Intrada 2027–28: Europe-Based Historical String Players Apply by 27 October
Intrada, a year-long professional-development programme run by five European period-instrument ensembles, invites applications for its 2027–28 cohort. The deadline is Tuesday 27 October 2026 at 11:59 p.m. GMT. For this round the scheme is specifically aimed at historically informed string players: violin, viola, cello and double bass. It is not a general invitation for every orchestral instrument or a conventional solo competition. Selected musicians can work on professional projects with established ensembles while receiving paid rehearsals, performances and mentoring.
Who is eligible?
Applicants must play on historically set-up instruments, must be under 35 on 1 January 2027 (the organizer specifies a birth date after 1 January 1992), and must be based in Europe with the legal right to undertake paid work in the European Union. European residence can include countries outside the EU, but the right-to-work requirement still applies. Players based elsewhere, or without the necessary work authorisation, should not assume that participation is possible simply by securing travel funds.
The programme focuses on musicians whom the partner orchestras can genuinely employ in the coming season. It is administered by B’Rock Orchestra, Concerto Copenhagen, Dunedin Consort, Le Banquet Céleste and the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century. Its geographic scope is European rather than restricted to the UK, even though the information and application are hosted by Dunedin Consort.
What the residency-like scheme provides
The successful applicants are offered opportunities to play in at least one professional orchestral project hosted by a partner ensemble between June 2027 and June 2028. They also receive individual instrumental mentoring and professional coaching on topics that can include rehearsal culture, ensemble administration, grant-seeking, promotion and audition preparation. Fees are paid for all rehearsals and performances, and travel and accommodation are covered for programme events. It is therefore an employment-and-development opportunity with practical financial support, rather than unpaid work experience.
Application video: two excerpts and two Baroque movements
Applicants complete the online form and supply one unlisted YouTube video. That recording must contain two compulsory unaccompanied orchestral excerpts for the instrument, taken from the material provided by the organizers. It must also include two contrasting movements from two different works of the seventeenth or eighteenth century; one work must be by Bach or Handel. The combined duration of these two movements may not exceed five minutes. A form for the equality, diversity and inclusion survey is also listed in the application instructions.
The video is intended to resemble a real audition, not a polished studio production. Each excerpt or movement must be a continuous take; the tracks may be assembled into one YouTube video, but edits inside a movement and post-production alterations to the sound will lead to disqualification. The player should be visible from one angle. First-round assessment uses extracted audio without identifiable personal details, so a clean natural sound is particularly important. The excerpts themselves must be unaccompanied; other movements may be performed with or without accompaniment as allowed by the rules.
Selection calendar and Amsterdam live auditions
Applications opened on 30 September 2026. The results of the video round are expected on 9 December. Shortlisted candidates must be available for an in-person audition on Saturday 23 January 2027 at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. The organizer states that necessary travel and accommodation for finalists will be provided free of charge. The programme then operates from June 2027 through June 2028. Anyone with existing orchestral commitments should check those dates and whether they can attend the Amsterdam selection round.
Preparing a persuasive application
Performing on period instruments can mean choices about stringing, pitch, articulation and bow technique. Before recording, download the correct excerpts for your instrument and select historically appropriate contrasting movements that stay within the duration cap. Review the right-to-work requirement, confirm the requested date of birth and audition availability, and upload the video early enough to test the unlisted link in a private browser window. The exact source of the compulsory excerpts is linked on the organizer's application page.
Organizer's application links
Information reviewed 18 October 2026. The published application instructions and orchestral-excerpt folder are authoritative.