The Ernest Read Symphony Orchestra (ERSO), one of London’s leading and longest established amateur orchestras, is recruiting a Principal Double Bass.

This is the opportunity to lead our bass section in some of the major orchestral repertoire: in recent years this has included La Mer, Walton 1, Shostakovich 10, La Valse, Tod und Verklärung, Ravel’s L’heure espagnole, Petrushka, and next season includes Lieutenant Kije. Billy the Kid, Dvorak 6 and Shostakovich 1. 

Building and developing our bass section and fixing players for each concert is a key part of the role. 

You would get the chance to work with our amazing conductor Christopher Stark  (best known as Co-Founder of the Multi-Story Orchestra and for his work in opera with Oper Köln, Glyndebourne Festival and Tour, Garsington, and English Touring Opera).

You would gain valuable musical and organisational experience, working as part of the team planning ERSO’s future and have the pleasure of being part of  a friendly group of players who are all keen to work and play at a high level. You would be involved in high quality learning and outreach work with Camden Music Service and with young professional musicians through ERSO’s Talent programme.

You would also have the opportunity to enter our annual concerto competition.

As an ideal candidate, you will be an enthusiastic, excellent musician (ideally of equivalent experience to first-study string students from London conservatoires) with experience of leading a string section.  You will have good organisational and interpersonal skills.

ERSO rehearses on Sundays in Camden and our concerts are also on Sundays at St John’s Waterloo. We understand that emerging professionals may sometimes have other opportunities that they wish to pursue and are happy for you to on occasion, and by agreement, provide an appropriate deputy. To see our rehearsal pattern go to Rehearsal schedule – ERSO

This is a paid, self-employed role lasting for a 2-year period.  Fees will be £50 per 3-hour rehearsal and £110 for the concert day, equivalent to around £1,600 over a 12-month season.

Applications are open now. 

Application Process

1. Please send through a CV and a covering letter highlighting relevant orchestral and organisational experience, together a recent video of your playing to ersoinfo@gmail.com:

2. Suitable candidates will be invited to meet with the orchestra management, Chris Stark and John Crawford.  They will be asked to play the exposition from a concerto of their choice in addition to sight reading and the following excerpts and this will be followed by a short interview:

  • Brahms 1 letter E
  • Beethoven 9 recitatives and ode (to bar 115)
  • Stravinsky Pulcinella

All candidates who are invited to audition will receive comprehensive feedback. 

If travelling to an audition is problematic, then we may offer an online interview with audition pieces having been recorded in advance.