Apprentices Programme

Applications for the 2026/27 Apprentices Programme are now closed.

2025/26 Monteverdi Apprentices Programme

Now in its 19^th year, the Monteverdi Apprentices Programme bridges the gap between formal education and a professional freelance music career, providing a comprehensive platform for emerging artists to thrive under the guidance of some of the most respected musicians in the field. Following a record number of applications, nine exceptional young singers have joined for the 2025/26 season:

Milly Atkinson - soprano
Áine Smith - soprano
Lowri Bufton - mezzo-soprano
Elizabeth Nurse - mezzo-soprano
Emma van der Scheer - mezzo-soprano
Matthew Monaghan - countertenor
Sam Madden - tenor
Allyn Wu - baritone
Will Harmer - bass-baritone

We are very proud to have internationally acclaimed soloists Dame Sarah Connolly and Mark Padmore as Ambassadors for the Monteverdi Apprentices Programme. Both Sarah and Mark have a long association with the Monteverdi Choir and have often joined the line-up in performances and recordings. Each shares the Monteverdi Choir’s deep commitment to nurturing the next generation of vocal talent. Each brings a wealth of experience, a passion for ensemble singing and a profound understanding of vocal artistry, stylistic versatility and the demands of a modern singing career. As inspirational role models and experienced mentors, they will offer invaluable guidance to the Apprentices, drawing on their wide-ranging professional insight.

During the 2025/26 programme, the Apprentices have joined MCO performances of Mozart's Requiem with Pablo Heras-Casado, Rossini with Jakob Lehmann (who also led a workshop on Italian song with language coach Pepi Ferrari), and Handel’s Messiah with Christophe Rousset. They have also taken part in masterclasses led by Mark Padmore, Dame Sarah Connolly, and Richard Stokes (Professor of Lieder at the Royal Academy of Music).

The Apprentices began working together in September 2025, under the direction of MCO Choir Director Jonathan Sells, during a 3-day residency at Grittleton House in Wiltshire. They were joined by some of the programme’s mentors, as well as Mark Padmore, who led a workshop on Bach. The programme is due to feature more coaching, workshops and masterclasses over the coming months, and will culminate in a final recital featuring repertoire they have worked on over the course of the programme.

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Monteverdi Appentices Programme: Background

The Monteverdi Apprentices Programme was established in 2007 as the first of its kind in the UK. It remains a pre-eminent training scheme for young musicians, seeking to bridge the gap between higher education and the professional music world. The programme now has nearly 100 alumni, and several former Apprentices still perform regularly with Monteverdi ensembles.

By crafting a supportive learning environment for talented young artists, providing rewarding performance opportunities, and offering coaching and tuition from experts in a range of fields, the scheme is designed to nurture the next generation of musical talent. MCO hopes to address some of the myriad challenges faced by emerging classical musicians by embedding Apprentices within our ensembles, equipping them with the skills, training and experience required to kickstart a sustained freelance career.

Choral Apprentices are integrated into the Monteverdi Choir, augmenting it along with MCO’s two period instrument orchestras – the English Baroque Soloists and Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique – for concert projects in London and Europe. This gives them the opportunity to learn and perform alongside world-class professional musicians, under the baton of a range of leading international conductors. Apprentices also take part in a range of workshops and masterclasses led by , prominent international artists such as Dame Sarah Connolly, Mark Padmore and Sophie Daneman, MCO Choir Director Jonathan Sells, and other experts from across the classical music industry.

Each Apprentice is also matched to an experienced MCO musicians who acts as a mentor, offering artistic advice and practical support, guiding them through the practicalities of preparing for projects, and helping them adjust and integrate into the wider ensemble whilst still encouraging their personal development.

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Our family of members, donors and benefactors help enable the ambitious, ground-breaking core artistic projects in which our Apprentices take part. By supporting the Monteverdi Choir & Orchestras, you are supporting our Apprentices.

For general enquiries and to discuss how you can support the Monteverdi Apprentices Programme please contact [email protected]