Oxfordshire Junior Concerto Festival
An opportunity to perform a concerto movement with the Oxfordshire County Youth Orchestra.
This year sees the return of the Junior Concerto Festival, which allows young musicians the opportunity to share a movement from a favourite concerto. If selected, they will perform in the Festival Concert with the Oxfordshire County Youth Orchestra. Performers will also receive valuable written feedback from a panel of experienced, professional musicians including OPO appointed players.
Applications for the 2025/26 Junior Concerto Festival are now open!
Your time to shine
About the Junior Concerto Festival
The Oxfordshire Junior Concerto Festival is held in conjunction with Oxfordshire County Music Service, and is a fantastic opportunity for young musicians to gain invaluable performance experience as soloists.
After an audition process and a semi-final in which musicians perform a short recital to our panel, three musicians proceed to perform one movement each from a concerto of their choice with the Oxfordshire County Youth Orchestra. These three musicians will receive written feedback from appointed Oxford Philharmonic players.
The semi-final will take place on Friday 28 November 2025, 19:00 at St Anne’s College, and the Festival Concert will take place on Saturday 7 February 2025, 18:30 at the Centre for Music, Headington.
How to apply
Applicants to the Oxfordshire Junior Concerto Festival must be at least Grade 8 standard and living, or studying, in Oxfordshire, in full time secondary education. For the 2025/26 festival, applicants must be aged 18 or under on 31 August 2026.
Please note that previous winners of the Junior Concerto Festival may not enter again.
Application deadline: 5pm on 31 October 2025
Please contact OPO Education Officer, Lydia Bennett, [email protected], with any questions about applying for the festival.
Information for Applicants
Auditions for the Oxford Junior Concerto Festival will be held on the 15th November 2025 at the Centre for Music, Bayswater Rd, Oxford OX3 9FF
- Candidates applying for the Festival must prepare two contrasting pieces lasting no longer than 10 minutes in total (movements and excerpts of longer works may be performed).
Up to eight competitors will then be selected to perform in the semi-final.
- Semi-finalists will be required to perform a short recital programme lasting 8–12 minutes in front of an audience and panel of judges.
- Repertoire may be the same as that performed in the audition.
Three musicians will be selected to perform a movement of a concerto in the Festival Concert.
To apply to audition please complete the application form at the bottom of this page.