The Residentie Orkest believes in fostering talent: today's students are tomorrow's professional musicians. We contribute to talent development at various levels: from fostering as yet untapped talent in elementary school children to inviting and guiding young musicians, conductors and composers at the beginning of their (international) careers. The intensive cooperation with our upstairs neighbors, the Royal Conservatoire The Hague, is the basis of our talent development programs.

Collaboration Royal Conservatoire The Hague 

In the area of talent development, the covenant with the Royal Conservatoire The Hague (KC) forms the core of our activities. This intensive cooperation contributes to improving the career prospects of the future generation of musicians and music teachers. In addition, this partnership also promotes the qualitative influx of musicians to our orchestra in the future. 

The Residentie Orkest offers students from various master's programs the opportunity to develop in the orchestra. Master Composition students may write a one-minute symphony for the orchestra, and for musicians in training, there are ten internships within the Orchestra Master's program each year to play with the orchestra. 

One Minute Symphony

With the One Minute Symphony project, the Residentie Orkest gives composition students the opportunity to write a short work for the orchestra. The students are inspired by an encounter, work of art, person or place in The Hague and write a one-minute symphony. The Residentie Orkest plays these short symphonies prior to the Friday evening concerts. The result is always exciting and surprising and an important step in the students' careers.

In fact, a number of students have made such an impression with their composition that they have received a composition commission from us.

Orchestra Master

A master's student focusing on classical music naturally wants to gain as much practical experience as possible during their studies. Where better to do that than in a professional orchestra?
The Orchestra Master's is a collaboration between the Royal Conservatoire The Hague and the Residentie Orkest that has existed since 2010. This unique master's specialization is entirely devoted to gaining practical experience. The Residentie Orkest offers an average of ten internships per season. After a successful trial performance, students receive an internship contract to perform orchestral productions. They are all assisted by a mentor from within the orchestra.

Conductors and opera

The training of future singers and conductors is also close to the heart of Residentie Orkest . In this we cooperate with the Royal Conservatoire The Hague and the Conservatory of Amsterdam. 

The singing talents of the Dutch National Opera Academy (DNOA) receive musical support during their performances. And the future conductors of the National Master Orchestra Conducting receive master classes and get to walk with our chief conductor. 

National Master of Orchestra Conducting

The National Master Orchestra Conducting (NMO) is a prestigious two-year master's program offered jointly by the Conservatory of Amsterdam and Royal Conservatoire The Hague in The Hague. We are pleased to contribute to the training of these top talents. During the course, students take several master classes at the Residentie Orkest and have the opportunity to walk with productions as assistant conductor. They also receive lessons from artistic director Sven Arne Tepl, including on curatorship.

Dutch National Opera Academy

During the two-year Dutch National Opera Academy (DNOA) master's program at Royal Conservatoire The Hague and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, talented opera singers gain singing and acting experience. DNOA produces two full-fledged operas per year in collaboration with the Residentie Orkest and others.
For example, we previously collaborated on the productions Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss Jr. and Die Zauberflöte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Most recently, Mozart's La finta giardiniera was performed in the Conservatory Hall at Amare.

Competitions

In addition to supporting future musicians and composers who receive training through one of our partners, we also offer musical talents who enter competitions the opportunity to work with our orchestra. The finalists of the Dutch Violin Competition Oskar Back can solo with us on stage and the winning composition of the "Orchestral Work" category of the Gaudeamus Award will be played by us at one of our concerts. 

Dutch Violin Competition Oskar Back 

The Dutch Violin Competition is a biennial competition for young violin talent ages 6 to 26. The competition is divided into four age categories, including the Oskar Back category for youngsters aged 18 to 26. The Residentie Orkest is the regular accompanist of the finalists during the final concert of the latter age category.  

In addition to winning cash prizes, the finalists also get the chance to gain further experience at the so-called laureate concerts. For example, the winner of the Oskar Back category gets to solo in a concert with the Residentie Orkest. Among others, former finalists and now big names Emmy Verhey, Jaap van Zweden and Liza Ferschtman have already performed with the Residentie Orkest . 

Gaudeamus Foundation  

The most recent structural collaboration the Residentie Orkest entered into to encourage musical talent is with the Gaudeamus Foundation. To this international composition competition, the Orchestral Work category was added in 2020. Participants can not only apply for the composition prize, but now also have the opportunity to submit orchestral works specifically for the Residentie Orkest . As many as one hundred of the 233 participants submitted composition work for this first edition. 

The Gaudeamus Composition Award premiered at Residentie Orkest in December 2021. Out of 100 orchestral works, Lung by Canadian-Icelandic Fjola Evans was chosen to be performed for a concert at TivoliVredenburg conducted by Mei-Ann Chen.