Orchestra Academy

The Orchestra Academy is offering young people studying at Belgian conservatories and music colleges the opportunity to supplement their courses with professional experience, thereby building a bridge to the reality of the working world. 

The Orchestra Academy offers students a double orchestral work placement – with the La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra and with the Belgian National Orchestra –, allowing them to take part in an opera or in a symphonic production in both institutions with the benefit of individual guidance.   

Students can also take part in chamber music projects with musicians from the orchestra, exclusive masterclasses with major soloists, workshops (stress management, audition preparation, etc.), engagements, special projects, etc. The young musicians can also attend all the La Monnaie performances and all the Belgian National Orchestra concerts.

The selection process is by audition in the spring of the previous academic year, with a jury made up of musicians from both orchestras. Only full-time students enrolled at a Belgian conservatory or music college in the year of their anticipated participation are eligible.  

Applications for the auditions must be made through the student’s college and not individually. In the first instance, candidates will be selected by means of an internal audition at their conservatory. Then a maximum of 25 students (10 string players and 15 wind players, brass players, harpists, percussionists) per conservatory will be able to take part in the auditions, which are organized in turn at La Monnaie and the Belgian National Orchestra. Students who pass the auditions will be a member of the Orchestra Academy for one season.

Students participating in the Orchestra Academy are given credits, which are recognized by their college. If a student’s experience is particularly positive, they may be taken on as a temporary replacement once they have completed their work placement in the orchestra.   

Members of the Orchestra Academy 2025-26

• Natsumi Dempo (violin) Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles
  Coach – Hiroaki Nagase 
• Ryeongrin Kim (viola) LUCA
  Coach – Florent Bremond 
• Soolim Shin (viola) Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel
  Coach – Dominique Lardin 
• Mohammad Hassan Dehlari (viola) Conservatoire royal de Liège
  Coach – Dominique Lardin 
• Olivia-Kimi Roland (cello) Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles
  Coach – NN 
• Benjamin Grynszpan (cello) Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles
  Coach – NN 
• Nicolas Vicente Antolin (cello) Koninklijk Conservatorium Antwerpen
  Coach – Corinna Lardin 
• Isa Opstaele (double bass) HOGENT - KASK & Conservatorium
  Coach – Marc Terré 
• Gitte Bongaers (flute) Koninklijk Conservatorium Antwerpen
  Coach – Yaeram Park 
• Federico La Rosa (flute) Koninklijk Conservatorium Antwerpen
  Coach – Yaeram Park 
• Juan De Bel (hobo) IMEP
  Coach – Luk Nielandt 
• Zoia Smirnovna (bassoon) Koninklijk Conservatorium Antwerpen
  Coach – NN 
• Ekaterina Dvoretskaia (harp) Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel
  Coach – Agnès Clément 
• Alejandro Rey Mendoza (percussion) Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel
  Coach – Pieter Mellaerts 

Coach En’Man’Do & auditioning: Yves Cortvrint

Music Director – Alain Altinoglu
Artistic Director – Ouri Bronchti