Frequently asked questions

Three people playing string instruments in public

How much will it cost?

The cost of our services will vary depending on the number of musicians involved and the type of music required (e.g. hiring musicians for public recitals will cost more than hiring them to provide background music). Please contact our team on professionalengagements@bcu.ac.uk, or use the online enquiry form to receive your personalised quote. You are not committing to hire until you sign a contract, so please feel free to contact us for advice.

Can you guarantee that you will have musicians available to perform at my event?

As our musicians are music students who have lectures, concerts and other commitments, we cannot always guarantee that a musician will be available. On the rare occasion that we are unable to find an available soloist or ensemble, we will be able to offer you a suitable alternative, for example, provide you with the contact details of our recent graduates and local music agencies.

How do I know if the ensemble I want will be available?

Please contact us six months prior to your event, providing details of the type of musician(s) you would like to hire and we will check the availability of a suitable musician or ensemble for you. We will do our best to check the availability of as many ensembles as may be necessary, to provide you with a combination of instruments of your choice.

How far in advance should I contact you?

Ideally, we would like to hear from you around six months prior to your event. For exceptional circumstance events, such as funerals, we will do our best to find musician(s) at short notice. For public concerts, recitals and music festival entries we may be able to arrange musician(s) up to one year in advance.

I am not sure what type of musicians I want - can you help?

Yes. Please provide us with details of your event, such as the number of people involved and the size of the venue, and we will be able to advise what soloists/ensembles would work best for you.

Are your musicians of professional standard?

All of the students taking part in the Professional Engagements service have been recommended to us by their Heads of Departments and are of a professional level.


How to book

To find out more about booking our performers and for details of our competitive prices, please contact us via our online enquiry form.

Enquire

Alternatively, please contact Lynsey Hopkinson at professionalengagements@bcu.ac.uk or 0121 331 6902