LYC Chamber Choir Conductor Application Pack Summer 2026
Join London Youth Choirs About LYC
Welcome to London Youth Choirs (LYC). LYC is dedicated to raising voices and shaping lives. Through our citywide community of choirs and free school programmes we provide a musical pathway for young singers from ages 7 to 23 where they can find their voice, develop their musical ambitions, and embody the joy, connection and opportunities that singing can bring.
Our singers take on the challenge of a rich classical repertoire as well as exploring diverse contemporary styles. We have worked with some of London’s finest orchestras, choirs, and other artists, yet our approach remains intentionally inclusive, with a particular commitment to improving access for disadvantaged young people: nurturing their development through LYC’s choirs, enabling them to thrive through music and - ultimately - changing who appears on the concert stage.
Since 2012, 15,000 young singers have sung with us in our 10 choirs, schools, and community projects. With the help of our supporters, LYC has subsidised every place and provided free places to over 600 young singers in our choirs, including free concert uniforms and travel passes. Notably, 29% of our singers are of global majority heritage.
Launched in May 2025, LYC Voices is LYC’s commercial trading arm. LYC Voices recruits from our current and former members to provide a diverse pool of young vocal talent to the UK's professional performance industries, including films, commercials, gaming soundtracks, and large events. This innovative venture not only showcases our musical excellence but also provides performance opportunities for our young singers, having already achieved success in a number of high profile ventures including Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy and singing the soundtrack for Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. So far in 2026, we have performed live supporting Basement Jaxx at the Royal Albert Hall, and recorded for film, television and theatre projects (all currently under NDA!) at Angel Studios and Strongroom Studios - with numerous other projects on the horizon.
For more information, you can visit www.londonyouthchoirs.com and www.londonyouthchoirs.com/lyc-voices/.
Our Ethos
LYC aims to be a warm, welcoming, professional and ambitious organisation. You will thrive with us if you:
Have a genuine passion for helping shape the lives of young people in London, and an active interest in the work of LYC
Possess a proactive and positive attitude
Enjoy clear and transparent communication
Treat everyone with courtesy and respect
Value the diversity of London and wish to actively promote equity and inclusion
Our Team
Inspirational leadership is one of the most important things we can offer our young singers: LYC is run by an exceptional team of 14 staff, each of whom bring the highest levels of change-making ambition, commitment, and joy to the work that they do.
Our administrative team is led by Chief Executive Nina Camilleri. Reporting to our Board of Trustees, Nina is responsible for leading the day-to-day organisational business that underpins all areas of LYC’s work and activity.
With many years’ experience of drawing the very best from young people, Co-Founder and Artistic Director Rachel Staunton leads our 50-strong music team of Conductors, Pianists, and Assistant Leaders. Our Conductors encourage, nurture and challenge the members of their choirs, giving them an ambitious, diverse and engaging musical experience. LYC’s Pianists are some of the best accompanists in the business - not just excellent collaborative musicians, but also skilled arrangers, composers, and music leaders in their own right. Our Assistant Leaders support their Conductors and Pianists at rehearsals and events, ensuring our members receive the highest levels of pastoral care and musical support while they are with us.
For more information about the rest of the LYC team please click here:
Management Team Music Team
LYC Chamber Choir Conductor
About LYC Chamber Choir
Comprising twenty-four 18-23 year olds, LYC Chamber Choir is LYC’s flagship ensemble, delivering several high-quality performances annually, and routinely collaborating with guest artists and ensembles at prestigious venues across London and beyond.
In addition to four own promotion concerts per year (in venues such as Milton Court, St John’s Waterloo and St Bartholomew the Great), recent musical highlights include:
Anna Lapwood’s Christmas at the Royal Albert Hall
Evensongs at Selwyn College, Cambridge and Holy Sepulchre Church, Holborn
2025 BBC Proms (Vaughan Williams, Sancta Civitas with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and BBC Symphony Chorus)
Side by side performances with Sonoro and Echo Vocal Ensemble
2024 BBC Proms (Handel, Messiah)
BBC Holocaust Memorial Day (broadcast live on BBC television)
Performances of J. S. Bach’s St Matthew Passion with The Bach Choir
Two performances on Good Morning Britain
King’s Trust Carol Concert at St Paul’s Cathedral
Performing at the D-Day 80 Commemoration in Normandy, France (broadcast live to a worldwide audience of millions)
Weekend workshops with Harry Christophers and singers from The Sixteen
The choir rehearses weekly, during term time (typically 32-33 weeks per year), on Mondays from 6.30pm-8.30pm. From September 2026, these rehearsals will take place at St Andrew’s, Waterloo - a short walk from LYC’s new home of St John’s Waterloo.
As well as weekly rehearsals, the core LYC year consists of 6 additional weekend half-day rehearsals and participation in our own-promotion LYC performances (one of which is a Chamber Choir-only recital). By the end of the 2025-26 academic year, LYC Chamber Choir will have performed at a further eight engagements, ranging from collaborations with Anna Lapwood and the London Symphony Orchestra to gala performances at the Science Museum, to evensongs in London and in Cambridge.
The 24 members of the choir audition each year. They range in musical background from those who have sung in LYC choirs for over a decade to others who have joined us having moved to London to study singing at music college. 5
About the role of LYC Chamber Choir Conductor
The conductor of LYC Chamber Choir is one of the most important and influential artistic positions within London Youth Choirs. Their musical ambitions shape not just the interests and aims of the Chamber Choir’s 24 members - many of whom are studying at music college with the aim of singing professionally - but of London Youth Choirs as a whole. They will represent LYC on occasions ranging from intimate recitals to live worldwide broadcasts and, as such, must be fully aligned with our missions and values - developing, over time, a deep understanding and appreciation of what our charity represents: shaping the lives and futures of thousands of young people in London through the power and shared joy of singing.
LYC is an intentionally inclusive organisation, but we are also change-making and musically ambitious. It is the role of the Chamber Choir Conductor to ensure that those pillars are always represented in the work that they do and in how they inspire and challenge our members.
In order to achieve this, you will have extensive experience of choir training and choral conducting at a high level, with an understanding of best practice in working with developing voices. Your knowledge, experience and musical understanding will enable you to curate ambitious and appropriate music programmes for the choir. Most of all, you will be an inspirational figure that members look up to as a positive role model who embodies not just the values of LYC, but the values we wish to see represented in the professional choral world.
As with all of LYC’s Music Team, this is a freelance, part-time position. Looking further into the future, we are in the early stages of planning our 15th Anniversary concert at the Royal Albert Hall in Spring 2028 and, as such, are looking to appoint a candidate willing to commit to the role until at least then.
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
You must be able to evidence your training, knowledge and experience in the areas listed below within your application.
Extensive experience of choir training and choral conducting at a high level, with an understanding of best practice in working with developing voices.
The knowledge, experience and musical understanding to curate ambitious and appropriate music programmes for the choir, covering a wide range of genres, styles and languages (in collaboration with the Artistic Director).
The ability to nurture and inspire young people to achieve quality performances, and to demonstrate commitment to LYC.
Experience of preparing choirs for performances with large ensembles and organisations, e.g. the BBC Proms or major symphony orchestras.
An excellent role model who is willing to be a positive and vocal advocate for the work of London Youth Choirs and the wider benefits of singing for young people.
Experience of working with young people from all backgrounds, and a passion for intentionally inclusive practice.
Sensitive, aware, and compassionate towards any challenges our young people may be facing.
An understanding of the importance of safeguarding and protection of children and young people.
An excellent team player with a track record of planning and facilitating collaborative projects
What LYC can offer you
Numerous prestigious performance opportunities
The potential to work in the film, TV, advertising, gaming and large event industries through the work of LYC Voices
Opportunities to take part in peer-on-peer observation and mentoring during LYC rehearsals
Opportunities to work across London in our Schools and Communities programme: leading workshops and inspiring young people across the capital in a wide range of events, workshops and specialist programmes
Access to a network of around 50 exceptional freelance musicians with a range of interests and expertise across London and the UK
The opportunity to join various LYC committees which play roles in the running of the charity - including paid positions in our EDI committee and Music committee
Provision of safeguarding training, both in person and online, as well as access to an extensive library of online training resources provided by TES
Flexible access to the LYC office in Waterloo as a working space
A supportive and open working environment, where your growth and development as a freelance musician is actively encouraged
How to apply
- Please prepare a video (max. 5 minutes) of you conducting a choir of young people, ideally of a similar age to our Chamber Choir (ages 18-23).
This could be a performance, rehearsal, or musicianship training. It should be recent, but does not need to be filmed specifically for this application. We will assess your video purely on how well it meets the knowledge, skills, and experience listed above. Please ensure that you have appropriate permissions from any young people involved (or do not show their faces) before sharing any materials with us.
2. Please complete the online Application Form.
As well as providing basic personal information, you will need to write a short personal statement, explaining why you wish to apply for the role and how London Youth Choirs will benefit from your knowledge, skills and experience.
3. Please complete the Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form.
You can also find both forms on our website.
Deadline for applications: 10am on Monday 1 June
Shortlisting announcements will be made by Friday 5 June.
Auditions
First round practical auditions will take place from 10am-6pm on Sunday 14 June at the VOCES8 Centre, EC2V 7BX.
Second round auditions will be held at a later date to be mutually agreed in advance with successful applicants.
What to expect at your audition
You will have an informal chat with a member of the LYC office team by way of introduction to LYC as an organisation
You will lead a 45 minute rehearsal on music the choir is currently working on. The rehearsal session should also include an appropriate warm up and some musicianship activities.
Further information (e.g. specific music extracts) will be provided to applicants invited to audition.
Interviews
Job offers will only be made once candidates have passed a formal, in person interview with LYC’s Head of Safeguarding & Pastoral Care, at which you will be required to submit a self-disclosure form, proof of identity, and evidence of a current enhanced DBS check (if held). These will take place on dates mutually agreed once auditions are complete.
Start date
Planning of repertoire for the 2026-27 season will need to take place over the Summer.
The role commences in person on Monday 7 September 2026, with weekly rehearsals beginning on Monday 14 September and recurring on Mondays thereafter.
You will be required to complete online safeguarding training (in addition to the background checks mentioned above) before you can begin work with LYC.
Additional Information
In the 2026-27 season, the role will be remunerated as follows:
£155 per 2.5-hour rehearsal call
£215-£500 for concerts and events, depending on the nature of the engagement
There is also a fixed annual stipend of £1,500.
LYC fees are paid monthly, on receipt of invoice.
You are expected to be registered as self-employed and therefore responsible for your own Tax and National Insurance.
All successful candidates will also be required to attend a small number of paid face-to-face training sessions throughout the year, as well as completing compulsory online safeguarding training. They will also be expected to attend termly meetings with the rest of the LYC conducting team.
Safeguarding
London Youth Choirs is committed to safeguarding and protecting the children and young people that we work with. We ensure that our organisation has a range of policies and procedures in place so that we can do everything possible to safeguard our choir members, our staff, and the organisation as a whole. Our key policies can be read on the LYC website. Applicants not registered on the DBS Update Service will be required to undergo a new check with LYC before commencing work with us. We will also ask you to provide details of two referees. A full explanation of our safeguarding recruitment measures can be found in our Safer Recruitment Policy.
Equality and Diversity
At London Youth Choirs, it is our core belief that opportunities to work and develop should be open to all. We have processes in place to ensure that all job applications are assessed fairly, regardless of age, disability, gender identity or gender expression, race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristics. We want a more equal, inclusive and representative choral and cultural sector. We particularly encourage applications from disabled people and people from Black, Asian and global majority backgrounds, as these groups are currently underrepresented in our workforce.
We hope you find this job pack helpful and clear. If you have any questions about
the role which aren’t answered here, please email Artistic Director Rachel
Staunton before submitting your application:
rachel.staunton@londonyouthchoirs.com
LONDON YOUTH CHOIRS
Rich Mix
35-47 Bethnal Green Road
London E1 6LA
London Youth Choirs is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation No.1151714