Section Leader Cello, Royal Northern Sinfonia
Deadline for applications: 17.00 on Monday 20 July 2026Department & Team: Royal Northern Sinfonia & Classical TeamLocation: The Glasshouse International Centre for MusicWorking Hours: Members of Royal Northern Sinfonia work in line with the North Music Trust / Musicians’ Union agreement Position in organisation and starting salary: Section Leader Cello £49,056 (SCP 24)Reports to: Senior Orchestra & Personnel Manager Works in conjunction with: Royal Northern Sinfonia musicians and the Classical Team
We welcome applications from all nationalities. Successful applicants will be asked to present the relevant documents to demonstrate their eligibility to work in the UK or asked to apply for a visa granting permission to work. If you don’t currently have the right to work in the UK, we can discuss your longer-term options and help support with visa applications where necessary.
We appreciate people have busy diaries, so if you find yourself unavailable for one of the stages outlined below, we still encourage you to apply and follow up with an email to Tom Hickman (Senior Orchestra & Personnel Manager) at tom.hickman@theglasshouseicm.org
Stage One – Digital Submission Closing date: 17.00 on Monday 20 July 2026
Please submit a video recording which contains the following excerpts by 17.00 on Monday 20 July 2026:
Excerpts:
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No.8, Trio b.45 – 78
Johannes Brahms Piano Concerto No.2, 3rd mvt b.1 – 25, 71 – 99
Richard Strauss Le bourgeois gentilhomme, figs. 84 – 85
Excerpts for Stage One can be found in the attachment above.
Your submission needs to be recorded live, in one take and without any editing. Please note the panel will only hear the audio of your submission.
We will aim to notify successful candidates from Stage One by the end of Friday 24 July 2026 at the latest.
Stage Two – In Person Live Audition – Monday 21 and Tuesday 22 September 2026
Your audition will take place at The Warehouse, 13 Theed Street, London, SE1 8ST and will consist of two parts:
Part A: A screened audition consisting of the first movement of Haydn Cello Concerto No. 2 in D (exposition only) and a contrasting piece of your own choice.
An accompanist will be provided but do bring your own if you wish.
Part B: An un-screened audition consisting of orchestral excerpts and a pre-selected movement of chamber music with members of the panel. The repertoire for Stage Two, Part B is listed below.
Excerpts
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No.8, Trio b.45 – 78
Benjamin Britten Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, March
Johannes Brahms Piano concerto No.2, 3rd mvt b.1 – 25, 71 – 99
Joseph Haydn Sinfonia Concertante, 2nd mvt b.15 – 20 and 3rd mvt b.145 – 175
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No.40, 1st mvt bars 114 – 134
Dmitri Shostakovich String Quartet No. 8, figs. 62 – 63
Arnold Schoenberg Verklärte Nacht b.259 – 265, 320 – 344
Richard Strauss Le bourgeois gentilhomme, figs. 84 – 85
Chamber Music
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart String Quartet No.22, K.589 2nd mvt - Larghetto
We will aim to notify successful candidates from Stage Two by the end of Wednesday 23 September 2026.
Stage 3 – Auditions with Royal Northern Sinfonia – Monday 02 November 2026
An orchestral audition with Royal Northern Sinfonia playing pre-selected repertoire, conducted by Music Director Dinis Sousa. This will take place at The Glasshouse ICM, St Mary’s Square, Gateshead, NE8 2JR.
The repertoire for Stage 3 will be drawn from:
J S Bach Orchestra Suite No.2 in B Minor, Overture b.1 – 119
Joseph Haydn Symphony No.8 “Le soir”, final mvt
Johannes Brahms Symphony No.3, 3rd mvt ‘poco allegretto’ to fig. B
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No.9, 4th mvt ‘presto to b.92
Johannes Brahms Piano Concerto No.2, 3rd mvt, bars 1 –25
Béla Bartók Divertimento for String Orchestra, b. 222 – 394
Royal Northern Sinfonia play at A=440
We will aim to notify successful candidates from Stage Three by the end of Wednesday 04 November with candidates being asked to provide their availability for Stage 4 by Wednesday 12 November.
Stage 4: Trial (Paid work, Chamber Music, and Interview)
Dates from January 2027
The final stage in the recruitment process will involve the successful candidates undertaking paid work with the orchestra in line with the North Music Trust/Musicians’ Union Freelance Agreement.
For Section Leader positions this will consist of four patches of paid work, with one patch centred around our core classical repertoire conducted by Music Director Dinis Sousa. You’ll also take part in a chamber music rehearsal with members of the panel and an interview with the Leader (or appropriate Section Leaders) and the Senior Orchestra & Personnel Manager.
An additional patch of work may be offered to candidates if the panel fail to reach a consensus.
About the Orchestra
Music Director Dinis Sousa
Artistic Partner Maria Włoszczowska
Principal Guest Conductor Nil Venditti
Associate Conductor Ellie Slorach
Conductor Laureate Thomas Zehetmair
Internationally renowned, calling Gateshead home.
‘Wherever the orchestra play and whoever they share a stage with, every performance is ‘a feast for the heart and mind’ (The Telegraph).
37 musicians at the top of their game. Electrifying music, old and new. All the talent, determination, and creativity of the North East on a worldwide stage. From their home at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, Royal Northern Sinfonia share the joy and wonder of orchestral music with thousands of people across the North of England - and beyond - every year.
From symphonies to string quartets, live-to-film blockbusters and performances with pop superstars, to headlining BBC Proms in the North East, the orchestra’s members have got one of the most varied jobs there is. No two weeks are ever the same.
They look for fresh new sounds from up-and-coming composers, invite local communities to share a stage, and do everything they can to inspire and prepare the musicians of tomorrow to one day take their place. They’re also working hard to smash the barriers that can stop brilliant people getting into classical music. They've teamed up with the Royal Philharmonic Society to champion conductors who have encountered barriers to progress through their lived experience, background and personal characteristics, Black Lives in Music to help global majority musicians get vital experience in the orchestra world, and celebrate disabled and non-disabled musicians breaking new ground together in inclusive ensemble RNS Moves.
They travel far and wide to make sure there’s top-notch classical music on offer across the North. You’ll find them in churches and community centres, town halls and sports halls, as well as taking charge of concert series in Carlisle, Kendal, Middlesbrough, and Sunderland. International tours have taken them to almost every country in Europe, to Asia, South America and, most recently, South Korea.
With 65 years of success to build on, they’ve signed a dynamic artistic leadership to lead the way into a bold bright future. Music Director Dinis Sousa and Principal Guest Conductor Nil Venditti were both nominated in the Best Conductor category at the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards 2025. Artistic Partner Maria Włoszczowska is blazing a trail directing from the violin and Associate Conductor Ellie Slorach is leading the way on concerts for schools and families. Ellie was nominated for Best Conductor at the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards 2026.
Guest conductors and directors including Riccardo Minasi, Giovanni Antonini, Sofi Jeannin, Bjarte Eike, and Kristian Bezuidenhout bring fresh perspectives. Concerto soloists like Vikingur Olafsson, Sheku-Kanneh Mason, David Fray, Alena Baeva, Elisabeth Leonskaja, and Sir Stephen Hough leave audiences mesmerised. And top-notch singers such as Sarah Connolly, Nicky Spence, Louise Alder, Roderick Williams, Willard White, and Cecilia Masabane Rangawasha light up concerts with Chorus of Royal Northern Sinfonia.
Some highlights of the upcoming 26/27 season include weekend festivals celebrating Steve Reich at 90, 200 years since Beethoven’s death, and 100 years of sci-fi films, Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius with a supersized orchestra and chorus of local musicians, a concert staging of Cosi fan tutte, Isabelle Faust playing Beethoven’s Violin Concerto on Valentine’s Day and a contemporary chamber music series in Sage Two.
Purpose of the Role and Person Specification
We are looking to appoint a dynamic and enthusiastic musician of the highest international calibre to the position of Section Leader Cello.
As one of six string Section Leader positions in the orchestra, the Section Leader Cello is one of the key roles in Royal Northern Sinfonia. The successful candidate will be able to form a cohesive team with string colleagues in orchestral programmes across repertoire ranging from the Baroque period to the music of today, while also displaying soloistic virtuosity and charisma in orchestral solos and solo concertos.
They will be a keen chamber music player and excited about the prospect of performing in many different formations under the banner of Royal Northern Sinfonia, taking the lead where necessary. They will be determined to play their part in audience development, brimming with project ideas, and be a passionate communicator about classical music to different audiences in different settings. They will be as comfortable and at home in learning and participation environments as they are on the concert stage, and value both equally. They will want to play a full part in orchestral and musical life in Tyneside and see themselves as advocates for the orchestra and The Glasshouse.
Responsibilities and DutiesThe role will include, but is not limited to:
- Rehearsals and performances in a range of venues and formats
- Media work, digital projects and commercial recordings
- Chamber music and ensemble performances in a range of formations
- Solo repertoire / formal recitals
- Working as part of a team to create new performance formats
- Section Leader meetings and other orchestral committee work
- Attending receptions and speaking to audience members, individually and from the stage
Creative Learning is a vital part of The Glasshouse ICM and of the orchestra’s work. Duties within this area can include, but are not limited to:
- Giving informal performances and concerts in the community or in schools
- Participating and leading workshops and creative composition writing sessions in schools
- Engagement with The Glasshouse’s Make Music programme which includes the Centre for Advanced Training, two ‘In Harmony’ Schools and Young Sinfonia and RNS work with young people, including schools concerts
- Coaching of individuals and ensembles, both adults and young people
- Participating in planning and evaluation meetings
Selection Process, Submission Guidance and How to Apply The recruitment process consists of four stages with the successful candidate being offered the position with the Orchestra. Once all four stages are complete, an offer of employment will be made and will include a probation period of six months. This probation period will include regular feedback meetings with a relevant member of the panel and the Senior Orchestra and Personnel Manager.
All the information you should need to submit your application, including technical guidelines and instructions on how to upload your digital submission can be found below.
How to Create your Digital Submission
We’ve prepared a short guide to help you to upload your Stage One submission video to YouTube. This will be a private submission and will only be heard by the panel and members of the orchestra management team who will verify your submission. The panel will only hear the audio of your submission similar to a ‘screened’ audition.
Technical Guidelines
Your digital submission should be no longer than five minutes in length and recorded ‘as live’, in one take and be unedited. Your video should be landscape and you and your instrument should be face on and central to the camera. Please do not include any talking in your submission.
If you’re using a smartphone/tablet
Step 1: Using the YouTube app (you can download for free from your relevant app store if you don’t already have it), please either sign in or create an account. Once signed in, press the ‘video’ button in the top right corner of your screen.
Step 2: This will bring you to a menu from which you can upload your video. Once you’ve selected the video you’d like to upload, you’ll be taken to a ‘trim’ screen. Then press ‘next’ (top right).
Step 3: Please name your video in the following format. If you’re applying for more than one position, please state what the positions are.
Please use a smart phone camera with the internal microphone and no additional audio or visual enhancement equipment.
Please label your submission as outlined below.
Format: Initials – position applied for
Example: JB – Sub-Principal Viola
Step 4: At this point, you should select the option ‘unlisted’ for your privacy settings. This will allow you to share the URL link so the Audition Panel can view your video. An unlisted video is not public and can’t be seen by anyone that doesn’t have the link. Press ‘upload’ (Top Right). Once this has finished processing it will appear in the menu.
If you’re using a computer/laptop
Step 1: Go to www.youtube.com and either sign in or create an account. Once signed in, you’ll see ‘create’ in the top right corner. Select ‘upload video’.
Step 2: This brings you to an upload screen. Press ‘select files’ to bring up your file menu. Select the video you’d like to upload and press either ‘choose’ or ‘done’.
Step 3: After you have selected the video and uploaded it, you’ll be taken to the video details screen, where you can name and describe the video. Please name your video in the following format.
Format: Initials – position applied for
Example: JB – Sub-Principal Viola
Step 4: Press ‘next’ until you arrive at the ‘visibility’ screen. At this point you should select the option ‘unlisted’ from your privacy settings. This will allow you to share the URL link so the audition panel can view your video. An unlisted video is not public and can’t be seen by anyone that doesn’t have the link.
Safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults
The Glasshouse is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. For posts where there is contact with children, young people and vulnerable adults, the job advertisement and person specification will specify if a DBS check is a requirement.
Equal Opportunities Monitoring
The Glasshouse aims to be an equal opportunities employer, and it is our policy that all applicants and employees receive equal treatment regardless of sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, marital status or civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity or gender reassignment. Recruitment and selection procedures will be monitored to ensure that individuals are selected and treated based on their relevant merits and abilities.