DSO outreach work

DSO's outreach work is led by our assistant conductor, Lindsay Ryan. Contact yca@dulwichsymphonyorchestra.org.uk

Philip McKenna Young Composer Award

The Young Composer Award is for GCSE and A Level students to give them the opportunity of a live performance and a prize.The award is dedicated to the memory of Philip McKenna, who played with the orchestra for 24 years until his death in 2009.

The terms of the competition are very simple. Composers submit one composition, scored for at least seven orchestral instruments (any combination) and lasting no more than five minutes, by the closing date of 30 April. Submissions should be as a readable score and audio representation (the same requirements as exam boards). The top three compositions will be shortlisted, and each of the three students will be invited to an orchestral rehearsal to hear their piece rehearsed and a separate workshop with a recognised composer. The two runners-up will receive £50 each and the winner will receive £100. The winning composition will be performed at the DSOsummer concert.

Local composer John Holland -will judge the entries. He is winner of the British Composer Awards 2008 (Making Music Award), secretary of the Forum London Composers Group and Conductor of the Lambeth Wind Orchestra.

Contact yca@dulwichsymphonyorchestra.org.uk for more information.

The winner of the DSO young composer award for 2010 is Maria Neil-Smith. You can download Maria's winning score of 'The Jigsaw of Life'. The 2009-10 Award was made possible through the Philip McKenna Outreach bequest.

The winner of the DSO young composer award for 2009 was Leo Geyer. You can download Leo's winning score of 'The Night Watchman' and a recording of the DSO's performance of the work.

Click here to download poster in pdf format

20 March 2010 - DSO returns to the British Home

After our initial successful first outreach activity and warm reception in 2009, we were invited to return to the British Home, Streatham to give another concert. We decided to provide a different format this time, with many established and newly formed chamber groups playing a wide variety of music for the residents. We collaborated at the end of the concert to provide a rousing Viennese Waltz finale, which went down a storm! In chatting to the residents afterwards, I was told by one gentleman that a couple of our numbers had brought him back to childhood's happy memories - he was quite emotional, and it was a lovely reminder that music has many powers - to entrance, to reminisce and above all to engage. We look forward to returning again to provide more members of our community who cannot get to classical concerts the opportunity to hear quality music.

Link with Elmgreen School

Our outreach work took on a new phase with the DSO embarking on a new rehearsal venue - Elmgreen school. Naturally this gave us opportunity to work with the future generation of musicians, as well as children who possibly have not had a broad musical education up to this point. In January we took 10 musicians in to give workshops on Ma Vlast (My Homeland) to tie in with our March concert. The children were very enthusiastic, full of questions and applause and keen to compose their own music. Time being short, we had to compact listening, composing and performing but we look forward to extending our activities within the school next academic year and being a viable part of the wider music education available in the community.

DSO outreach in London Harmony