The aspiring community music leaders will gain the skills to deliver life-empowering projects with people of all ages as part of the BSO’s award-winning team.

The nine-month bursary-supported placements are designed to increase diversity in the sector, offering the next generation of community music leaders a career springboard through practical experience, training and mentoring.

 

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) announces the appointment of two talented musicians, who become its first BSO Young Associates. Sehyogue Aulakh and Lila Bhattacherjee will work with community groups in education, health and care settings throughout the South West during their nine-month placements.

Sehyogue Aulakh, a percussionist from Devon who is currently completing her studies at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, joins London-born flautist Lila Bhattacherjee — a postgraduate student at Cardiff’s Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama — in becoming a BSO Young Associate.

The pair will bring their musicality and training to community groups throughout the South West as they join Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s award-winning outreach team. They’ll experience the full range of the organisation’s participation work, helping those both young and old in a variety of projects.

Sehyogue Aulakh, BSO Young Associate musician, said, “I feel lucky to have been exposed to a rich mix of music whilst growing up, thanks to Plymouth Music Zone, which helped me develop an interest in orchestral music alongside my love of North Indian classical music. I’m really looking forward to exploring how music can have a positive impact on people’s lives, whilst developing my tool kit as a musician.”

Lila Bhattacherjee, BSO Young Associate musician, said, “Since discovering the world of community music through my first graduate job, I’ve developed a deep interest and appreciation for the field. I can’t wait to develop my skills as a facilitator further and connect musically and socially with people across the South West as a BSO Young Associate.”

Bea Hankey, Head of BSO Participate, said, “We’re proud that coming out of the pandemic — at a time when the empowering impact of music has never been needed more — the BSO has been able to create these opportunities for the next generation of community music leaders. We’re grateful to our loyal philanthropic community, who helped fund the programme through the Big Give campaign, and for additional support from Allianz Musical Insurance. I know that Sehyogue and Lila will bring a fresh insight and energy to the brilliant work of BSO Participate — we can’t wait to begin.”


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.

The BSO Young Associates programme was launched at the start of 2022, with the aim of increasing diversity[i] and opportunity within the classical music sector. The programme was created through funds raised through the Big Give Christmas Challenge to help support aspiring musicians to launch a career in the arts.

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

For further information see bsolive.com

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