In 2016, the Royal Philharmonic Society joined forces with trailblazing conductor Alice Farnham (pictured, right) in her mission to address gender inequality, coaching women to further their skills, confidence and aspiration as conductors. Originally titled RPS Women Conductors, our programme has empowered over 500 individuals, with a significant number proceeding to fruitful conducting careers. Our positive action has been key in changing national perceptions around who gets to conduct, and many more women are being recognised in this field than when we started.

This issue is far from resolved: in January 2025, still 86% of conductors represented by UK artist managers were male, and 87% of titled conducting roles at UK orchestras were held by men. Addressing this remains a priority, and the opportunities we present remain primarily for women, trans and non-binary conductors. Nonetheless, under the new name RPS Conductors, our programme welcomes applications from any conductors at a sufficiently high level who can articulate how – through their lived experience, background or personal characteristics – they have encountered barriers to progress or limited access to an experience like this, and why it would therefore be transformative to their prospects.

You can read more about the initial years of the programme here. For such a worthwhile initiative bringing positive change to the sector, it’s remarkable how little funding is available for ventures like this, and duly we can only offer courses when funds allow. If you're an individual, or part of a trust or company, who might have means to change that, you could help support the cause and we would love to hear from you.

Today, the principal strand of our RPS Conductors programme is made possible thanks to the dedicated partnership of the Royal Northern Sinfonia at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music in Gateshead. Together, we present our highest-level experience, for conductors based in the UK and Ireland already amassing orchestral conducting work, but dearly seeking quality time to road-test ideas and approaches with a professional orchestra. You can read here about our Gateshead partnership and its participants, bright talents worth knowing and following.

As means permit, we present other short courses for conductors at different stages of their professional journey. Any courses currently open to application are detailed on our website here.

Alongside our courses, we are ardently involved in advocacy, discourse and planning with colleagues sector-wide to ensure better representation on the podium and that the current imbalance is one day consigned forever to the past.

'The opportunities I've received from the RPS have transformed my career. As a participant on their unique programme working with the Royal Northern Sinfonia, the constructive and insightful feedback from the players, my colleagues and coach Alice Farnham, has proven hugely powerful in my development in a way that is simply not possible in a one-off masterclass setting. So many musical doors have been opened to me thanks to the guidance and support from the RPS.' Helen Harrison