A series of pilot orchestral audition masterclasses will take place in London next January and February. The public masterclasses will give young UK professional players the chance to perform to a panel of experienced orchestral musicians and an audience, and then receive feedback from the panel on their playing and preparation.

The initiative has been developed by the musicians booking agency Morgensterns in partnership with the Musicians' Union, which is keen to boost its provision of continuing professional development (CPD) to members.

Two masterclasses for string players will be held at the Royal College of Music, on 13 January 2013 and 10 February 2013, with a panel drawn from a pool of musicians including violinists Stephanie Gonley, Clio Gould and David Juritz, violists Adam Romer and Edward Vanderspar, cellists Susan Dorey and Timothy Walden, and double bassists Leon Bosch and Dominic Seldis.

Morgensterns founder Julian Morgenstern said: 'I wanted to differentiate these masterclasses from audition masterclass-type events that students have at college. A professional musician doesn't have the same structure around them, or the people around them to advise them about what they need to do to improve next time round. So this initiative is designed specifically for people who are outside college, and who have professional experience, and whose expectations of an audition are very different from those of a student.'

The masterclass days are scheduled to start at 10am and finish at 5am, and each performance slot is expected to be about 20 minutes. The masterclasses are free for both participants and audience members, although participants will be asked for a �60 deposit that will be returned after their appearance on the day.


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