Making Music joins European Orchestra Federation

Making Music is delighted to have joined the European Orchestra Federation. The European Orchestra Federation (EOFed) was founded in May 2009 by the former European Association of Youth Orchestras and the European Association of Amateur Orchestras, which merged in order to strengthen European non-professional music making.

EOFed unites non-professional groups in European countries that play symphonic orchestra and chamber music works of all periods of time and genre. Brass bands, wind instrument orchestras and other specialised ensembles are also partners of EOFed.

The Federation promotes amateur music making for all ages and aims to facilitate contacts and cooperation among its members and individual orchestras. It runs an event and festival database listing, and offers partners in the music business advertising and promotion opportunities.

Join the European Orchestra Festival 2021!

An exciting opportunity has come up for Making Music's member orchestras, thanks to our membership of the EOFed. Orchestras that are able to plan activities for next year can apply to take part in the EOFed festival. Applications for the next festival on 13-16 May 2021 are now open until 26 October, and the festival will be held in the historic city of Plovdiv (Cultural Capital of Europe 2019), Bulgaria, with the option of a tour afterwards with your orchestra to Varna (on the coast of the Black Sea).

At the festival your group can perform a concert, and you can take part in a range of workshops where you will have the chance to play great challenging or unknown works. There will also be social gatherings and the chance to make connections with fellow musicians of all ages that you meet in the workshops, as well as explore Plovdiv.

The deadline to apply is 26 October 2020 and you can find more information and how to apply on the provisional festival website www.orchestrafestival.eu or through info@orchestrafestival.eu 

Individuals can also apply to take part by writing to eofed.vicepresident@gmail.com, so even if your group, or a sub-group, isn’t able to go, individual musicians can still enjoy being part of this exciting venture.