Application information and guidelines remain below for reference. If you may like this information in a different format for accessibility reasons, please call us on 020 7287 0019 or email RPS Administrator Emily Porter at admin@philharmonicsociety.uk, and we will do our best to help.

This award was established in 2017 to support talented chamber ensembles establishing their profile in the UK. It is made possible thanks to the generosity of RPS Fellows Charles and Rachel Henderson, in whose name we are pleased to present the award.

In 2025, the RPS Henderson Chamber Ensemble Award was awarded to Astatine Trio. Read more about their story and how we are supporting them.

WHO CAN APPLY?

The Award is open to chamber ensembles of 3–10 performers of any nationality, based in the UK throughout 2025–26, in any combination of string, wind, brass, keyboard or percussion instruments, with the majority of players aged between 18 and 30 at the application closing date. Ensembles must have performed together for a minimum of 2 years: in your application, please specify when the group was formed.

Musicians must be based in the UK and, if from outside of the EU, have the necessary visas to enable them to perform regularly in the UK (without the need for individual work permits). The aim of the group must be to establish themselves as a performing ensemble and to develop the scope of the ensemble repertoire.

As a charity, we are keen to support a wide range of musicians and initiatives. If you have already received any kind of funding from the RPS within three years of the closing date (since 6 October 2022), we ask you not to apply at this time, but if eligible you may do so in a future year once that period has expired.

We are continually striving to address how we can minimise barriers to the widest possible range of applicants and are proud to have adopted Sound and Music's Fair Access Principles. We particularly welcome applications from under-represented demographics, such as those who are Black, Asian and ethnically diverse, those who are working class and those who are disabled. If you sense that anything in these guidelines could deter you or another eligible candidate from applying, or if there’s anything you’d like to talk to us about, please do get in touch, using the contact details below. We would be happy to hear from you.

KEY DATES

The closing date for applications is 11am on Monday 6 October 2025.

We will be in touch with all applicants by Friday 24 October 2025, inviting those shortlisted to audition. Auditions are set to take place in London on Sunday 30 November 2025. If you are applying, we recommend you pencil that date in your diary now, as we will not have scope to offer alternative audition dates.

HOW CAN I APPLY?

We ask applicants to submit some recent footage of their playing and answer some brief questions. For full details on how to apply, please read the application guidelines linked here. These provide a step-by-step guide to the process and should address any questions you may have. We encourage you to read them in full before completing our online application form linked below.

Having read the guidelines, if you have further questions, please get in touch. In the first instance please contact RPS Administrator Emily Porter by email at admin@philharmonicsociety.uk or phone on 020 7287 0019.

As noted, the closing date is 11am on Monday 6 October 2025.

Click here to start your application: