Orlando Jopling, Musician, Conductor and Artistic Director
Enter the world of music with Orlando Jopling, Musician, Conductor and Artistic Director
Why I love my job: So many reasons! Working as a team with other musicians, dancers and actors, in an orchestra or opera company. Dozens of talented people in one space, working together to create a show. Doing something real, which doesn’t rely on staring at a computer screen. Doing a job which will never be taken over by AI. Getting inside the head of the composers, who are some of the most genius human beings of the last four centuries. Seeing the way that music moves, inspires and uplifts people’s mood. Touring the UK and the world, meeting and making friends with so many brilliant people, and seeing both beautiful places that I’d never get to see in normal life, and also feeling the thrill of audiences everywhere excited by the music we’re playing. Doing something that I can spend a lifetime getting better at - you can never ever be bored of exploring new music. I’m incredibly lucky to be doing what I’m doing.
What did I love doing at school? School wasn’t much fun - I was bullied. I had a weird name, was wimpy and knew nothing of popular culture. Lunch breaks and playground breaks were a nightmare, and I ended up playing cards with a few other oddballs in the gardener’s shed, which was a refuge from the sometimes violent playground. A couple of inspiring music teachers - Colin Nicholson and Timothy Torry - and the music department in general saved me. I had rock-bottom self-confidence and was completely bemused when I was told I should apply for Cambridge Uni. A high point was acting as part of a production of Death of a Salesman - terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.
Childhood hobbies: Apart from music which is kind of all-consuming; sailing, swimming, windsurfing and coding.
How to get into the sector: Work hard at your chosen instrument and take all opportunities that come your way - youth orchestras, courses, competitions. You have to absolutely love great music - it doesn’t matter whether it’s just been written or 400 years old. Listen to and explore all types of music. You can take any path (conservatoire, university, college, or just leaving school). The only thing that matters is how good you are - at orchestral auditions, for instance the panel are behind a screen so it’s just the quality of your playing that will make you get a job; nothing else.
Related jobs: If you love music and want to do something that will use all your brainpower and do good in the world, join the music world as a producer or organiser of concerts, or help with marketing or development. We need really good people to fill those jobs, and they are hard work, varied, and rewarding. Don’t do them if you want an easy job which doesn’t challenge you. You’ll be doing something genuinely positive, with real worth. You’ll be giving a lot of audiences inspiration. In classical music, my area, there is no amplification and we don’t need anything particularly energy-intensive, so it’s also environmentally sustainable, and there will always be a demand for live music played by real people. There are no huge corporations with questionable ethics, no NDAs to sign so you don’t have to keep quiet about your conscience, and you won’t be stuck in an office in front of a computer screen all day. You’ll be part of a characterful and individual organisation which is doing good in the world. There isn’t really a downside.
Career high: Conducting performances at the Albert Hall.
Top tip: When you’re thinking about what job to do, ask yourself; what will you be most proud to look back on at the end of your life? Does the job change the world for the better, or does it just make you or someone else richer? In the end money doesn’t matter; but what you’ve achieved, or given the world, does. Do something that makes you proud. -Orlando Jopling, Musician, Conductor and Artistic Director
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