Talent Development

Jerwood Pit Perfect

Glyndebourne’s development scheme for young professional instrumentalists.

PIT PERFECT IS OUR UNIQUE PROGRAMME WHERE YOUNG RECENTLY GRADUATED PROFESSIONAL INSTRUMENTALISTS JOIN THE GLYNDEBOURNE SINFONIA, GAINING THEIR FIRST PROFESSIONAL OPERATIC EXPERIENCE.

The players participate on an equal footing with regular players in the Orchestra and are paid for their participation. We offer places to selected instrumentalists each year depending on our repertoire and which positions are available. The programme, now entering its sixth year, extends Glyndebourne’s cornerstone commitment to nurturing young talent from all backgrounds. No other programme in the country offers newly graduated players real-world professional work experience over a concentrated period by putting them straight in at the deep end – the fastest way to learn.

It’s so unique that you are put into a full professional orchestra and company where you can learn from experienced musicians and future colleagues without even having to ask the questions – just by watching them in action and picking up knowledge on the go’ – Yuliya Ostapchuk, violin, 2023

This year’s Pit Perfect players are: Alexandra Schifflers (violin), Madeleine Pickering (violin), Vanessa Hristova (viola), Kelvin Chan (viola), Hannah Scarborough (cello), Georgia Lloyd (bass) and William Scotland (french horn).

You can read more about the players here.

Sunday 27 October, 2.00pm

Il turco in Italia pre-performance programme (ticket holders only):

Mozart – Horn Quintet in E flat K407 (1st movt)
Respighi – Il Tramonto
Lucy Armstrong – The Stone Flower
Rossini – String Sonata in C No 3 (2nd & 3rd movts)

Saturday 2 November, 2.00pm

La traviata pre-performance programme (ticket holders only):

Mozart – Flute Quartet in D K285
Jonathan Dove – The End
Alex Ho – Flower Sermon
Verdi – Quartet (1st Movt)


More from Pit Perfect across Sussex this autumn

In association with Applause, Jerwood Pit Perfect players from the Glyndebourne Sinfonia will be playing at the following locations…

Poynings Village Hall
Saturday 9th November, 7.30pm

Uckfield Library
Saturday 16th November, 3.15pm

Hartfield Village Hall
Saturday 16th November, 7.00pm

Lodsworth Village Hall
Wednesday 27th November, 7.30pm

Robertsbridge Arts Partnership
Saturday 30th November, 7.30pm


Jerwood Foundation was established in 1977 by Alan Grieve, CBE for John Jerwood. In 1991, after Jerwood’s death, Alan Grieve became chairman of the Foundation which to date has donated over £110 million to support the arts in the UK. In 2023 the Foundation merged with Jerwood Charity (Jerwood Arts) and at this time Alan Grieve was appointed Chairman Emeritus and Rupert Tyler was appointed Chairman. To find out more about Jerwood Foundation, visit jerwood.org


Image credits: Header, Pit Perfect 2024, photo by Pablo Strong

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