Image: Sarah Pickering
The Benedetti Sessions return to Aberdeen
Aberdeen Sessions: 5 – 7 June 2026
Venue: Aberdeen Music Hall, Aberdeen
The Benedetti Foundation is delighted to be bringing the Benedetti Sessions to Aberdeen Music Hall this summer. The Aberdeen Sessions will take place from 5 – 7 June and are hosted in partnership with Aberdeen Performing Arts as part of Light the Blue Festival. Light the Blue forms part of Aberdeen Performing Arts’ celebrations marking the 120th anniversary of His Majesty’s Theatre. The Benedetti Foundation joins the multi-artform festival in its aim to inspire creativity, support emerging talent, and put young people at its centre.
During the festival, The Aberdeen Sessions will have workshops for school age string players of all ages and levels, and a workshop will run side-by-side for string teachers:
Introductory String Orchestra (open strings – Grade 1*) – Sunday 6 June
Beginner String Players (Grade 1 – 3*) – Saturday 5 & Sunday 6 June
Intermediate String Players (Grade 4 – 6*) – Saturday 5 & Sunday 6 June
Advanced String Players (Grade 7+*) – Saturday 5 & Sunday 6 June
Instrumental Teachers (a professional development weekend) – Saturday 5 & Sunday 6 June
Primary School Classes – Friday 5 June
*Approximate playing level – no grades need to have been taken
The Benedetti Foundation warmly welcomes and encourages all children, young people and teachers to join in the sessions. Registration is now open and closes on Monday 4 May, spaces will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
The Aberdeen Sessions will be led by internationally acclaimed violinist, Nicola Benedetti, and the Foundation’s team of inspiring tutors. During the sessions, participants explore playing with expression, storytelling, sound production, freedom, improvisation, physical and mental wellbeing and understanding the context of the music, as well as delving into specific technical challenges. Young musicians will be encouraged to embrace opposites, to focus and to relax, to be serious and to have fun, working towards a common goal.
As part of the weekend, The Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Orchestras will come together as a mass ensemble to work on an arrangement of Shostakovich’s Jazz Suite No.1 for three string orchestras. Participants will also work on one piece in individual orchestras and will receive music and tutorial videos in advance to help prepare. Repertoire for the weekend includes Duke Ellington’s The Single Petal of a Rose (arr. Feifke), The Ayoub Sisters’ arrangement of Were You There, and music by Joëlle Broad including The Hidden Cave specifically written for the Introductory Orchestra. The orchestras will also take part in creative workshops throughout the day.
There is a professional development weekend available to string teachers from across Aberdeen offering the opportunity to forge new relationships with those in similar positions, to inspire, motivate, learn and develop with some of the best educators and teachers around.
On Friday 5 June, the Foundation will work with local primary schools from across Aberdeen. This inspiring and engaging schools' workshop will be led by presenter Lucy Drever and percussionist Calum Huggan and will introduce pupils to the fundamentals of making music covering the basics of pulse, rhythm, pitch and harmony. The workshops are free for schools to attend.
Paul Fitzpatrick, Chief Executive of The Benedetti Foundation commented, “We are thrilled to be returning to Aberdeen once again for the Benedetti Sessions, and to be part of Light the Blue this year. We will be working with some of the best educators and musicians from across the country and bringing together young people from different backgrounds, ages, and stages of their music education. The Benedetti Foundation is dedicated to creating opportunities for young people to learn and develop, whilst celebrating the joy of mass music making. We can’t wait for this year’s Aberdeen Sessions and hope the young people who join will be inspired and make lasting musical memories together.”
As part of their 2026 activity, the Benedetti Foundation will also be taking the Benedetti Sessions to Cardiff from 13 – 15 November, with expression of interest opening in late April. The Benedetti Adult Sessions will be returning to locations across the UK beginning mid-summer running through until December 2026.
How to get involved
Visit www.benedettifoundation.org/benedetti-sessions for more information.
Registration closes on Monday 4 May
Registration fee is £17.50 for the Introductory Orchestra and £35 for Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced Orchestras and instrumental teachers. Full financial support, including travel bursaries are available. No one will be prevented from attending due to financial circumstances.
The Benedetti Foundation relies solely on donations to carry out its work and we are very grateful to anyone who is in a position to make an additional donation towards the cost of the workshops.
Join in on social media using the hashtag #benedettisessions.
Images
Images from previous Benedetti Sessions can be downloaded here
For further press information please contact:
Rebecca Driver Media Relations