The Tailleferre Ensemble regularly organises and delivers outreach projects, including our Chamber Music Day series and workshops with young people.

Our Chamber Music Days are a great opportunity for amateur musicians to explore chamber music repertoire, particularly by women, in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Participants are invited to work on listening and rhythmic skills, ensemble playing, musicianship, intonation, as well as to challenge themselves by performing informally to their colleagues. These workshops take place every two months, and incorporate a wide range of pieces and instrument combinations.

We also work with schools and Youth Orchestras, to help young musicians develop their ensemble skills and to learn about playing woodwind instruments. With younger students we run sessions to introduce potential musicians to the different instruments, which is particularly exciting with woodwind because of the variety of sounds and keywork present. Children have the opportunity to hear and recognise the different voices of the instruments, and to ask questions about how they are played. We often work in conjunction with schools and ensembles to develop interactive exercises that go alongside the curriculum already being followed.

Our tutors have impressive individual outreach experience. Our ensemble members have held lecturer and faculty member positions at the Australian Institute of Music and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, as well as teaching posts at the University of Cambridge, Wells Cathedral School, Trinity Laban Conservatoire, British Double Reed Society, National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, and Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Our outreach work includes the Royal College of Music Juniors’ Sparks programme, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Southbank Sinfonia, Gresham’s School, and leading projects in schools for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities with Musicians’ Company. Our musicians have facilitated composer workshops at Leeds Conservatoire, Royal Academy of Music, London Composers’ Forum, New Music Brighton, Royal College of Music, and Cheltenham Music Festival Composer Academy. Our members have also co-founded the Virginia Woolf & Music concert project, and adjudicate young musician competitions.