Association of British Orchestras

Careers

 

Vicky Shilling - Philharmonia

Concert and Tours Administration

Vicky Shilling

Manager, Regional Concerts & Projects - Philharmonia Orchestra

 

What does the Concerts Department do?

The Concerts Department of an orchestra are responsible for scheduling and running the Orchestra's concert and recording work. An Orchestra is defined by its ‘own-promotion' concerts or series', as a way of making a statement about who they are and what they do best. At the top of the department, the Managing Director and often other members of the Senior Management team such as the Deputy Managing Director or Concerts Director will select soloists and conductors they wish to work with as part of these concerts and will negotiate and book these artists, often several years in advance. The department will also coordinate any foreign concerts the orchestra undertakes, putting together quotes for foreign promoters and scheduling tours. As well as its ‘own-promotion' concerts which the orchestra runs, the concerts department will also run ‘engagements' where the orchestra are hired by a promoter e.g. a venue or festival, to perform a concert and perhaps also be engaged to make recordings for CDs, films or video games.

Once scheduling and negotiation have been done by a Concerts Director or the equivalent position e.g. the Chief Executive in a smaller orchestra, the performance or recording will be handed over to a Concert Manager and/or Assistant who will run the logistical aspects in the run-up and on the day of a concert or recording. All together, it is the Concerts Department's job to keep the Orchestra's diary as full as possible by building and maintaining excellent working relationships with promoters and ensuring performances are run efficiently so as to be invited back to perform again.

 

What does a Concert Manager do?

Whilst the scheduling and negotiating of fees will be done in advance of the start of a season by a Concerts Director or similar role, the Concert Manager is responsible for putting together the practical aspects of the concert and acting as a central point of contact for a venue, recording company or promoter as well as the players, personnel managers and transport staff all needed. If an orchestra does a large amount of foreign travel, there may well be a Tours Manager in addition to a Concert Manager within a Concerts Department. Concert and Tours Managers are sometimes assisted by a Concerts Assistant or Concerts Trainee or similar role, should the work-load of the Orchestra require one. Between these roles, the responsibilities are hugely varied and cover the following sorts of jobs:

  • Putting together technical riders for all venues
  • Liaising with venues to set get in times, rehearsal times, piano tuning, pre-concert talks
  • Booking rehearsal halls
  • Producing security lists
  • Monitoring parking arrangements at each venue
  • Taking enquiries for recordings and putting together quotes for record labels who would like to use the orchestra
  • Producing quotes for enquiries to engage the orchestra to perform a concert
  • Ordering pianos
  • Negotiating rights to film the orchestra or use the material on television
  • Preparing contracts for promoters and artists
  • Arranging hotels, flights and travel for conductors, soloists and the orchestra
  • Applying for Visas when travelling abroad
  • Issuing schedules for ‘patches' of work
  • Issuing contracts for soloists, conductors and promoters
  • Writing the orchestra's monthly schedule which becomes their ‘contract' of employment
  • Negotiating and relaying information to the players about things coming up in the schedule
  • Liaising with the Transport Managers to ensure the right instruments are brought to each concert both in the UK and abroad
  • Liaising with the Personnel Managers to ensure the right players are booked for each rehearsal and concert and messages are conveyed effectively to extras being booked
  • Liaising with the Librarian to get quotes for music hire for future concerts
  • Acting as concert manager on the day of an event, ensuring everything is going smoothly

What's my typical day?

As with so many jobs in the arts, there isn't really a typical day. I work 9.30-5.30 at the orchestra's offices, during which time I send and receive emails and make phone calls about concerts coming up and update key documents such as Conductor's Schedules and the orchestra's Diary to ensure everyone is up-to-date on what is happening on each concert day. I will often have meetings with people wishing to make recordings to discuss their requirements, as well as making site visits to new potential venues or meeting promoters to talk about forthcoming projects. Building excellent relationships with these people is key, so it's important to meet face to face wherever possible.

I will also have meetings with colleagues on a regular basis, with the Concerts Director each week to share information about concerts we are working on and with colleagues in other departments on a monthly basis to find out what they are doing and how we can better work together to support each other - such as assisting with fundraising events, supplying marketing colleagues with future plans for concerts and talking to the education department about what projects could be incorporated alongside forthcoming performances.

Another important part of the job is going to the rehearsals, concerts and recordings which I have worked on, often for several months before they come around. These are good opportunities to meet the conductor, soloists, agents and promoters that I will have been in touch with over phone and email and to make sure everything is going smoothly. At a smaller orchestra the Concert Manager may well be the person who sets the stage, puts out the music, checks all the players have arrived, sets up front-of-house and serves the tea and coffee in the rehearsal break! At a larger orchestra, these jobs are all done by a whole team of people including Stage and Transport Managers, Personnel Managers and a Librarian, which means a Concert Manager can then spend time ensuring promoters are happy with the concert and cultivating the next time we return to a venue or festival, or get booked to make a recording.

A great part of being ‘on the ground' at events is getting to know the musicians in the Orchestra and being around to answer queries and questions, not just about the current event but about anything else coming up in the diary. In a self-governing orchestra such as the Philharmonia, the players are the owners of the Orchestra, and technically employ the office staff to run and maintain the concert work of the ensemble. Keeping a good working relationship with all the players, and working closely with the Chairman, Deputy Chairman and Council Members (who represent the body of the Orchestra) is crucial so that there is an understanding between management and players about how things work and what can be done when things are not quite right.

 

How did I get here?

Getting into orchestral management is hugely competitive - there are only a limited number of positions available and hundreds of people who enjoy and understand music and are organised and able to do the work to fill those roles. I am very lucky that I knew what I wanted to do at a relatively early age, and was able to tailor all my work experience to working in orchestras, right from age 16. The best way to get into the business is to prove you can do it - get as much experience as you can in venues, festivals, orchestras, ensembles, choirs, student groups, local music societies and anywhere else you can help out.

From aged 13 I played viola in my county youth orchestra and got involved organising the social activities during my last two years. At age 16 and 17 I did two stints of work experience, one at the London Philharmonic Orchestra in the marketing department, and one at the BBC Symphony Orchestra, shadowing the Chief Producer as well as being given the opportunity to experience other areas of the organisation such as radio and TV editing.  At University, whilst I chose to study History instead of Music, I joined two music societies and toured in Europe with both, running a tour for the Symphony Orchestra in my final year.

During my time at University I joined the ABO's Volunteer Register, and was emailed opportunities to become a volunteer at various orchestras. A position came up at the Orchestra of St John's during the summer between my second and third years at University, and so I applied in the hope I would get the role despite not being available for the full six-months. I was successful in my application and interview and spent my summer working in the Orchestra's offices, putting together their three day festival in Oxfordshire and was given the opportunity to be Concert Manager at an event in Cheltenham before I returned to University for my final year.

Whilst in my final year at University, the Orchestra of St John's performed in two operas at Grange Park Opera, not far from where I was studying. The Orchestra asked if I would act as Orchestra Manager for the two runs, which spanned two months whilst I was doing my finals. I was responsible for making sure all the players were at the venue on time, setting out the music and score for the conductor and booking any last minute replacements for musicians who were ill. The timing worked extremely well and I was able to attend rehearsals in London and all the performances, writing my dissertation whilst the orchestra were in the pit performing each night!

I was fortunate that when I graduated from University, the Orchestra of St John's had a position available to become full-time Concerts Manager and my internship and part-time work became my first full-time job. From there, I moved after 14 months to the New London Orchestra to become Concerts & Projects Manager, running a new concert series in East London as well as education projects in the area.

After 12 months at NLO a position became available at the Philharmonia Orchestra as Regional Concerts & Projects Manager and after two rounds of interviews I was offered the job. Moving from two small orchestras working in teams of always less than 4 members of staff, to the busiest symphony orchestra in the country with a management of over 40 has been a real change! However it's been a fantastic challenge and I believe all the experience have gained before getting this role has really helped me be able to tackle the wide range of challenges I now face in my job every day, albeit on a large and more constant scale.

Concerts is a hugely rewarding department to work in and the backbone of everything the Orchestra does. My current role allows me travel around the UK and I get to meet those people who plan and promote concerts or make recordings, which is an important network to become part of. I am also responsible for really varied projects including film concerts, out-door venues and festivals which mean no two events are the same and there is always something new to learn.

To be a part of a Concerts Department you need to be seriously organised, have close attention to detail and always be thinking about the best and most efficient way of getting a job done. You'll also need to be a friendly and sociable person who likes to meet new people and make a good impression as well as being able to work closely with a tight-knit team. Those that join Concerts Departments need to be confident in their abilities and be able to take the initiative; there are always one million-and-one things that need doing and we don't have the time to be double checking your work as well as our own. Be prepared to work from the bottom up, everyone stuffed thousands of envelopes and made countless cups of tea and coffee for rehearsal breaks when they started, you'll soon find that if you have the right attitude and prove you're committed, opportunities will come your way.