Youth Camerata Chamber Music for Strings, Senior Symphonic Winds & Orchestra 2025-26

Apply to take part in 4 high quality & unique Music training Sessions over each term for each ensemble.

Level: Grade 5 – Grade 8+ levels including limited percussion places.

Weekly solo performance class.

Ages: up to 18.

Why join?

  • Learn & perform exciting and diverse repertoire & learn with inspiring professional musicians.
  • Be part of a high -calibre ensemble with a collaborative spirit.
  • Build friendships with fellow musicians
  • Rehearsals & concerts are energising, focused and fun!

Venues – Dumpton School, Wimborne, Parkstone Grammar School & Lighthouse Poole

Our Poole Society for Young Musicians Charity is delighted to be able to offer the Camerata String and Wind Chamber Musicians termly 4 session bursts of unique high quality chamber music experiences, as well as high quality Senior Symphonic Winds sessions with training from highly specialist professional musicians including friends from our local BSO.

We remain extremely grateful for financial support from the prestigious Albert and Eugenie Frost Trust towards our string chamber music (with invited pianists too) during the last 2 years, Wessex Young Musicians Trust, private sponsors and our hub partners SoundStorm. This enables us to keep our fees as low as possible.

CAMERATA STRINGS – aimed at garde 5-8+ young musicians but there are spaces for a few who are approaching grade 5.
Four Sunday afternoon sessions take place over the term, continuing our chamber scheme with tutoring from our local distinguished highly qualified guest tutors (includes BSO friends). We are always delighted to welcome other distinguished professional musicians including those from world famous conservatoires who share their expertise with our students. This includes a weekly optional solo performance class which is an incredibly useful experience for our students.
From quartets, trio and quintets, we will be offering again a unique and exceptional music enrichment, tailor made for each musician. 
This term there will again be limited places for 2 levels of young chamber musicians, including cello ensembles, and Senior Camerata grade 5+ to post diploma young string players musicians. We continue the offer of places to a couple of outstanding pianists who will study piano trio repertoire.

Autumn term we are thrilled to welcome the SONAS STRING QUARTET from Guildhall School of Music and Drama and The Slate String quartet in the Spring
Our chamber music scheme has been a very special aspect our organisation over many years, providing unique and tailor made opportunities to keen and talented young musicians, nurturing them at the highest levels and exposing them to a vast range of professional music input from our distinguished and inspiring professional musician friends in the most fun and positive environment.
Collaborating with the Royal Academy of Music London, they have been a special addition to our musicianship building in recent years so we remain grateful to them for the added opportunities. These photos are from our fabulous Royal Academy of Music visit in June 2024. We are looking forward next school year to also build on our relationship with Guildhall School of Music and Drama London

Summer Term will offer 3 sessions plus a training afternoon and performance alongside the Slate Quartet

Summer Term Fee for the 4 Camerata sessions: £45. Cello Class: £15

Afternoon Session Dates:


26th April afternoon – Broadstone Methodist Church

31st May – Dumpton School

7th June – Cello Class with Rebecca Gilliver (LSO Principal cello)

14th June Dumpton School

(session 1 with the Slate quartet on 26th April is not compulsory)



SENIOR SYMPHONIC WINDS – Grade 5- Grade 8+ levels

Apply to join our Symphonic Winds – a vibrant ensemble where musicians come together to create powerful, polished performances and a string sense of community!

Performance this term will take place in the Lighthouse Centre for the Arts concert hall, Poole on 30th November.

Termly Fee: 4 afternoons Symphonic Winds – £45.00

SUMMER TERM – a shorter course
Session dates for summer term: 31 May, 14th and 21 June with Concert

This fabulous group runs alongside the Camerata sessions on Sundays –
We continue to benefit from expertise of wind specialist and pianist Simon Gilliver and Robb Tooley (BSO) who run our Symphonic Wind, so our young wind players can continue to benefit from their expertise and other professional wind musicians again this term.

Our chamber music scheme has been a very special aspect our organisation over many years, providing unique and tailor made opportunities to keen and talented young musicians, nurturing them at the highest levels and exposing them to a vast range of professional music input from our distinguished and inspiring professional musician friends in the most fun and positive environment.
Collaborating with the Royal Academy of Music London, they have been a special addition to our musicianship building in recent years so we remain grateful to them for the added opportunities. These photos are from our fabulous Royal Academy of Music visit in June 2024. We are looking forward next school year to also build on our relationship with Guildhall School of Music and Drama London:


Any NEW string or woodwind players plus horn players up to age 18 are welcome to apply to join the four termly Camerata sessions, but please apply soon as places are limited due to the nature of chamber music and so that parts can be allocated.

We insist that every musician tries their best to attend each session over the term even though we understand that this is not always possible: a quartet or trio without one player is at an enormous disadvantage, however, the group always plays as a tutti ensemble too at the end of each session!


Also our most senior Camerata members were given the amazing opportunity/invite to take part in a trip to the Royal Academy of Music London where they took part in classes, chamber music, orchestral playing and discover more about studying at one of the most famous conservatoires in the world.
We are fortunate to gain support from the Albert and Eugene Frost Trust again for our String and piano chamber music this autumn, support from WYMT and we remain extremely grateful for support from our hub partners SoundStorm Music Agency.

Please contact us ASAP on poolesym@gmail.com if you have difficulties in payment as grants are available.


We were again grateful for the support from Albert & Eugenie Frost Trust for string chamber and piano trios during our Autumn and Spring chamber music sessions, so that our Youth Camerata has continued to flourish, highly subsidised by the trust in order to keep fees low for families so that our young musicians can continue to benefit from excellent chamber music training and inspiration from highly skilled professional musicians.

We are also grateful to our hub partners SoundStorm Music Agency who support our activities.

For Strings players and Wind ONLY. Applications should be from young people aged to 6-18 years of age; minimum Grade 3+. Please fill out one form for each person wishing to take part:

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS TO TAKE PART

Please note that once you have received confirmation of acceptance payment becomes due immediately. If all sessions do not take place, a full refund will be issued to those who have already paid. However, it is not possible to give refunds for individual sessions as tutors will have been booked.
Details for payment to follow but it will be to the normal “Poole Society for Young Musicians” charity account.


We are grateful for the support of our Hub Partners SoundStorm, and to The Royal Academy of Music for facilitating this project, as well as the Albert and Eugenie Frost Trust for the strings and piano chamber music support.