Digital Product & Experience Trainee

Overview of the Organisation

The Philharmonia Orchestra is one of the world’s great orchestras and has been creating thrilling performances for a global audience since 1945.

Celebrated young Finn Santtu-Matias Rouvali is our Principal Conductor. Santtu follows in the footsteps of great artists including Herbert von Karajan, Otto Klemperer and Riccardo Muti. His immediate predecessor Esa-Pekka Salonen is our Conductor Laureate, and Christoph von Dohnányi is our Honorary Conductor for Life. In 2023, Marin Alsop joined the Philharmonia family as Principal Guest Conductor.

The Philharmonia is a registered charity and as one of the four London self-governing symphony orchestras comprises 80 musicians from 16 countries. The Board is led by Howard Davies and includes a strong player voice through members of the orchestral committee headed up by President James Buckle. The management team of 40 administrative and backstage staff is led by CEO Thorben Dittes and an Executive Team of six.

Our artistic home is the Southbank Centre in the heart of London, where we give around 25 performances a year. We also have residencies in Bedford, Leicester, Canterbury, and Basingstoke, encompassing longstanding Learning & Engagement projects as well as regular concerts. Additionally, the orchestra is resident at Garsington Opera and the Three Choirs Festival.

From LPs to Virtual Reality, we have always been pioneers in using technology to bring our music to the widest possible audience. We have 1 million listeners each month on Spotify, over 500,000 social media followers, and a vibrant You Tube channel with annual viewing figures of almost 3 million.

Following the challenges of the Covid pandemic and a change in executive leadership the organisation has undertaken an extensive mission-vision-values exercise, involving musicians, staff, Board and external stakeholders. The resulting forward direction connects its illustrious musical history and artistic DNA of international excellence with a firm focus on innovation and the future of the orchestral experience for both audiences and musicians.

The next steps will be to create the detailed strategies, operational models and standout defining artistic projects which enable us to move towards our vision of the future of a thriving, equitable society with orchestral music at the heart of cultural life, where musicians are celebrated for the work they do to make the world a better place.

Could you be part of that future?

The newly created role of Digital Product & Experience Trainee has been created to enhance the Philharmonia Orchestra’s capacity to develop, deliver and grow its Digital Product & Experience programme. Following the recent Board approved Digital Product & Experience Strategy, which sets out an ambitious direction for the next phase of this work, the role reflects a long-term commitment to expanding the Philharmonia’s digital programme and embedding digital experiences as a core part of its artistic and audience offer.

The post will provide essential coordination and operational support across an expanding portfolio of digital, immersive and audience-facing projects.

The Philharmonia has over 15 years’ experience creating pioneering digital experiences that use technology to deepen engagement with orchestral music and extend the reach of its artistic programme. Recent activity includes the launch of Virtual Orchestra:
William Tell, an immersive educational experience that builds on the Orchestra’s internationally recognised work in virtual reality and digital innovation.

Working closely with the Head of Digital Product & Experience, the postholder will support the planning, coordination and delivery of a wide range of activity, including VR installations, immersive experiences, digital products and content production. They will maintain project plans and schedules, coordinate logistics and administration, support activations and project milestones, and help ensure that projects are delivered efficiently and to a high standard.

The role requires…