A typical concert weekend spans four days starting with rehearsals on Thursday evening, then two full days on Friday and Saturday (09.00 - 17.00 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.

We are actively recruiting new players to the orchestra. We want to put on more concerts each year and we want more of the orchestra to come from mainland Europe.  We are particularly interested in players from Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, The Netherlands, Scandinavia and Baltic countries BUT happy to receive applications from any European country.

The orchestra is formed from medical doctors living in Europe (medical students, doctors working or retired) playing at a high standard.

If you are interested in playing with EDO you need to be on the Active Player List, please fill in the attached proforma BELOW and then send to the relevant Section Organiser (see below). They will confirm whether you have been accepted on to the active player list or not. If you are on the Active Player List then you will automatically be invited to apply for a place on the next concert(s).

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. We hope to eventually be able to offer several events a year to which you can apply at any one time.

Each section of the orchestra has a dedicated Section 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 active 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 (see below), 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.

We hope to be able to offer some financial support to medical students and possibly to other applicants from less well paid parts of Europe. In addition we may be able to offer accommodation in friends and supporters houses for concerts for those interested in this.

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 an over-representation of certain countries, especially UK, Germany and Switzerland. Some countries are very poorly represented. 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, Italy, The Netherlands, Scandinavia and the Baltic countries, and we are encouraging applications to register and requests to play from players from these countries.

Criteria for player selection (revised 2024)

1. Doctor living and working in Europe

2. High standard of playing (You will be asked to provide a mucical Curriculum Vitae and references if you have any)

3. Diversity (including diversity of nationality and age)

4. Particular contribution to the orchestra: Committee membership, office, organising an event, and likelihood of being able to organize an event in the future etc. Players who organise, or offer to organise, events are more likely to be offered opportunities to play in future concertes.

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