Applications Open for Opera North's Female and Non-Binary Conductor Traineeship

The intensive scheme offers the opportunity to lead the orchestra in workshops, as well as attending rehearsals, lessons, and coachings

The UK's Opera North has opened applications for its Female and Non-Binary Conductor Traineeship 2025/26, an intensive 10-week training program that is designed to create opportunities for gender minorities to enter the profession in a landscape where they may not otherwise be afforded them.

The successful applicant will take part in conducting workshops with Music Director Garry Walker, in which they will get to work with the Orchestra of Opera North. They will also receive lessons and mentorship from Opera North’s Head of Music, David Cowan, together with Oliver Rundell and Annette Saunders of the Company’s Music Staff, Chorus Master Anthony Kraus, and visiting conductors.

They will also be able to attend rehearsals, coaching sessions, and chorus and production rehearsals.

A bursary of £3,500 and a subsistence payment of £1,500 will be provided during the two residency periods: November 24 - December, 2025 and January 5 - February 13, 2026.

To apply, candidates should submit video footage of between 5 and 15 minutes showing exceptional musicianship and communicative skills (performing or conducting), preferably from a live event, as well as several supporting documents. You can read more about the scheme and apply here.

Applications must be received by April 7, 2025.

"We created this scheme in the hope of inspiring more female and non-binary artists to see opera and orchestral music as a viable career path and to ensure that we, and the industry at large, continue to draw on the widest range of conducting talent," said Garry Walker, Music Director of Opera North.

"As one of the country’s leading arts organizations, we are perfectly placed to provide mentorship and a valuable insight into the workings of a professional orchestra and opera company. We are looking for someone with outstanding musical and communication skills, who may or may not yet have had much conducting experience but wishes to explore a pathway into conducting by means of this immersive program."

"It’s a great program and I would definitely recommend it to everyone to try, particularly when you want to improve your operatic knowledge and to gain insider knowledge of the operatic world," said Michal Oren, a previous trainee conductor. "I really hope it not only encourages my female colleagues to try out more opera and opera conducting but also to become conductors."