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OAE at 40

Join Us in Raising £140,000 to Celebrate 40 Years of Musical Innovation

The OAE was founded in 1986 by a group of idealistic period-instrument players determined to break free from the constraints of working under an all-powerful music director and take charge of their own artistic destiny.

For four decades, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment has been trailblazing, bringing its fresh approach to music-making to audiences around the world and collaborating with some of the greatest conductors and soloists.

To mark this remarkable milestone, we aim to raise £140,000 by 26 June 2026, the exact day of the Orchestra’s first-ever concert. The funds raised will support our 40th Anniversary Seasons and the Orchestra’s at Acland Burghley School and in schools across the UK.

Every gift – no matter the size – helps us reach this goal and directly supports our Anniversary Seasons across 2025/26 and 2026/27, propelling us into the next decade.

OAE at 40

Whether you donate £40, £140, or more, your generosity will help ensure the Orchestra remains forward-thinking and artistically excellent as we enter our fifth decade.

£40

£140

£400

Every penny spent on the arts is a penny spent on education.

Crispin Woodhead, Chief Executive

What Your Donation Will Support

Incredible programming and collaborations with world-class artists and conductors
Support the exceptional artistry that has defined the Orchestra for 40 years. Your gift helps us continue working with leading soloists and conductors, explore new ideas, and share extraordinary performances with audiences around the world. The Anniversary Seasons will feature exceptional artists, including Principal players with a special connection to the OAE, revisiting notable highlights from our history while expanding our artistic vision for the decades to come.

Our pioneering partnership with Acland Burghley School
Help secure our unique school-based residency in Tufnell Park – now five years in the making – where every artistic project enriches the lives of pupils and the wider community. Your support ensures this innovative model of music-making and music education can continue to thrive.

Our national education programme and community operas
From creative workshops to ambitious community-led productions, your donation helps us inspire young people, widen participation in the arts, and bring exceptional musical experiences to audiences that would otherwise not experience live music. Our Community Operas are a cornerstone of our Southbank Centre Season – created with children, performed alongside them, and shared with their families and friends. These collaborative performances are an essential in bringing the work that we do to new audiences in our Anniversary Seasons.

Emerging artists on our Rising Stars programme and Ann and Peter Law Experience Scheme for gifted singers and instrumentalists respectively.
Your donation nurtures the next generation of exceptional musicians, forming a vital bridge between education and professional life. Through our programmes, young artists receive the training, mentorship, and performance experience they need to build sustainable careers. This support is already shaping the Orchestra’s future: many Experience Scheme alumni have gone on to become OAE members or are now regularly engaged as freelance players. That legacy continues in our Anniversary Seasons, where Rising Stars alumni and our current cohort will perform across our Southbank Centre concerts, The Night Shift, and our Bach, the Universe and Everything series, creating meaningful, career-changing opportunities on stage with the Orchestra.