Emerging Professional Artists programmeThe National Youth Choir exists to provide exciting and inclusive creative opportunities for all young people. Our Emerging Professional Artists programme, supports choral leaders and composers as they emerge into the professional world. It aims to address inequalities in the music industry by creating professional development pathways for those who are under-represented in choral music. Home Apply now Read all blogs See all alumni Become an Emerging Professional Artist Our Emerging Professional Artist programme is a fully funded training scheme for early-career choral professionals. We actively encourage you to apply if you are from a community that is under-represented in choral music, or you have a background in non-classical music. In 2026, we are offering two training pathways designed for Choral Leaders and Composers: The CHORAL LEADERS programme offers professional training for young choral conductors, educators and performers who are passionate about bringing people together to sing. The COMPOSERS programme supports young people who are committed to developing as professional composers, who love to write for vocal ensembles, and are excited about working with young voices. What can I expect? A one-year bespoke training and mentoring programme, built around you, with access to world-class choral professionals and educators. Support in building a career as a choral specialist, including long-term networking opportunities and guidance on the practical business skills needed for a portfolio career in the arts. Hands-on experience working with and observing young singers aged 9-25 from a wide range of backgrounds in a variety of settings through National Youth Choir's UK-wide activities. We provide training on how to work best with young people, including safeguarding and working in SEN settings. Education and support from our incredible range of industry partners, including Dorico, Stainer & Bell, Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, Association of Teachers of Singing, Association of British Choral Directors, Royal Academy of Music and NMC Recordings. A fully funded scheme, with financial assistance available for travel expenses for attending application activities like in-person interviews. Specialist training and outcomes tailored to each training programme pathway (see below). Find out more about each programme Choral Leaders Read full details We are looking for musicians (working in any style) who are passionate about bringing people together to sing. They will be looking to develop their conducting, leading, singing and education skills, and bring them all together to create choirs where people young and old can benefit from the life-enhancing experience of singing together. This programme is designed to support young musicians from a broad range of backgrounds. You do not need formal training as a conductor, singer or educator to take part - just a passion for sharing the joy of choral singing through your work. To apply you need to be aged 20 or older on 1st February 2027, and 29 or younger on 31st January 2028. Choral Leaders are also provided with: Opportunities for guided observation of National Youth Choir activity across all age groups in order to build choral leadership skills and build links with our community of freelance choral practitioners. Paid work on summer residential courses and our SING! Programme; an opportunity to put skills into practice in a supportive and supervised environment. This will involve working with young people of all ages, stages and backgrounds across the UK. Supportive choral conducting training tailored to your current experience level and aspirations as a Choral Leader. Mentorship from the Creative Director and Head of Creative Programmes at National Youth Choir for the duration of the programme, starting with an initial weekend of activity. Input from industry-leading choral conductors including National Youth Choir’s own team of principal conductors, choral educators, singers and singing teachers through partnerships with the Royal Academy of Music, The Association of Teachers of Singing and The Association of British Choral Directors. Opportunities to capture filmed content of yourself working with singers of different ages and stages which can be compiled into a personal showreel for future career development. If you are interested in professional choral singing, you may audition for National Youth Voices, a pool of singers who are regularly called upon to perform at high-profile events like the BBC Proms and other paid engagements. Composers Read full details We are looking for young composers in the early stages of their career who are passionate about writing for vocal ensembles, and are excited about working with young voices. This programme is designed to support young musicians from a broad range of backgrounds. You do not need to have formal composition training or be a published composer to take part. We welcome composers from a range of musical genres and experiences, and we actively encourage applications from those working in ways which are not ‘traditionally choral’ or acoustic. To apply, you need to be aged 18 or older on 1st September 2026, and 29 or younger on 31st August 2027. Young Composers are also provided with: One-on-one mentoring from established composers for the duration of the programme. The opportunity to write two choral works to be premiered, performed and professionally recorded by National Youth Choir's ensembles including youth choirs aged 9-18. In-person 'research and development' sessions with National Youth Choir ensembles to help you workshop your compositions and refine your writing skills for young singers. Access to media capture opportunities that can be used to showcase your compositions for your portfolio. This includes professional recordings released under NMC Recordings (see previous Young Composer albums) and occasionally filmed performances. The opportunity to connect with our partners Stainer & Bell and Dorico regarding future publication of music you have written on this programme. The chance to be considered for future commissions from National Youth Choir after your time on the programme has finished. What's the time commitment? The next Emerging Professional Artists programme will run from February 2027 to February 2028. The year-long programme involves approximately 30 days of activity in total. The activity has been designed so that the programme can fit around the other significant working or caring commitments you may already have. Many activity days will fall during the spring and summer school holidays, when EPAs attend National Youth Choir's residential courses for a few days at a time. At other times of year, EPA activities may look more like a one-off workshop on a weekday or a zoom session on an evening or weekend. We ask that you commit in advance to attending all confirmed 2027/28 activity dates when you apply (see below for more info) Will it cost me anything? No! This is a fully funded programme, so it won't cost you a penny to take part. We will cover reasonable travel expenses for all in-person activities (including application interviews), and overnight accommodation where necessary. There will be opportunities to take part in paid work as part of the programme, either through paid commissions or choral leadership work on National Youth Choir activities. Who can apply? There are a few key criteria that all applicants need to meet to become an Emerging Professional Artist: You must be currently based in the UK. You do not need to have been born in the UK or have any previous affiliation with National Youth Choir to apply. You must be within the eligible age ranges. To apply to become a Choral Leader, you need to be aged 20 or older on 1st February 2027, and 29 or younger on 31st January 2028. To apply to become a Young Composer, you need to be aged 18 or older on 1st September 2026, and 29 or younger on 31st August 2027. You must commit to attending all confirmed activity dates. As part of your application, we will ask you to commit to attend every EPA session that has been confirmed at that time. We will give advanced notice of newly confirmed dates once the programme has started and expect that all accepted EPAs will prioritise attending EPA activities during the programme. You should not be in full-time formal education during the programme. This includes full-time undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes. We recognise that some education e.g. research-based study may be more flexible, and candidates on such programmes are eligible to apply. You do not need to have formal or classical musical training to become an Emerging Professional Artist. When shortlisting, we will prioritise candidates who show the greatest potential, and who we think are at the right point in their development for the programme to provide most benefit. The National Youth Choir is committed to building an inclusive community. We are particularly keen to encourage young people from backgrounds currently under-represented in choral music to apply. How do I apply? The next application period to become one of our 2027 Emerging Professional Artists will open in summer 2026. Once applications are open, candidates will be invited to fill out an online application form, which includes requests to submit additional media like scores, conducting or performance videos. The requirements for each programme application will be made clear at the time of application. Please contact us at any time to discuss any access requirements we can accommodate as part of your application process. We welcome applications in text, audio or video formats. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an in-person workshop and/or interview. Financial assistance is available to cover interview travel expenses. Got questions or need support submitting your application? If you have questions about eligibility for the programmes, access needs or anything else, please get in touch with Rebecca Anderson by emailing [email protected] or calling 0191 820 0276 Manage Cookie Preferences