Gothenburg!
In February I travelled to Gothenburg, Sweden to audition for the MFA in Music with Specialisation in Symphonic Orchestra at the Academy of Music and Drama, part of the University of Gothenburg. As always, the journey started at Heathrow Terminal 5, with the lovely staff at British Airways providing excellent service to me and "Cabbage"!
As Sweden's second largest city (after the capital - Stockholm), Gothenburg is a major port on the country's western shore. Having been named the most sustainable city in the world by the Global Destination Sustainability Index for 4 years in a row, and with an exciting mix of historical and contemporary architecture, it is a beautiful city to explore!
I arrived a few days before my audition, which allowed me time to organise a consultation lesson with one of the professors who was then on my audition panel the following day. I would definitely recommend doing this as it gives you a chance to meet the teachers in a less formal situation, get to know their teaching style and also means that you at least know one person on the panel - which can be very reassuring!
I also had chance to attend a couple of concerts given by the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra at the Konserthuset. They played some of my favourite pieces including Strauss' Don Juan and Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony!
From left to right: looking back down the Avenyen in central Gothenburg; the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra on stage at the Konserthuset; the Academy of Music and Drama. The audition day finally came. I was feeling ready, relaxed and excited to get going. The pianist at the Academy was excellent and the panel were reassuring and friendly. I had a great audition experience and was pleased with my performance.
At the beginning of April, I received my "notification of selection results" and was delighted to be admitted! I am now preparing for my move abroad which is proving complicated yet very exciting. Housing seems to be the trickiest thing to organise but I am enjoying learning Swedish!
I am looking forward to moving to Sweden in August (hopefully!) and starting a Masters of Fine Art in Music with Specialisation in Symphonic Orchestra at the Hogskolan for scen och musik at Goteborgs Universitet!