for 2017-18.
Launched in 2013, the Young Conductors Programme offers a transformational learning experience for talented young musicians aged 18-25 who aspire to a choral conducting career but who lack the financial means to access the specialised training needed to succeed. Those applicants chosen to receive scholarships will benefit from fully funded group training sessions interspersed with personalised, one-to-one mentoring and support to ensure each individual develops best practice conducting skills and techniques at their optimal pace.
The deadline for this year’s Young Conductors Programme scholarship applications is 7 October 2017 with the first training session running from 4-5 November 2017 in Bolton, Greater Manchester. For further details (including all other training dates) and to submit an application, please click here.
Manvinder Rattan, Sing for Pleasure’s Chief Executive and Head of Conductor Training, said:
‘We’re delighted to be offering such a life-changing opportunity for another four talented young musicians this year. Feedback from past Young Conducting Scholars bears testament to just how valuable their SfP training proves to be; we’re extremely proud to play a part in shaping the next generation of choral conductors who, in turn, support our nation’s strong choral tradition.’
Timothy Coleman, one of Sing for Pleasure’s Young Conducting Scholars for 2016-17, said:
‘My scholarship year has been hugely pleasurable and useful. In the short term, while there’s clearly still much to learn, I never would have been able to work as successfully and enjoyably with my two choirs were it not for SfP’s training. Longer term, in choral conducting, I think I’ve discovered something I enjoy and have learnt enough about to maintain as another aspect of the rest of my working musical life.’
