Side-By-Side
Sit Side-by-Side with a professional player in an Oxford Philharmonic concert.
Our Side-by-Side scheme gives young musicians from Oxfordshire the opportunity to sit alongside a professional player in the opening work of up to three of our Oxford season concerts.
Sit Side-by-Side the Oxford Phil
About Side-by-Side
Our Side-by-Side scheme provides the opportunity for student string, wind, brass and percussion players from Oxfordshire to sit side-by-side with a professional player in the opening work of up to three of our Oxford season concerts. This is a unique performance experience reaching beyond what ordinary music education provides.
The Side-by-Side series of webinars, sectionals and tutti rehearsals with professional orchestral players will enable young musicians to gain unique insights into orchestral performance and perform their very best in concert.
Rehearsals happen on the concert days. The first concert of the season will be on Friday 29 November 2024.
How to apply
Applicants to Side-by-Side must be aged 14+ and play to Grade 8 standard or above. Applicants must be a student at school or university in Oxfordshire.
Applications for 2025-26 will open in summer 2025.
Audition information
October 2025, date TBC
Faculty of Music, St Aldate’s, Oxford OX1 1DB
Candidates only applying for Side-by-Side and/or the Orchestral Apprenticeship will prepare the following for the audition:
- One accompanied piece lasting 4–5 minutes (movements and excerpts of a solo work may be performed)
- Two orchestral excerpts, which can be accessed here
- Sight-reading provided in the audition
For those also applying for the Young Artists’ Platform or Oxfordshire Junior Concerto Competition, candidates will also prepare:
- An additional piece, that may be accompanied, lasting 4–5 minutes (movements and excerpts of a solo work may be performed)
If you have any questions about the audition process or any of the student performance opportunities, please contact Lydia Bennett, Education Officer.