A typical concert weekend spans four days starting with rehearsals on the Thursday evening, then two full days on Friday and Saturday (09.00 - 1700hrs for example), and a final rehearsal on Sunday prior to the concert.  However start/finish days and number of concerts can vary, so please check details for each event. Attendance at ALL rehearsal sessions is expected for those successful in obtaining a place. 

There are mid-morning and mid-afternoon tea breaks, and an hour’s lunch break.  A social programme is organised for the evenings, and often a reception after the concert.

The EDO is entirely self-financing and each member of the orchestra pays a registration fee for every event they play in as well as meeting the costs of their accommodation and travel. This enables the orchestra to make a donation to a local charity - usually with a medical connection - from each event.

If you are interested in playing with EDO, please contact the relevant section organiser.

The orchestra is formed from medical doctors living in Europe (working or retired) and currently at or above Grade 8 standard (or equivalent).

EDO information required for registration of new players

• Given name
• Family name
• Section
• Instrument
• Email address
• Telephone
• Postal address including postcode
• Specialty even if retired
• Country
• Preferred payment currency (GBP/Euro)
• Request for registration fee reduction for large instrument transport and possibly for medical students or other circumstances?
• Dietary requirements
• HMRC Gift Aid declaration if UK tax-payer

Please write a brief ‘Musical Curriculum Vitae’.  This could include some or all of the following:

• Orchestras or ensembles you play with
• Special or significant concerts you have player in
• What positions you play in that orchestra/ ensemble – leader/ first desk/ principal player, soloist etc
• Are you comfortable with playing Solos?
• Any musical qualifications
• The highlights of your musical journey and musical education
• Any other reasons why you feel you are a high quality player who enhance the European doctors Orchestra
  
• Are you able to offer any recommendation from either someone we might have heard of  or someone already playing in EDO?
  
• If selected for EDO would you be interested in organising an EDO event in your own country in the future? 
  
• Do you have any past experience of organising events in your own country?

Places for a performance are usually recruited up to five months in advance of each event in order to give players sufficient time to book leave from work and rearrange clinics etc.

Each section of the orchestra has a dedicated organiser who also plays in the section and therefore understands the specific requirements of that section.  The list of section organisers is here:

In advance of each event section organisers contact their list of players by email with the details, inviting players to register their interest in taking part. There is no guarantee that a place will be offered as many sections find that the number of interested players exceeds the available seats - in this situation the section organiser will make a selection of players based on a range of criteria, and send out invitations to play. Once a place has been offered you will be asked to reply promptly - usually within 1 - 2 weeks - to confirm your place and make payment of the registration fee.  

NOTE: DO NOT PAY OR BOOK FLIGHTS/ACCOMMODATION ETC. UNTIL YOUR PLACE HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY THE SECTION ORGANISER.

Our section organisers welcome enquiries throughout the year from individuals who have not played with us recently or before.

Although currently most sections are oversubscribed, section organisers often manage a reserve list to fill places that later become available at short notice.

Music parts will be circulated for study and practice prior to the concert weekend. 

EDO Recruitment and Selection policy

    In EDO, a total of 14 countries are represented. However there is a massive over-representation  of certain countries, especially UK, Germany and Switzerland, which together make up over ¾ of the orchestra. Some countries are very poorly represented. Ideally, no country should take up more than 30% of places. We wish to increase the representation from under-represented countries incrementally over 3 years. Initially, we want to give priority to players from Spain, Portugal, France, Scandinavia and the Baltic countries and we actively call for application from players from these countries.

 New criteria for player selection

1. Doctor living and working in Europe

2. High standard of playing

3. Diversity (including diversity of nationality and age)

4. Particular contribution to the orchestra: Committee membership, office, organizing an event, and likelihood of being able to organize an event in the future etc. This may include incentivizing players to volunteer to organize concerts by offering a set number of future gigs to them

5. Players local to the concert venue, who have contributed significantly to the organisation of the event

6. If offered a place three times and not taken it up – to be taken off active list

7. No one, including the Officers of the Trustee Board has a guaranteed place at every concert but at least one of either treasurer, chair, or secretary should be at every concert