Our Professional Experience Scheme (PES), in collaboration with The Royal Northern College of Music, has been a successful project for many years and aims to provide the best possible preparation for students to pursue a career as an orchestral musician or within the Arts.

Our scheme is open to third and fourth-year undergraduates and all postgraduate string students enrolled at the Royal Northern College of Music. Through an audition process, we recruit up to two violins, one viola, one cello and one double bass to take part in various activity throughout our season of work.

Our vision is to create a pathway for students at the Royal Northern College of Music that will see them experiencing our organisation as a whole, from performing diverse repertoire on the platform, experiencing some of the many projects our community work provides and understanding the challenges we face within the sector.

Approximately 80% of the current membership of Manchester Camerata studied at the Royal Northern College of Music and our Profession Experience Scheme has helped launch the careers of more than 60 young musicians studying at the same institution.

Scroll down to meet our current PES students plus hear from some of the alumni from the project.

Kaylee Ramella – violin

Kaylee Ramella is a postgraduate student at the Royal Northern College of Music, where she studies with Pavel Fischer. Previously, Kaylee obtained her bachelor’s degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music, studying with Philip Setzer and Jessica Lee. Kaylee considers chamber music to be her first passion and has participated in a variety of experiences in her undergraduate studies and at summer festivals. She has attended the Lexington Bach Festival, the Manchester Music Festival, the Madeline Island Chamber Music Festival, the Bowdoin International Music Festival, and the Meadowmount School of Music. In the orchestral sphere, Kaylee was a contracted member of the Canton Symphony Orchestra for two years before moving to England, in addition to leading the Cleveland Institute of Music’s orchestra several times. As a soloist, Kaylee has performed the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the Tuscarawas Philharmonic as well as giving multiple solo recitals. She hopes to continue pursuing a dynamic and varied career as she shares the power and gift of music with others.

What are you most looking forward to on the scheme?

I am most looking forward to the chance to play alongside wonderful musicians who are part of this group! Learning from incredible players through observation and active engagement is so valuable and rewarding.

What do you hope to achieve out of the scheme?

Through this Scheme, I hope to grow in my creativity as a musician and strengthen my unique voice as I also contribute to a whole that is greater than me. I hope to gain professional experience that will serve me wherever I go next.

Outside of classical music, what do you like to listen to?

Outside of classical music, I enjoy listening to Christian music, some pop (Sammy Rae and the Friends is a favorite!), 70s and 80s music, and any genre-crossing music with awesome string parts (such as For Murray and Lillian or Quatuor Ébène’s Brazil album).

Audrey Doyle – violin

Scottish violinist Audrey Doyle is currently studying a 1-year masters at RNCM under Cath Yates and Pavel Fischer. She studied at St Mary’s Music School for 4 years with Ruth Crouch, playing in venues across Edinburgh, such as the Queens Hall and St Mary’s Cathedral.

Audrey is passionate about chamber music and plays with the Heartwood Quartet, with whom she performs around the UK. The Heartwood Quartet is a 2024 Hans Keller ensemble supported by Chamber Studio UK.

Audrey was a finalist in the RNCM concerto competition in 2024, playing Prokofiev violin Concerto no 1, and has participated in masterclasses with musicians such as Sophia Jaffe, Henning Kraggerud, Linus Roth, Roberto Ruisi, Mark Messenger, the Maxwell quartet and the Fitzwilliam quartet.

Audrey was a member of the 2024 Järvi Academy working with Neeme Järvi, performing in the Parnü Music Festival in Estonia and studying with Tanja Becker-Bender. She has appeared at chamber music festivals such as Lake District Summer Music and Enys Chamber music festival.

Audrey was grateful to receive scholarships for her studies generously provided by the Thomas Jellis Bequest and Haworth Trust.

What are you most looking forward to on the scheme?

I am most looking forward to playing with such an inventive and innovative orchestra, furthering my knowledge of chamber orchestra playing through learning from the musicians I will meet and having real-world experience of what a modern music career looks like.

What do you hope to achieve out of the scheme?

I hope to achieve greater confidence and experience in orchestral playing while meeting mentors whose work I hope to emulate.

Outside of classical music, what do you like to listen to?

Outside of classical music I love listening to jazz, a genre which has played a large part in my musical identity since one of my first ensemble experiences was playing in a jazz orchestra.

Yujie Zhang – viola

Yujie was born in China, where she began to study violin at the age of six. Whilst studying at Xinghai Conservatory of Music, Yujie started to play viola. Yujie continued her studies at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire for her undergraduate and is now a 4th year student at the Royal Northern College of Music studying with Louise Lansdown.

Yujie was the second viola in the Xinghai Conservatory Symphony Orchestra for two years and performed in Xinghai Concert Hall in Guangzhou and Baoan Concert Hall in Shenzhen. She has also performed with CBSO Youth Orchestra with Ilan Volkov and Lawrence Power, as principal viola in the RNCM Chamber Orchestra with Henning Kraggerud and at Shenzhen Bay Opera Hall with RNCM students and Callum Smart.

What are you most looking forward to on the scheme?

Manchester Camerata is a highly professional orchestra, and I believe it is a group that every student aspires to join. Each performance by Camerata makes me feel that it is not just a professional orchestra; I can also sense the unique personalities of each musician in their playing. It is a wonderful opportunity to learn and gain experience, which is extremely precious to me.

What do you hope to achieve out of the scheme?

My career planning includes orchestral performance, and this is a rare opportunity for me to learn and experience what a professional orchestra is and how to perform within one. Not only can I improve my orchestral playing skills, but every musician in Camerata is an outstanding soloist, and I can also learn about solo music from them. I believe this opportunity can help me improve comprehensively.

Outside of classical music, what do you like to listen to?

I really enjoy pop music. One of my favourite singers is Yichun Shan, a new-generation female singer from China. The other is the well-known Billie Eilish. However, I actually listen to pop music less than classical music. Since I practice every day, I need to draw inspiration for my playing from music.

Rhys Nicholson – cello

Rhys Nicholson is a cellist from Cwmbran in South Wales currently studying with Gillian Thoday at the Royal Northern College of Music. Rhys began learning the cello in primary school, where he progressed to perform in his local County Youth Orchestra playing in the BBC Hoddinott Hall and Birmingham Symphony Hall. Rhys later joined the National Youth Orchestra of Wales and has played as principal cellist for three years. Through the NYOW Rhys has been able to perform in side-by-side projects with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Sinfonia Cymru playing at the National Eisteddfod.

Since gaining a place at the RNCM, Rhys has done solo recitals for the Herefordshire Historic Churches Trust, performing solo Bach and his own compositions at Treago Castle and Eastnor Castle. He has taken part in masterclasses with international soloists Bruno Phillipe and Alban Gerhardt as well as coaching from Leonard Elschenbroich and Jonathan Manson.

Rhys enjoys a wide variety of music and is open to all styles and genres. This year, Rhys is extremely excited to be involved with the Camerata and the work that they do and to learn from members of the orchestra as part of the professional experience scheme.

Marcelo Rodrigues – double bass

Marcelo Rodrigues is a Brazilian double bassist based in Manchester, currently studying at the RNCM, on a full scholarship.

His history in music began in 2012, when he started taking drum lessons at the church. In 2013, he started taking double bass lessons through a social project, Instituto GPA, in Osasco, São Paulo.

Marcelo has worked with great soloists such as Antônio Meneses, Hannah Roberts, Erich Lehninger, Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, and conductors such as Benjamin Zander, Kevin John Edusei, Antony Hermus, Gábor Tákacs-Nagy, Leslie Suganandarajah, Martyn Brabbins, Alpesh Chauhan among other great names. Marcelo has played with leading UK-based orchestras, such as Manchester Camerata (in a side-by-side project at the RNCM) The Hallé, BBC Philharmonic (as part of their Professional Experience Scheme) Chineke! Orchestra and Sinfonia Cymru.

Marcelo has travelled around the globe doing good music and sharing his musicality throughout the world. He has performed in countries such as the UK, the US, China, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Ireland and Argentina and has played on incredible stages such as KKL Lucerne, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Berlin Konzerthaus, Royal Albert Hall, Sala São Paulo, Bridgewater Hall, among other incredible venues.

What are you most looking forward to on the Scheme?

I am most looking forward to learning from the incredible Manchester Camerata musicians and getting the opportunity to perform with them in concert. I am also excited to take part in community activities as I am very interested in helping people through music.

What do you hope to achieve from the Scheme?

I hope to achieve a better understanding of what it is to play in a professional as well as to enhance my ability to deal and interact with others in this environment.

Outside of classical music, what else do you like to listen to?

I am fascinated by Brazilian music, Jazz, R&B and any other form of black music. As a reflex to this musical taste, I even have a jazz quartet and a double bass quartet in which most of our repertoire is based on Brazilian music.

Caroline Pether – Manchester Camerata Leader

When studying at music college we are analysing our playing in lots of detail and taking time to learn new techniques to ensure their full integration. These are positive and essential aspects of learning that help us to improve, but it can be quite a shock when we realise we do not have that kind of time once we are out of college and gigging professionally.

The PES scheme provides that crucial stepping stone from studying at music college to life in the profession. There is no substitute for being in amongst professionals and having to keep up. One of the things that is hard to replicate in the music college environment is the extremely fast pace of rehearsals and regularity of concerts. It is the kind of lesson that can only be learnt by doing.

The thing that I appreciated particularly about the Camerata PES was that it really felt like a safe space to experience this faster pace. As long as I came well prepared to the first rehearsal, I never felt disapproved of for the odd small mistake. Gábor Takács-Nagy created an environment of musical freedom, prioritising extremes of expression over perfection. And this philosophy didn’t stop with Gábor, the musicians embodied it also. Violinist Rebecca Thompson was my scheme mentor and she encouraged me to use more bow which helped me to contribute more to the section sound rather than hide behind it.

The PES is special to me because it introduced me to this wonderful orchestra’s musicians and management team, whose musical priorities are so closely aligned to my own. That first opportunity allowed me to recognise that I was amongst like-minded people and sparked a passion in me for this orchestra, setting me on a path to where I am today. I did the Camerata PES from 2011-2012, in 2013 I became a violin member, in 2016 I became one of three Co-Leaders, and in 2020 I became the Leader of the orchestra.

The last thing I’ll say about the PES is that I think it reminds students that ultimately the end goal of all our study/rehearsal is to perform for audiences and to make them feel something. After one or two days of rehearsals, the audience are there, ready to listen, eager to hear. When we are in the thick of studying, we can become so focused on the minutiae, that we forget to think about the bigger picture. Practising all of the technical aspects of playing is so important, but only with the goal to express more freely. Experiencing the excitement of concerts from within the orchestra for the first time, and hearing the appreciative applause from the audience, certainly reminded me of that 10 years ago.

Gemma Bass – Manchester Camerata Violin Member

The Camerata PES was the first time I had the opportunity to play with a professional chamber orchestra and, as rich and full as my college education was, nothing had really prepared me for that! It was incredibly valuable to have this experience whilst still studying and I learned a lot very very quickly!

I remember having a meeting with Rebecca Thompson, who was my mentor on the scheme. She had some advice and feedback which was really helpful. Her big tip that day was to prepare the music with the kind of energy and gusto you are going to need in a performance – great advice!

I was already very fond of the Camerata before the scheme, having seen concerts at the Bridgewater Hall, but I was blown away when I got the chance to sit in and be part of that sound. I fell completely in love with the orchestra and with the Chamber Orchestra generally as a genre – amazing repertoire and a wonderful balance of ensemble and soloistic playing. I was chuffed to bits when the job came up the following year and I managed to get a trial. It was a lengthy and nervy process (2 1/2 years!), but I am so proud to be part of the Camerata and still find every project a real thrill, 10 years on.

I would recommend the professional experience schemes to anyone. They are so incredibly valuable as a way of gaining real life experience in a real-life orchestra. Sitting and playing alongside established professionals, learning from them on and off the platform, there is really nothing else that can prepare you in the same way.

Alex Mitchell – Manchester Camerata Principal Viola

The Camerata PES was a very important part of my student years, as it gave me a taste of what it was like working with an orchestra and let me meet people who had been working for a long time. I also got to work with amazing directors like Gábor Takács-Nagy and Giovanni Guzzo, who were incredibly inspiring to be able to play with. These are some of many reasons why schemes like this are really important for students, and I would whole heartedly recommend applying!