Aurora Orchestra

Driven by the belief that orchestral music is for everyone, Aurora Orchestra has established itself as an innovative and boundary-breaking ensemble, creating musical experiences beyond the ordinary.
Under its Principal Conductor Nicholas Collon, Aurora Orchestra has grown since its first concert in 2005 into an established name on the UK and international orchestral scene. Aurora is the pioneer for memorised orchestral performance: it is the first orchestra worldwide to break down physical barriers to music by removing sheet music and stands for large-scale works. Beginning with Mozart’s ‘Jupiter’ Symphony in 2014, Aurora has since performed many orchestral works in this way, including Beethoven Symphonies Nos. 3, 5, 6, 7 and 9, Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique and Stravinsky’s The Firebird and The Rite of Spring, as well as commissions by Max Richter and Héloïse Werner.
Over recent years, these memorised performances have developed into cross-genre dramatic and musical explorations that reach deeper under the skin of the music, devised by Aurora’s Creative Director Jane Mitchell. Aurora has collaborated with an exceptional range of artists across different artistic disciplines.
Aurora inspires audiences of all ages and backgrounds to develop a passion for orchestral music. Through Aurora Classroom, its award-winning Creative Learning programme, Aurora regularly offers workshops and storytelling concerts for families, schools and young people, including children with special educational needs and disabilities. Aurora Classroom also encompasses a free pioneering online learning platform for schools, which includes teacher training and a wide range of resources to help teachers deliver music activities in the classroom, including bespoke activities for SEND settings.
In the 2024/5 season Aurora Orchestra celebrated its 20th anniversary, with a new season of concerts as Resident Orchestra at the Southbank Centre and Resident Ensemble at Kings Place, as well as debuts in Berlin Konzerthaus and Alteoper Frankfurt. As part of its 20th anniversary celebrations, Aurora has launched the Life-Changing Music Campaign, which aims to raise £500,000 to secure its next 10 years.