Transforming Communities

Menuhin Centenary: Exploring the career development, training and support needs of professional musicians

As part of LMN’s Menuhin Centenary conference on 16 April 2016, a highly expert panel of people from across the music industry gathered at Kings Place to discuss their perspectives on the lives and careers of professional musicians.

The panel was chaired by Carol Main (LMN Scotland Director, and International Development Director for the UK). It also included Nina Swann, Seb Scotney (London Jazz), Julian West (LMN alumnus, Head of Open Academy, Royal Academy of Music), Fiona Harvey (Education and Youth Ensembles Consultant, Association of British Orchestras), Joel Garthwaite (LMN alumnus, musician, educator, music agent), Gabriela Haffner (LMN Vienna), Sally Burgess (LMN alumna, operatic lyric mezzo-soprano, opera director, and educator), Jessie Grimes (LMN current musician), and Luzmira Zerpa (LMN alumna).

They discussed many aspects of the careers and life of professional musicians, and how outreach work can (and should) sit alongside performance work. There was particular discussion about how musicians can create very successful and rewarding ‘portfolio’ careers, and the “shame” that some musicians describe where they cannot work exclusively as performers.

You can watch the whole discussion here, together with the closing comments to the conference, made by Evan Dawson (LMN’s Executive Director).

LMN Menuhin Centenary 2016 – Musicians Development – panel discussion from Live Music Now on Vimeo.

You can read a summary of the whole conference here.

Photo credit: Ivan Gonzalez