NCO lines up four more exciting webinars

As part of an ongoing weekly webinar series, NCO has lined up four more exciting online events featuring inspirational guest artists. We will be chatting to category finalists from BBC Young Musician 2020, award-winning composers, Royal Opera House musicians and athletes!

The webinars are broadcast live via Zoom to NCO musicians on a Friday afternoon. A recording of the webinars will be made public afterwards on NCO's YouTube channel.

NCO Webinar with BBC Young Musicians 2020 Category Finalists

This Friday (5 June), we will be joined by category finalists of this year’s BBC Young Musician competition: Ewan Millar - oboe, woodwind finalist; Toril Azzalini-Machecler - percussion finalist and Meggie Murphy - trombone, brass finalist. We can't wait to chat to the young musicians about their experience in the competition so far, how they have been staying musically creative in lockdown and about their aspirations for the future!

Friday 5 June for NCO musicians only - published after broadcast at a later date.

NCO Webinar with composers

Next Friday we chat to composers Anna Meredith and Sam Thompson.

Anna Meredith is a composer, producer and performer of both acoustic and electronic music. Her music has been performed everywhere from the BBC Last Night of the Proms to fashion campaigns, Apple adverts, films, TV shows, installations and documentaries, pop festivals, clubs and classical concert halls worldwide and is regularly broadcast on BBC Radio. Anna has been Composer in Residence with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the RPS/PRS Composer in the House with Sinfonia ViVA.

Sam is a composer, arranger/orchestrator and conductor. Sam has composed music for Sky, Sony, EMI and BMG along with numerous films and television series. He frequently collaborates with artist and composer Peter Gregson, composing additional music for projects such as Boundless (PlayStation 4) and Ashely Avis’ feature film Adolescence. Sam has also provided additional orchestrations for Nick Cave and Warren Ellis’ scores.

Friday 12 June for NCO musicians only - published after broadcast at a later date.

What can musicians learn from athletes?

NCO meets former GB fencing athlete, Claire Bennett, and Sports Psychologist and Performance Coach, Dr Alison Rhodius. We will be asking the question, “What can musicians learn from athletes?” and having a good old natter about their careers and interests.

Until August 2012, Claire was a member of the Great Britain women’s foil fencing team and part of the World Class Performance Programme. She has represented Great Britain in European and World Championships since the age of 14. As captain of England Claire won individual Bronze and Team Gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Fencing Games.

Alison lives in San Francisco and works with performers at all levels and disciplines. She understands elite individual performance needs and helps athletes to get the most out of their abilities. Since 1993, she has worked in elite archery – and in 2004, Alison worked with members of the US and British archery teams at the Olympic Games in Athens.  

Friday 19 June for NCO musicians only - published after broadcast at a later date.

NCO Webinar with Royal Opera House musicians

Since 1732, the Royal Opera House has been delighting ballet and opera audiences from around the world. Situated in London’s bustling Covent Garden, it is the home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet and the Orchestras of the Royal Opera – so, what’s it like to work there? Principal cellist Hetty Snell - musical star of the new ballet, The Cellist – and the charismatic Irish soprano, Ailish Tynan, are here to tell us!

We’ll be chatting about the dramatic world of opera and ballet and all the varied roles available. We will also delve into how instrumentalists can learn from singers, using tools such as breath control, characterisation and storytelling.

Friday 26 June for NCO musicians only - published after broadcast at a later date.