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 NAC Orchestra (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 to participants. 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 including mental skills and the prevention of hearing loss, as well as yoga and stretching. Participants understand that attending to their physical and mental wellness ensures longevity, stamina, success, and happiness in their careers.

Week 1:

• Orchestral boot camp!
• Spend over twenty hours in instrument sectionals and rehearsals in the National Arts Centre’s Southam Hall
• Take a mock audition and receive feedback from a panel of NACO musicians
• Refine your ensemble skills and contextualize standard orchestral excerpts

Week 2 & 3:
The second and third weeks of the NACO Mentorship Program each feature five to six rehearsals and two performances of a Main Series concert. Mentorship continues throughout, as both participants and NACO musicians work together to deliver unique public concert experiences.

Other activities include:

• In-rehearsal discussions
• Shared meals
• Karaoke night
• Chamber social reading night
• Discussions with guest artists and community partners on the importance of music in social service

By the end of the NACO Mentorship Program, participants have gained practical and relevant skills needed to become a complete musician in a modern 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 NAC, you will be part of an inclusive community working hard to dismantle barriers to employees’ 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.