PHILHARMONIC FRIENDS is a holiday youth orchestra in Brighton, East Sussex for young musicians aged 8 – 15 years. (In some sessions, depending on uptake, we also incude younger children – the Philharmonic Fledglings! Please enquire.) The orchestra is suitable for children of a wide range of abilities and levels of experience, as all instrumental parts are custom-written, making Philharmonic Friends uniquely inclusive and accessible.
From Schubert to Spiderman; Verdi’s La Traviata to Booker T’s Green Onions; from Shostakovich to The Cure; Billie Eilish to the coolest French jazz… we offer a dazzling and diverse musical programme in a nurturing and exciting social setting. We also do some fabulous harmony group singing and percussion pieces which is not only fun but also great for the young musicians’ general musicianship skills.
• for young musicians learning to play any instrument
• all levels of musical experience welcome
• musical arrangements tailor-made for each child
• expert guidance from two passionate musicians
• orchestra sessions
• sectionals and one-to-one session
• harmony singing
• percussion pieces
• drawing competitions based on the pieces we play
• held at the Hanover Community Centre (Southover Street), where we have use of the lovely outside space for break times
The orchestra is led by:
BERND REST – a composer, guitarist and instrumental teacher
ROSIE BROWN – a singer-songwriter, voice and piano tutor, choir leader and qualified primary school teacher