classical music jobs & opportunities
composition prizes, music admin jobs, trustee positions & more
A round-up of some of the arts jobs available in the UK, as well as open calls for composers, performing call-outs and academic positions. Sign up for our fortnightly newsletter to be notified when the page is updated. If you find this page useful, please consider donating £3 towards website costs by buying us a coffee.
Opportunities included in this list are not endorsement. All job opportunities below share the salary. The deadline to apply to each opportunity can be found in brackets. Organisations can submit jobs, opportunities and funding pots here.
arts jobs
0-1 days a week, freelance & one-off or casual projects:
Apply by midnight on 16 January 2026
Essex Symphony Orchestra, one of the most prominent non-professional orchestras in Essex, is looking for a skilled, ambitious and motivating Music Director to conduct the orchestra and to lead it into its next era from September 2026, building audiences and promoting work with young people.
Musical director for philharmonic choir (1 January 2026)
Freelance safeguarding lead at orchestral charity (5 January 2026)
Music director for non-professional symphony orchestra (16 January 2026)
Music therapists in London (rolling deadline)
1-2 days a week:
2-3 days a week:
Finance manager at artists trust (12 January 2026)
Marketing assistant at festival (12 January 2026)
Seasonal concert host at music venue (rolling)
3-4 days a week:
Programme assistant at arts venue (4 January 2026)
Concerts and tours manager at choir (5 January 2026)
Chief executive of piano concerto competition (23 January 2026)
Head of producing & participation at opera company (30 January 2026)
Full-time:
Senior marketing manager at orchestra (2 January 2026)
Arts producer at outdoor arts festival (5 January 2026)
Head of development at orchestra (6 January 2026)
Head of individual giving at orchestra (11 January 2026)
Stage and operations manager at orchestra (12 January 2026)
Customer acquisition manager at online music shop (31 January 2026)
Apply by Monday 5 January 2026
Prize: £1,000 bursary
Are you a composer born on/after 1 January 1996?
This prize supports young composers from underrepresented backgrounds as part of London Mozart Players’ commitment to enable more young people to embark on a career within the classical music industry.
Composing opportunities:
All composition prizes and schemes included here are free to enter.
20 composer schemes for emerging composers (bookmark this link!)
String quartet commission opportunity for 14-17 year olds (26 December)
Competition for composers born, living, working or studying in Sheffield (31 December)
Prize for composers from London or the South East born on or after 1 January 1996 (5 January)
4-8 minute SATB composition competition for emerging choral composers (5 January)
Compose a short anthem for a choir of modest ability, suitable for singing in a church service (15 January 2026)
British, Irish or UK resident songwriters and composers: enter The Ivors (16 January 2026)
Call for scores for flute, bassoon and classical guitar (21 January 2026)
Talent development programme to support the next generation of composers of music for vocal ensemble (23 January 2026)
London based orchestra looking to appoint a Composer in Residence for the 2026/27 season (13 February 2026)
Submit your music to Concert Roulette (rolling deadline)
Submit your music to Opera Roulette (rolling deadline)
Call-out for existing work for 6–25 players (string orchestra+ or mixed instrumentations) (rolling deadline)
performing opportunities:
Musical director for philharmonic choir (1 January 2026)
Music director for non-professional symphony orchestra (16 January 2026)
Conducting fellowship at opera company (20 January 2026)
Emerging musicians programme for a string quartet in which all musicians are under the age of 30 (1 February 2026)
Brass quintet competition for under 30s (1 March 2026)
Online mentoring community for professional classical singers
Submit your performance to Concert Roulette (rolling deadline)
Submit your performance to Opera Roulette (rolling deadline)
Found a job here and want to say thank you? You can buy us a one-off coffee for £3!
teaching opportunities:
…including pop-up gigs, immersive concerts and peer-to-peer support sessions.
Other opportunities:
Call for provocations for experimental music festival (unpaid but you do get a free festival pass) (2 January 2026)
Parents/carers of musical learners aged 11-18: take part in research
Call for neurodivergent audience members to take part in research
Funding & bursaries
Visit our new funding board to find details of funding pots that are currently open for applications.
Find a list of the funding pots and bursaries that are currently open for applications on our new arts funding hub! Opportunities open at the moment include:
£5,000-£15,000 for UK based artists/bands to break through to the next level of their careers
£500 for projects in Glasgow
Funding for the performance, commissioning or recording of music by professional composers active in the last 100 years