Ambassadorship

The participants of Concertgebouworkest Young follow a specially designed online program which includes individual online masterclasses and workshops on personal leadership and ambassadorship, important pillars of Concertgebouworkest Young.

The theme for the second online session, which took place on 17 February and was developed and performed together with United World Colleges Nederland, was therefore ambassadorship.

In order to inspire the current 76 participants, we interviewed a few alumni from 2019 and asked them how they shaped their ambassadorship. For example, Imaan (England) founded an orchestra and performs mostly in neighbourhoods where people have little access to classical music. 

Felipe (Spain) has also been very active. Together with three other Young alumni, he received a grant to perform a series of concerts in May 2021 with their “Ede String Quartet” (named after the town where they met in the summer of 2019). Francisca (Portugal) successfully started a crowdfunding campaign to finance part of her education at the Conservatorium in Amsterdam.

The experiences these alumni went through taught them a lot about themselves and about making their dreams come true. However, it wasn’t always easy. For example, Felipe applied for several grants and received a lot of rejections, and Francisca was terrified when she had to post videos of herself for her crowdfunding campaign. Not only did they discuss these issues in their interviews, but also what helped them to persevere.

To follow your dreams, you need courage and a clear goal to work towards, taking small steps at the time. It can be very useful to know what comes easy to you, what would you like to learn, and which situations or activities do you find so scary that you freeze up. How do you challenge yourself while staying in the growth zone - where you can handle the tension and at the same time are able to learn and grow?

The participants shared their personal stories in break-out rooms. Amongst other things, they discussed that auditioning or performing at a recital becomes less scary the more you do it and that you are allowed to make mistakes. A young cellist talked about how a new environment helped her relax, as there were other people there who understood what she was struggling with.

Another participant shared that when she is going through a difficult time, she reminds herself how grateful she is that she is able to have all these experiences. And someone else agreed with a group of peers to speak English to each other, in order to practice this language and to make it less scary.

In order to fulfill your dreams, you need to have the courage to show your true self and to face your fears. Alumni Francesca revealed that making and posting videos for her crowdfunding campaign was still something that she found very scary, even after she had been doing it for a while.

Why did she choose to do this, even if it continued making her feel so uncomfortable? She replied: ‘You cannot let fear stand between you and your dreams’. An inspiring lesson from a young woman who dreams big. And hopefully, an encouragement for all current participants to continue dreaming and to continue taking steps towards their dreams, especially when it is scary.

Concertgebouworkest Young 2021 is only possible thanks to the generous support of private donors, foundations and companies. We extend our gratitude for the immense musical and personal development that can be realized for all Young participants thanks to all contributions. Your support is crucial in the coming years and helps to provide a unique, engaging program for new batches of young talent free of charge.