Musicians Ed Lee, Àánú Sodipe and Tamara Sullivan join the Orchestra for a 7-month placement that will see them work in communities across the South West, gaining the skills to deliver life-empowering projects with people of all ages

The BSO Young Associates placements are bursary-supported roles designed to increase diversity in the sector. They offer the next generation a career springboard through practical experience, training, and mentoring.

The BSO Young Associates scheme is supported by Allianz Musical Insurance

Ed Lee, Àánú Sodipe and Tamara Sullivan

Three aspiring community music leaders have been selected as Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s second cohort of BSO Young Associates; the musicians will work with people of all ages across the South West over the next year.

Musicians Ed Lee, Àánú Sodipe and Tamara Sullivan begin this month as BSO Young Associates, a bursary-supported training role to support their aspirations of becoming the next generation of community music leaders.

The three musicians will work across the range of Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s participatory work, which includes delivering music in partnership with education providers and across a wide breadth of health and care settings.

Ed Lee is a guitarist and saxophonist who brings songwriting experience to the role, he has worked in SEND schools and is known for creating accessible and inclusive music.  He joins Àánú Sodipe — a singer, violinist, and pianist who composes afro-classical music and performs with the Chineke! Orchestra — and Tamara Sullivan, who trained as an oboist at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, is an Instrumental Ambassador for the Benedetti Foundation and is a participant on the LSO Pathways scheme.

The BSO Young Associates scheme was launched in 2022 to increase diversity in the sector, by offering aspiring community music leaders a career springboard through practical experience, training and mentoring.

The three musicians follow in the footsteps of Lila Bhattacherjee and Sehyogue Aulakh, who graduated from the scheme earlier this year.

The scheme has expanded further this year; with the BSO offering a series of creative and music leader development workshops to all shortlisted applicants.

BSO Young Associate Ed Lee said: “I specialised in the research and study of SEND music education and since graduating have worked in schools in the Bournemouth area. I’m a self-confessed ‘metal head’ but I also grew up attending BSO concerts: I’m looking forward to fusing these passions as I join the organisation as a BSO Young Associate. I look forward to developing my skills as a music leader, which I hope to transfer into my work in education.”

BSO Young Associate Àánú Sodipe said: “I was attracted to the community approach of the Young Associates programme. I love interacting with people and using music as a vehicle for togetherness and community fun. I’m a professional violinist from Hackney, east London; from a young age I was constantly surrounded by music at home and at church. I can’t wait to begin and hope to develop my leadership and communication skills during the programme.”

BSO Young Associate Tamara Sullivan said: “I’d heard great things about the programme from a former BSO Young Associate, and this encouraged me to apply. I hope to develop my skills as a music leader, in particular arranging, conducting, and co-creating projects, whilst building my ability as a presenter. I grew up in Dorset before studying in Cardiff; I’ve been busy as a performer and teacher and am looking forward to this new challenge.”

Bea Hankey, Joint Head of BSO Participate, said: “We’re thrilled to extend the BSO Young Associates programme for another year, working with these brilliant musicians to share and develop their skills in our communities when the empowering impact of collective music-making has never been needed more. We’re grateful to our Supporting Partner Allianz Musical Insurance for their ongoing belief in our community-based work, and look forward to building on the success of last year’s programme as we begin to work across the South West with Ed,  Àánú, and Tamara.”

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra leads hundreds of events each year, from award-winning work in health and care settings to partnerships with schools and music education hubs. It is known globally for championing the role of culture in people’s lives. It received the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Impact Award in 2019 for its work in improving opportunities for disabled musicians, and BSO Resound — the world’s first professional disabled-led ensemble at the core of a major orchestra —continues to receive international attention for igniting change.

Allianz Musical Insurance is a Supporting Partner of the BSO Young Associates programme.

To learn more visit bsolive.com

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