Orchestras fear the final curtain is looming as restrictions risk stunting a generation of musicians

ORCHESTRAS will face a shortage of homegrown talent in a decade owing to the devastating impact of coronavirus on music lessons, the head of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra has said.

James Williams, the orchestra’s managing director, said that music education could be “sidelined” due to Covid-19, and the current crop of students may not progress into leading orchestras.

Experts believe the Government’s advice on socially distanced music lessons, reduced class sizes and the avoidance of sharing instruments, will prove practically impossible for many schools to implement, leaving children without the necessary tuition. Mr Williams said: “Things like one-to-one or small group tuition, for example, simply will not have the possibility of existing. “Eventually that will have a direct impact on the performing arts sector and the orchestra sector, and the wider music sector.”

He added: “There are concerns from the music sector that music education may be somewhat sidelined in order to prioritise the Stem subjects.”

Learning woodwind and brass could be particularly impeded by restrictions based on the fear of aerosols spreading, and playing these instruments in assemblies has been ruled out. Mr Williams’s concerns were echoed by Jenny Mollica, director of English National Opera’s learning department, who said: “The impact for the talent pipeline could be significant and devastating. Particularly in terms of nurturing a diverse next generation of musicians, representative of the UK.”

Guidelines from the Government set a limit on class sizes at 15, advise against the cost-effective practice of sharing instruments, and suggest other practices such as playing outside, back-toback and in well-ventilated rooms.

Limited school space and resources could make tuition and practice performances impossible to achieve, and students will not have the standard of education needed to forge a career.