IT&T’s education programme supports young and early-career instrumental and choral musicians, as well as seeking to help audiences learn more about the music the ensemble plays. We are also developing a ‘Continuing Education’ programme.
Our vision is for IT&T concerts to be accessible to all children and young people in Oxfordshire. IT&T’s 2021 Summer Chamber Music Series was supported by the CAVATINA Chamber Music Trust, allowing 8-25s (inclusive) to attend these concerts for free.
IT&T’s ground-breaking ‘InSpires’ programme runs throughout the year, introducing school students to period instruments and performance practice with an extensive programme of courses, coaching and individual tuition. Devised by Aliye Cornish and enabled by Mark Levy from Oxfordshire County Music Service (OCMS), the scheme has been highly praised for its innovative work, and was awarded the OMEP Music Partnership Cup at the Music Hub Gala Awards in 2019.
‘Oxfordshire County Music Service is enormously proud of its partnership with Instruments of Time and Truth, our local professional period orchestra.The relationship is truly practical and active with various strands of involvement.’ Mark Levy, OCMS.
Instrument workshops give students opportunities to try their instrument’s ‘historical cousins’, with expert tuition from IT&T players. We’ve run workshops about baroque strings, early clarinets, and natural trumpets. ‘Baroque Surgery’ offers coaching in baroque style to help students prepare for graded music exams and other performances. OCMS’s baroque string group, Oxybaroxy, receives regular coaching from IT&T players, and where possible links the music they play with IT&T programmes. Future schemes will include ‘Baroque as a Second language’ for flutes and double-reed instruments, and a mentorship scheme for aspiring professional musicians.