Young Artist Programme

This year (2026) we warmly welcome a new cohort of Young Artists to our community. Over the next 18 months these eight duos will receive training and performance opportunities, culminating in their final showcase recitals in autumn 2027 during the Oxford International Song Festival.

Forging a career in music is becoming increasingly difficult. Financial pressures have made it more expensive to present work, leading to fewer performance opportunities, while rising living costs are felt most acutely by artists in the earliest stages of their careers.

We are proud to be leading the way in offering fair and equitable fees alongside the mentorship and training provided in this professional development programme.

In addition, we also offer emerging musicians - many of whom are alumni of our Young Artist programme or at a step change in their career - the chance to perform at the Festival and at other events during the year.

Our commitment to supporting the next generation of musicians is one strand of our education programme, which also includes work with primary schools in Oxfordshire to support creativity through music.

Our Young Artist Programme is generously supported by Jerwood Foundation and other charitable trusts and foundations.

What is the Young Artist Programme?

Oxford Song's successful Young Artist Programme runs over 18 months and offers a range of high-quality training and performance opportunities for duos in the early stages of their careers. From a longlist of applicants, duos are selected to attend public auditions during our Spring Song weekend every other year, and the successful applicants then join the programme. This year the adjudication panel included renowned singers Mark Padmore and Katie Bray, alongside our Artistic Director, pianist Sholto Kynoch.
 

Opportunities for Oxford Song Young Artists include:

Oxford International Song Festival 2026
-  A fully-funded place on the residential Mastercourse working intensively with internationally renowned artists and performing in the Mastercourse Showcase Recital.
-  An Emerging Artist slot: a 15-minute performance before one of the headline evening concerts.

Events during 2027
-  Masterclasses as part of the Spring Song weekend.
-  At least two other masterclasses/workshops during the year.
-  Other performance opportunities that may arise throughout the period.
-  Oxford International Song Festival 2027

The Programme culminates with a Showcase Recital performance for each duo during the Oxford International Song Festival in 2027.