The Benedetti Foundation Launches Youth Ambassador Program

Open to musicians aged 15 to 18, the free program offers insight into what a music career could look like

The Benedetti Foundation was created in 2019 by the Scottish violinist and music education advocate Nicola Benedetti to enrich the UK’s education communities through group music training.

The Foundation’s inaugural free Youth Ambassador Program for 15- to 18-year-olds across the UK is now open to singers and instrumentalists, as well as those interested in other pathways in music and the arts.  

To run every autumn and spring term, the program’s first course will be held from September 9 to December 13, 2024, offering young artists the chance to explore a future in the music industry. 

Participants will have the opportunities to develop their own teaching styles, express themselves through performance, learn about wellbeing and how to balance mental and physical health with musical workload, as well as attend talks with leading professionals and participate in online and in-person activities. 

Additionally, each participant will meet many others through the program and join a mentor group that will meet online three times a month for engaging one-hour sessions. 

There will also be the chance to meet various arts industry professionals, from performers and artistic directors, to orchestral managers and producers, among others.

For more information and to apply for the program, click here. Applications will close on July 29, 2024. 

The program’s Youth Ambassador Day will be held in Scotland on October 13, 2024; in England on October 27; and in Northern Ireland on November 16, alongside one ‘hands-on’ experience day with the Foundation’s team.

Since its founding, the Benedetti Foundation has worked with close to 75,000 participants of all ages and levels, instrumentalists and non-instrumentalists alike, across 105 countries. Its free online educational video resources, including “With Nicky” and other Foundation videos have garnered over 6.5 million views.