mco academy

Since 2009, the MCO Academy has offered an educational model that provides young musicians with a high-quality orchestral experience and a unique platform for networking and international exchange. In addition to audition training, individual coaching and orchestral playing, the Academy also includes chamber music workshops which emphasize the MCO’s characteristic chamber music approach to music-making. Complemented by a mentoring programme, career talks and further activities, the Academy fosters creative and independent thinking and offers a comprehensive and modern approach for professional musicians of the 21st century.


The MCO Academy was founded in collaboration with the Orchesterzentrum│NRW in Germany and has grown to include partner institutions from five countries. This project is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Partnering concert halls are the Konzerthaus Dortmund, Kölner Philharmonie and Philharmonie Essen. For more information about the Academy, please click here.


To get in touch about the MCO Academy, please contact Valentina Katharina Georgoulopoulos at +49 30 41 71 79 – 18 or by e-mail at valentina@mahlerchamber.com


INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS

The MCO Academy centres around an annual orchestra project in Germany and may involve further activities throughout the year. An application for the MCO Academy is linked with enrollment at one of our partner institutions:

  • Orchesterzentrum | NRW (including its partner conservatories in Cologne, Detmold, Düsseldorf and Essen)
    Jove Orquestra Nacional de Catalunya (JONC)
    Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM)
    Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM)
    Filarmónica Joven de Colombia (FJC)

If you are a student at one of the institutions mentioned above and would like to apply for the MCO Academy, please get in touch with the administration at your institution directly to learn more about the application process. Auditions are held at these institutions once a year and are sometimes combined with coaching by members of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. All Academy students are selected by the MCO.


After participating in the MCO Academy, highly qualified students may be offered an Academy scholarship to play with the MCO on a regular tour.


The next MCO Academy project will take place in April 2023. For the first time ever, the Academy will be based on an opera: "Lessons in Love and Violence" by George Benjamin. The composer will conduct all performances in Dortmund, Essen, Cologne and Brussels. More information about the performances can be found here.



PROJECTS

2023 I APRIL/MAY
2023 I APRIL/MAY

Project 12

Sir George Benjamin conductor

GEORGE BENJAMIN Lessons in Love and Violence

View tour


Activities including:

Feel the Music workshop, Physical Awareness Coaching, Social Media Challenge, 

2022 I March
2022 I March

Project 11

    Philippe Herreweghe conductor 

    Collegium Vocale Ghent chorus 

    I. STRAVINSKY Symphony of Psalms

    A. BRUCKNER Symphony No. 2

    View tour


    Activities including:

    Workshop: Social Media 


    2019 | January
    2019 | January

    Complementary Programme

    Activities including:
    Workshop: Music for the Deaf
    Attendance of Feel the Music at Konzerthaus Dortmund


    • Brass session with mark hampson

      © Geoffroy Schied

    • jam session with teacher and students

      © Geoffroy Schied

    • violin group session with alexandra preucil

      © Geoffroy Schied

    • full focus

      © Geoffroy Schied

    • not as easy as it looks (teacher: martin piechotta)

      © Geoffroy Schied

    • Conversations in the double bass section before rehearsal

      © Martin Piechotta

    • The horn section of this year's MCO Academy Orchestra project

      © Martin Piechotta

    • Conversations in the second violin section before rehearsal

      © Martin Piechotta

    • Chamber music concert featuring MCO musicians and Academy students at Orchesterzentrum|NRW

      © Martin Piechotta

    • MCO Artistic Partner Isabelle Faust performs Berg's Violin Concerto, with conductor Omer Meir Wellber leading the MCO and this year's MCO Academy students on stage at Konzerthaus Dortmund

      © Petra Coddington

    • MCO musicians sharing the stage with MCO Academy students at Konzerthaus Dortmund

      © Petra Coddington

    • MCO Academy students acknowledging the post-concert applause at Konzerthaus Dortmund

      © Petra Coddington

    • MCO Academy 2017 students at Philharmonie Essen

      © Martin Piechotta

    • Members of the brass section at Philharmonie Essen

      © Martin Piechotta

    • The second violin section at Philharmonie Essen

      © Martin Piechotta

    • Chamber music rehearsal with Delphine Tissot

      © Sonja Werner

    • Enjoying Sectional Rehearsal

      © Sonja Werner

    • Enjoying Sectional Rehearsal

      © Sonja Werner

    • Enjoying Sectional Rehearsal

      © Sonja Werner

    • individual lesson with Christian Heubes

      © Sonja Werner

    • Sectional Brass Rehearsal with Matthew Sadler

      © Sonja Werner

    • between Rehearsals with Tim Summers

      © Sonja Werner

    • Relaxing during the Break

      © Sonja Werner

    • Career talk with members of the MCO

      © Sonja Werner

    • Rehearsing Mahler 2 with Daniel Harding

      © Sonja Werner

    • VIola Talk with Yannick Dondelinger

      © Sonja Werner

    • Concert at Konzerthaus Dortmund

      © Petra Coddington

    • With Christiane Karg and Bernarda Fink

      © Petra Coddington

    • Applause for the Choir

      © Petra Coddington


    PARTNERS

    SUPPORTERS

    SCHOLARSHIP HOLDERS

    2009

    Maria Beatrice Cantelli, Flute

    Nora Matthies, Cello

    2010

    Andrei Simion, Cello

    Nieke Schouten, Oboe

    2012

    Esther Piñol Grifols, Harp

    Javier Molina Parra, Horn

    Solange Joggi, Violin

    Ye-Young Hwang, Violin

    2013

    David Schumacher, Bassoon

    Rafael Sars, Percussion

    Sergio Miñana Miñana, Horn

    Yoshie Benten, Oboe

    2014

    Alejandra Rojas Garcia, Bassoon

    Amy Roberts, Oboe

    2015

    Daniel Tellez Gutierrez, Trombone

    Rainer Saville, Trumpet

    2016

    Ben Newton, Viola

    Noemí Gonzalez Medina, horn

    Stefano Rossi, Horn