‘An orchestra is one family, one person almost, with all these different sections – the brain, the lungs, the skin, that brings a human together – that’s the orchestra.’ Daniel, The Nucleo Project, Young Leader

60 young musicians from Sistema programmes in Liverpool, London, Newcastle, Norwich and Telford will gather in August 2016 at Shrewsbury School for the Sistema England Young Leaders orchestra residency.

The orchestra has almost doubled in size since October 2015, when the programme was launched with 35 of the most skilled and committed young musicians from In Harmony Lambeth, In Harmony Liverpool, Sistema in Norwich and The Nucleo Project. The ensemble now includes woodwind and brass sections and welcomes new players from In Harmony Newcastle and In Harmony Telford.

The week-long residency will be led by returning Venezuelan Music Director Felix Briceño and outstanding musicians from the Chineke! orchestra, and will include a day of rehearsals in the spaces of Longborough Festival Opera, where the Young Leaders will learn about the passion and vision that transformed a barn into a 500-seat working opera house.

Musical ambition and leadership development

‘Sometimes it’s difficult to get to know people isn’t it? But I feel like music brings us closer together than without music we would be.’ Freya, In Harmony Liverpool, Young Leader

The Sistema England Young Leaders are musicians who want to take their music-making to new heights while developing leadership skills that they can take back to their programmes, inspiring the next generations. The orchestra, according to the members themselves, is helping them persevere, overcome doubt, help others achieve, build confidence and cooperate.

‘I want to create an orchestra that’s full of young like-minded people who are passionate about music and enjoy creating it together as one big family… and it can be our escape, and hopefully make other people as happy as we are.’ Victoria, Sistema in Norwich, Young Leader