MONTEVERDI APPRENTICES PROGRAMME

The Monteverdi Apprentices Programme is a training scheme for young musicians that seeks to bridge the gap between university or conservatoire education and the world of the professional musician. Participants in this longestablished artist development programme take part in projects ranging from workshops and masterclasses to paid performances with the Monteverdi ensembles. With John Eliot Gardiner and a team of dedicated mentors, we hope to nurture and showcase the development of all our Apprentices by providing challenging and rewarding performance opportunities and exposing them to world-class coaching from experts in a range of fields.

JOHN ELIOT GARDINER’S INTRODUCTION TO THE MONTEVERDI APPRENTICES PROGRAMME

The Apprentices Programme was set up in 2007 – the first of its kind in the UK – its aim being to nurture exceptional musical talent and an aptitude for ensemble performing. We felt there was a pressing need to create a safe environment and opportunity for gifted young singers and instrumentalists to dip their toes in the waters of professional music-making while still exploring their own musical potential – simply plunging into the professional world straight out of college can be a daunting prospect at the best of times.

The Apprentices Programme follows the age-old apprenticeship principle of learning a craft on the job from older hands. At the start of the year, each Apprentice is assigned a mentor – an experienced musician within the Monteverdi Choir, EBS or ORR – on hand to give encouragement and one-to-one advice on the multiple challenges that arise from ensemble singing and playing at the highest professional level. Furthermore, over the course of their Apprentice year, these young musicians are integrated with the Monteverdi ensembles, rehearsing and performing in concerts at home and on tour overseas. Our aim is to round out their musical education and to help equip them for future challenges by giving them the opportunity to work alongside some of the best and most experienced musicians in the business.

By the end of the year, a Monteverdi Apprentice should be able to gauge his or her individual worth as a singer or instrumentalist with greater objectivity. They will have been given a taste of the life of a professional musician and be in a better position to weigh up if this is genuinely the path that they wish to pursue either as a soloist, an ensemble musician, or both. And if they have shown that they can meet the requisite musical, technical and stylistic standards that define the Monteverdi Choir, EBS or ORR, they may be offered a place whenever there is a vacancy. The Programme now has over 70 alumni, and many Apprentices still perform regularly with the Monteverdi ensembles.