Program - NAC Orchestra Mentorship

Take your orchestral career to the next level

Side-by-side experience with professionals
Participants work side-by-side with their NACO mentors in sectionals, rehearsals, and public concerts. Dialogue between mentors and participants is a main feature of this program.

Lasting impact
Participants have meaningful opportunities to network and create long-lasting bonds with NACO mentors and with their peers from around the world.

Career enhancement 
The NACO Mentorship Program attracts world-renowned artists to offer masterclasses. Guest artist talks offer opportunities to pose questions to professional artists in diverse career paths.

Wellness and mental health
The NACO Mentorship Program presents guest talks on critical topics of physical wellness and mental preparedness. Participants understand that attending to their physical and mental wellness ensures longevity, stamina, success, and happiness in their careers.

What to expect

Advance preparation of individual parts is critical to the efficiency of the rehearsal process and to the overall morale of the orchestra. Good preparation will ensure that the highest artistic level can be reached in public performances.

• Start by getting to know NACO in small and large sectionals and tutti rehearsals on standard repertoire (come prepared!)
• Move into two Main Series weeks, each with five to six rehearsals and two public performances 
• One-on-one mentorship and in-rehearsal discussions throughout the Program
• Mock audition with feedback from a panel of NACO musicians
• Career talks with panels of NACO musicians and guest artists
• Learn about orchestra etiquette
• Share meals with peers and NACO mentors
• Enjoy a relaxed evening of Karaoke

By the end of the NACO Mentorship Program, participants have gained practical and relevant skills needed to become a complete musician in a modern professional orchestra. The NAC Orchestra takes pride in being a leader in creating space for emerging artists in the international orchestral music community. The NACO Mentorship Program is an indispensable step toward securing the future of orchestral music and its cultural value.

Equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-racism, and accessibility

The National Arts Centre (NAC) is committed to creating and sustaining a work environment that is inclusive, anti-racist, accessible, welcoming, and representative of the Canadian diversity.  

The NAC welcomes applications from candidates who can help us meet our vision, and contribute to the diversity of lived experiences, perspectives, and approaches. When you join the NACO Mentorship Program, you will be part of an inclusive community working hard to dismantle barriers to everybody’s well-being, access, potential, and success. The NAC actively seeks candidates who identify as women, Indigenous, Black, Persons of Colour (IBPoC), members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and people with disabilities. We encourage you to self-identify in the recruitment process. 

Lasting impact

Concrete skills, valuable advice, increased knowledge of the industry, unique performance opportunities, and constructive strategies for putting it all into practice as you navigate real-world opportunities—these are our raison d’être. With guidance provided by some of the finest musicians in Canada, the Americas, and the world, the NACO Mentorship Program will give you a clearer understanding of your own unique artistic purpose and how to achieve it, wherever your career takes you.