London Philharmonic Orchestra Conducting Fellowship 2027/28

This fellowship is aimed at conductors rather than composers or performers: up to two early-career conductors spend a full season working inside the London Philharmonic Orchestra, with six to eight non-consecutive weeks each actually embedded with the players. Fellows get mentoring and assisting opportunities alongside Principal Conductor Edward Gardner, chances to conduct the orchestra itself in regional and offsite performances, educational projects and smaller ensembles, and, depending on individual need, extra sessions with guest conductors, structured feedback from musicians, and support navigating the specific barriers they've faced getting into the profession. It's open to conductors over 18, not enrolled in full-time undergraduate study, who come from backgrounds currently under-represented in professional orchestral conducting — read broadly to include gender identity, race, ethnicity, socio-economic background, neurodiversity and disability — and UK-based applicants are explicitly prioritised. Fees are paid at the orchestra's standard rate for early-career conductors rather than a fixed sum stated upfront. The application is an online form asking for evidence of your conducting training, your ability to build and lead a programme, your general musicianship and communication skills, and a statement of how you meet the under-representation criteria; the orchestra doesn't publish a detailed scoring rubric beyond that. Shortlisted conductors are invited to auditions and interviews in London on 28 February 2027, and the deadline to apply is 9am on 2 November 2026.