Following the success of our previous Side-by-Side projects, Bishop’s Stortford Sinfonia is delighted to invite young musicians to join us for our next Side-by-Side concert on Saturday 23 January 2027 at The Bishop’s Stortford High School.

The project offers young orchestral musicians the opportunity to rehearse and perform alongside the professional and experienced players of Bishop’s Stortford Sinfonia, working with out Principal Conductor Rebecca Miller and experiencing the excitement pf playing as part of a full symphony orchestra.

This year’s programme explores the Forces of Nature, with music by Florence Price, Bedrich Smetana and Dmitri Shostakovich. All participating young musicians will join the Sinfonia to perform Florence Price’s Colonial Dance. More advanced players will also have the opportunity to perform Smetana’s Vltava (The Moldau) from Ma Vlast.

The second half of the concert will feature Bishop’s Stortford Sinfonia performing Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, giving our young musicians the chance to experience one of the great works of the twentieth-century symphonic repertoire live in concert.

We are inviting applications from students across all orchestral instruments, including harp. This year, we are aiming to pair each student with a Sinfonia player on a shared desk, providing a supported and immersive orchestral experience. As a result, places will be limited, and we will aim to balance participation across instruments and ability levels.

Further details, including timings and repertoire information, will be shared with successful applicants in early December.