Whilst the main focus of the Munster Trust is to support postgraduate students in pursuing their final years of education before embarking on their professional careers, the Trustees are very conscious of the need to encourage and widen participation in musical education and activities amongst much younger students as well.
The London Schools Symphony Orchestra (LSSO) has been hailed by Sir Simon Rattle as “an incomparable ambassador for the dynamism and excellence of British youth” and is one of the world’s best youth orchestras. The LSSO aims to give its members a complete experience of the orchestra repertoire. Since 2019, the Munster Trust has supported a number of outstanding members of the LSSO and provided financial assistance towards their involvement with the LSSO season which consists of three concerts, each concert preceded by an intensive week of rehearsals, with coaching from leading London orchestral players.
Conductors who have recently worked with the orchestra include Christopher Warren-Green, Sian Edwards and Ed Gardner. The LSSO has toured throughout the world and frequently given world premieres by emerging and leading composers. The LSSO occasionally performs opera with students from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama at the Barbican Centre where it is resident.
Future News
Next season, the orchestra will be joined by the Irish conductor Karen Ni Bhroin who will be conducting the winter programme. Karen is increasingly in demand with professional orchestras across Europe and North America. The spring concert, conducted by Dominic Wheeler will feature Ravel’s one act opera L’Heure Espagnole with students from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama as soloists. Tim Redmond will join the orchestra for the summer course which will include a tour to Belgium in late July/early August.
Plans for the future include a performance of Jonathan Dove’s Stargazer with Trombone soloist, Peter Moore.
For full details of the work of the LSSO, please see the LSSO website and for details of the LSSO Munster Trust Scholars 2023, please see below.