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At ERSO we’ve been digging into our history of giving young musicians their early solo opportunities, as we are so proud to continue this with our ERSO Talent Programme.  Today we found that ERSO gave legendary clarinettist Michael Collins a concerto opportunity at the age of only 16!

Michael had recently won the woodwind category of the first ever BBC Young Musician of the Year competition in April 1978, having just turned 16, and went on to perform Spohr’s fourth clarinet concerto with ERSO in November at St John Smith Square.  The Times called it a “personal triumph” and warmly applauded his “poised manner” and “elegant dexterity”.

As we all know, Michael went on to become the highest profile clarinettist of his generation in Britain and we’re so glad that the Ernest Read Symphony Orchestra played a small part in his very early career!

On Sunday, the intrepid cyclists of Team ERSO took on the massive challenge of the 100 mile Pudential RideLondon – and they smashed it!  We were so proud of our conductor Chris Stark, oboist Dan Elson, trumpeter Jonathan and supporter John.

Chris was worried it wouldn’t be a “Short ride” (he was conducting Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine the night before) but the team completed the course in a fantastic 6 hours and 37 minutes excluding rest breaks.

We’re so grateful for all of the support and delighted that so far we’ve raised £2,856.  If you would like to support our fundraising efforts it’s not too late: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/ERSOis90

Any donations, big or small, will contribute to our work with Camden children and young professional musicians in our 90th Birthday concert in 2021 at the Duke’s Hall.  We’ll be joined by youngsters from Camden who will sing and play with the adult musicians at this prestigious venue.  And a young composer will premiere two pieces, one of which will be written for and performed by the 2020 winner of the ERSO Soloist of the Year – huge and career boosting opportunities for both of these young musicians!

 

 

 

When Team ERSO bravely battle the 100 miles and huge hills of the Prudential Ride London, their cycling efforts will take longer than ERSO playing Mahler 1 a whopping 8 times over.  And it will be even harder work!

Support them if you can: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/ERSOis90

Any donations will go towards ERSO’s big 90th Birthday concert in 2021, giving opportunities to Camden children and to young professional musicians at the start of their careers.

 

 

Next year’s winner of the ERSO Soloist of the Year will have get even more of an opportunity:

• They will be our soloist in June 2020 at a packed concert in the Waterloo Festival
• AND the winner of our emerging composers’ competition will create a contemporary classical piece created for them
• AND they will be the soloist at our big 90th Birthday Gala concert at the Duke’s Hall in spring 2021

Interested? Check out the ERSO Soloist of the Year 2020 competition which is open to orchestral players who are ERSO members or who have done at least one project with ERSO in 2019/20.

Support our cyclists who will be riding 100 miles to help us raise funds for the 90th Birthday: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/ERSOis90

Why are Team ERSO (conductor Chris, oboist Dan, trumpeter Jonathan and supporter John) cycling 100 miles wearing these “stylish” tops?

We’ll give you a clue – it’s not because they love pink or very tall hills…….

It’s to raise money for ERSO’s historic 90th Birthday celebration.

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/ERSOis90

 

 

So, why are conductor Chris, oboist Dan, trumpeter Jonathan and supporter John cycling the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100?

 

It’s 100 miles long and includes some alarmingly big hills.  They will also be wearing these delightfully fetching tops…..

 

 

Its to raise money for ERSO’s 90^th Birthday concert in 2021.

ERSO has a long tradition of working with children and providing opportunities for young professional musicians at the start of their careers.

In our 90^th Birthday concert we’ll be joined by Camden children singing and playing with ERSO.  We’ll also premiere new music by the winner of our young composers’ competition and feature the winner of our 2020 ERSO Soloist of the Year competition.

Any money we raise will help to fund this charitable element of our Birthday concert.  Find out more and support us if you can at https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/ERSOis90!

 

 

 

 

Would YOU like to win the chance to perform a concerto with ERSO, conducted by Chris Stark?

Fancy having a contemporary classical piece created especially for you by the winner of ERSO’s emerging composers’ competition?

AND then getting the chance to perform this with ERSO as a soloist in the Duke’s Hall at the Royal Academy of Music?

Then check out the ERSO Soloist of the Year 2020 competition which is open to orchestral players who are ERSO members or who have done at least one project with ERSO in 2019/20.

It’s only three weeks to go before intrepid Team ERSO attempt the Prudential Ride London 100 to raise money for the ERSO’s big 90th Birthday in 2021!!

Its a really TOUGH ride and it just shows how much our conductor Christopher Stark, trumpet player Jonathan Newby, oboist Dan Elson and supporter John Leeming must love ERSO!  They are all training super-hard though we’re not sure they will be quite as fast as this picture…..

Find out more and support us if you can: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/ERSOis90.  Any donations, big or small, will help our work with children and providing opportunities for young professional musicians in the 90th Birthday concert.

We are SO grateful to everyone who has supported us so far – this means so much to our riders, the orchestras and the young musicians we work with.

ERSO’s founder Ernest Read was hugely respected for his work with children and young professional musicians and we are proud to carry on his legacy.

Last year we worked with over 100 children in Camden in two specially designed concerts.  We work with the Camden Music Service and the Camden School for Girls to support the musical journeys of Camden children by offering the opportunity to perform in concerts with ERSO, which helps to inspire and encourage the children to continue with their music-making.

Our ERSO Talent programme aims to provide valuable opportunities to young professional musicians to help them bridge the gape between training and a professional career.  Our ERSO Soloist of the Year competition gave talented soloists the chance to compete to perform a concerto with ERSO.

Winner Henry Hargreaves stunned us with his fabulous performance of Schumann’s Cello Concerto and finalists Bella Fleming  and Joe Yang will have the chance to perform as soloists this coming season.  And our great team of section leaders  Penny James, Lucy Haggerwood-Bullen, Henry and new Brass Leader Grady Hassan help to deliver ERSO’s educational projects whilst gaining valuable experience of leading and managing their sections.

2021 will mark the orchestra’s 90th birthday and we have big plans to celebrate the orchestra’s incredible history and Ernest Read’s massive contribution to music education.  Help us to celebrate ERSO’s incredible history by supporting our 90th Birthday Fundraising Campaign which kicks off with intrepid Team ERSO taking on the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 in August 2019.  Any money raised will be used towards our work with children and young professional musicians in our 90th Birthday Gala concert.

Fancy following on from this year’s ace winner of our ERSO Soloist of the year competition Henry Hargreaves?

Would you like to win the chance to perform a concerto with ERSO in front of a packed audience at the 2020 Waterloo Festival, conducted by Chris Stark?

Fancy having a solo piece created especially for you by the winner of our ERSO emerging composers’ competition?  And being our soloist in our 90^thBirthday Gala concert at the prestigious Duke’s Hall at the Royal Academy of Music in 2021?

If the answers are YES, YES, YES and YES then check out our ERSO Soloist of the Year 2020 competition!  Entry is free and the competition is open to players of all orchestral instruments who do at least one concert (plus rehearsals) in our 2019/20 season.