Junior Fellow in Viola

Salary Grade: £9,718.72 per annum
Closing date: 12 Noon, Friday 17 April 2026
Interview date: Tuesday 28 April 2026

The RNCM is looking to recruit a Junior Fellow in Viola for the Academic Year 2026/2027.

This position will allow the successful candidate the opportunity to gain experience within the RNCM’s diverse range of Orchestras and Ensembles, whilst allowing space to develop professional connections externally. Our Orchestral Junior Fellowships are salaried positions and in return you will be scheduled for 400 hours of RNCM ensemble rehearsals and performances.

RNCM students perform in the broadest range of ensembles, exploring music from all corners of the repertoire and plenty of brand-new works too. You could find yourself performing in Opera, Symphony Orchestra, Manchester Contemporary Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Repertoire Orchestras or internal workshops. Every project is exciting and unique. We invite world-class conductors and directors as well as regularly embedding professional players within ensembles. You’ll build working relationships with all of these people during your time as a Junior Fellow.

You might be asked to play in weekly classes for RNCM conducting students. These classes often welcome highly regarded visiting conductors and professional players, giving more chances for you to grow your network. You might be invited to support your school by playing in school-based activities such as workshops or repertoire ensembles.

You may also be required to play in School of Chamber Music activity, potential recruitment activities and administrative duties, at the discretion of the Head of School. All of the activity described above is included within the 400 hours of the contract.

You will lead by example, demonstrating to our existing students the professional etiquette required of a performer. You will have a solid base of orchestral experience from your own conservatoire or university training, and you will know the expectation to arrive to rehearsals in good time and fully prepared.  Mentor support will be provided by relevant key staff. In this role, you will be able to observe RNCM teaching events e.g. masterclasses and thereby broaden your professional development.

The full commitment will be outlined at the start of the fellowship, with confirmed patches normally given no less than 3 months in advance. This will be arranged in collaboration between the Junior Fellows and the Orchestras and Ensembles department, and we will endeavour to honour any existing commitments. Some months will feel busier than others, but there will be plenty of space for you to plan ahead and take offers of work which fit around your RNCM schedule.

The contract for this role is subject to agreement of work dates, which can only be changed upon a subsequent mutual discussion and agreement.

This is a fixed term contract from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2027.

Audition Requirements

Following initial selection, successful applicants will be invited for an in-person audition at RNCM and they should prepare 5-10 minutes of own-choice solo repertoire, along with orchestral excerpts which will be sent in advance.

You can apply for this role via the Application Form. You will be required to submit a copy of your CV (maximum 4 pages) and a Cover Letter detailing how you meet the criteria set out in the person specification.

All of the fields are required unless stated.

Once you have submitted your application you will receive an automated email from ‘RNCM Website’ confirming your Application Form submission for this role.

Please note that applications received after the deadline will not be submitted to the panel.

If you have any queries please contact our Human Resources department via email at [email protected]

Candidates must be able to demonstrate their eligibility to work in the UK in accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. More information on this can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa

The RNCM is committed to safeguarding and we prioritise creating a safe and secure environment for everyone.  We seek individuals who share in our commitment to safeguarding and are willing to uphold these principles in all aspects of their work.