When was the last time you went to a concert and heard a disabled musician perform? Many of the UK’s finest concert hall stages remain inaccessible to disabled artists and a lack of imaginative commissioning and programming means we too rarely see disabled musicians on stage. Thankfully, though, change is afoot. There is small army of instrumentalists, conductors, composers and instrument makers fighting to make the industry genuinely more accessible to professional performers.
Whenever Britain wants to show off its finest cultural jewels, there they are, shining brightly: the UK’s symphony orchestras. Speaking from 20 years of experience playing in orchestras at home and abroad, orchestral life is pretty magical. At its best, being part of a symphony orchestra is exhilarating; the orchestra becomes your second home, your second family. However, the symphonic sector can also be a brutal one. The schedules are gruelling, and late nights and early flights