Category: Career Development

Not every successful orchestral career follows the conservatory-to-audition-to-tenure pipeline. In fact, some of the busiest and happiest string players I know are freelancers who’ve built diversified careers combining orchestra work, chamber music, recording sessions, teaching, and creative projects. But freelancing without a strategy is a recipe for financial stress and burnout. Here’s how to build a freelance career that actually sustains you.

Diversify Your Income Streams From Day One

The most common mistake new freelancers make is relying on a single income source. If all your work comes from one orchestra’s sub list, you’re one personnel change away from losing everything. Build at least three to four income streams: orchestral sub and extra work, a private teaching studio, chamber music or wedding gigs, and one creative or digital income source like recording, arranging, or online teaching.

The math is straightforward. If you earn $150 per orchestral service and can book 8-10 services per month, that’s $1,200-$1,500. Add 15 private students at $75/hour weekly, and that’s another $4,500/month. A couple of wedding gigs at $300-$500 each adds more cushion. Suddenly, you’re earning a livable income without any single source being make-or-break. The diversification also protects you during slow seasons—summer is typically quiet for orchestras but busy for weddings and festivals.

Treat Your Career Like a Business

Freelance musicians who thrive treat their career like a small business. That means tracking income and expenses, saving 25-30% of every payment for taxes (since no one is withholding for you), maintaining a professional website, and keeping an organized calendar. Use a simple spreadsheet or an app like Wave or FreshBooks to invoice clients and track payments. Open a separate bank account for your music income so you can see your business finances clearly.

Also invest in the tools of your trade. A reliable car (or reliable transit strategy), a quality recording setup for audition tapes and online lessons, professional headshots, and business cards might seem old-fashioned, but they signal professionalism. When a contractor is deciding between two equally good violinists for a recording session, the one who’s easy to work with, invoices promptly, and shows up prepared gets the call every time.

Build Your Network Intentionally

In freelancing, your network is your career. Every gig is a networking opportunity. Make a positive impression on contractors, personnel managers, conductors, and fellow musicians. After a good gig, follow up with a brief thank-you message. Keep a spreadsheet of contacts: name, organization, email, and when you last worked together. When someone hasn’t called in a while, a friendly check-in (“Hope your season is going well—I’d love to be considered for upcoming projects”) keeps you on their radar.

Join your local musicians’ union (AFM) if you haven’t already. Beyond the obvious benefits of union-scale pay and workplace protections, the union connects you with other working musicians in your area. Attend local concerts, go to receptions, and be genuinely interested in other musicians’ work. The freelance string community in most cities is tight-knit, and the players who get the most calls are often the ones who are most connected and well-liked, not necessarily the ones who play the best.

Manage the Psychological Challenges

Freelancing comes with unique mental health challenges that nobody talks about in conservatory. The inconsistency of income, the feast-or-famine cycle of gig availability, the lack of institutional identity (“What orchestra are you with?” is a loaded question for a freelancer), and the constant hustle can take a toll. Build routines that provide structure: practice at the same time each day, teach on set days, and protect at least one day per week as a genuine day off.

It also helps to reframe how you think about your career. You’re not a musician without a “real” job. You’re an entrepreneur building something on your own terms. Many freelancers eventually realize they prefer the variety and autonomy over a single tenure-track position. The key is being intentional about it rather than freelancing by default because auditions haven’t panned out yet.

Know When to Say No

Early in your freelance career, you’ll want to say yes to everything. And for a while, that’s the right move—you need to build relationships and experience. But as your career develops, learning to say no becomes essential. Don’t accept gigs that pay significantly below scale just to stay busy—it devalues your work and the profession. Don’t take on so many students that you can’t practice or perform at your best. And don’t sacrifice every weekend for years for wedding gigs if it’s destroying your love of playing. A sustainable career is a marathon, and pacing yourself is part of the strategy.

Ethan Kim is the founder of Orchestra Kingdom, helping string players win auditions and move up in their sections. Follow him on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for daily tips.

Every summer, thousands of string players attend music festivals from Aspen to Tanglewood to lesser-known regional programs. Most of them focus exclusively on practice, lessons, and performances. They leave with improved technique but zero new professional connections. That’s a massive missed opportunity.

Music festivals are the single best networking environment in classical music. Everyone is away from their normal routine, sharing meals, attending concerts, and socializing in a way that doesn’t happen during the regular season. The connections you make at a two-week festival can shape the next decade of your career. But you have to be intentional about it.

Reframe Networking as Relationship Building

If the word “networking” makes you cringe, you’re thinking about it wrong. Networking in music isn’t handing out business cards at a cocktail party. It’s having genuine conversations with people who share your passion. It’s sitting next to a different person at lunch each day. It’s asking a fellow participant about their teacher or their program with sincere curiosity.

The violinist who helped me get my first professional sub gig wasn’t someone I “networked” with. She was someone I had a twenty-minute conversation with over post-concert ice cream at Brevard. I asked about her experience playing in a regional orchestra, she told me they were looking for subs, and six months later I was sitting in her section. That conversation happened because I was genuinely interested in her story, not because I was working an angle.

Target Your Connections Strategically

While your approach should be genuine, your targeting can be strategic. Before the festival starts, research the faculty and guest artists. Identify two or three people whose careers align with where you want to go. Attend their masterclasses. Ask thoughtful questions. If there’s an opportunity for a brief conversation afterward, take it.

Don’t neglect your fellow participants either. The second violinist sitting next to you in festival orchestra might be the concertmaster of a regional symphony in five years. The collaborative pianist in your chamber group might become a faculty member who recommends you for a teaching position. You genuinely cannot predict which connections will matter most, so invest broadly.

Pay special attention to the festival staff and administrators. These people manage auditions, hire substitutes, and recommend players for professional opportunities. A festival administrator who remembers you as professional, friendly, and reliable is an invaluable ally.

Follow Up Within One Week

This is where ninety percent of festival networking falls apart. You have wonderful conversations, exchange contact information, and then never follow up. Within one week of the festival ending, send a brief, personal message to every meaningful connection you made.

Don’t send a generic “great meeting you” message. Reference something specific from your conversation. “I loved hearing about your experience subbing with the Cincinnati Symphony. If any sub opportunities come up, I’d be grateful if you kept me in mind.” Specific, personal, and direct. People respond to that.

Connect on social media, but don’t rely on it as your only follow-up. An Instagram follow is forgettable. A thoughtful email is memorable. And if you promised to send someone a recording, a recommendation, or a link to something, follow through within forty-eight hours. Reliability is the foundation of professional reputation.

Create Value Before You Ask for Anything

The most effective networkers in music are generous before they are transactional. Share opportunities you hear about with colleagues. Recommend other players for gigs you can’t take. Send a congratulatory message when a connection wins an audition or gets a new position. This builds a reputation as someone who lifts others up, and that reputation comes back to you in ways you can’t always predict.

At festivals, this might look like offering to help a younger student with an excerpt you know well, introducing two people who should know each other, or sharing a practice room without being asked. These gestures cost you nothing but create genuine goodwill.

The Long Game of Festival Connections

Some festival connections pay off immediately. Others take years. I met a conductor at a summer program in 2019 and didn’t work with him again until 2023, when he invited me to play a concert series with an ensemble he’d recently founded. He remembered our conversation four years later because I’d sent him a brief congratulatory email when his ensemble was featured in a local publication.

Keep a simple spreadsheet of your professional contacts. Name, where you met, what you talked about, and when you last reached out. Review it every few months and send a quick check-in to connections you haven’t contacted recently. This takes fifteen minutes and keeps your network alive.

The musicians who build thriving freelance and orchestral careers aren’t always the most technically gifted. They’re often the most connected, the most reliable, and the most generous with their network. Summer festivals give you the perfect environment to start building those connections. Don’t waste it.

Ethan Kim is the founder of Orchestra Kingdom, helping string players win auditions and move up in their sections. Follow him on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for daily tips.

Freelancing as an orchestral musician is thrilling but unpredictable. One month you have three different orchestra calls, a recording session, and a chamber gig. The next month, the phone barely rings. This is where a well-built private teaching studio becomes your financial anchor. But building a studio that actually generates consistent income requires more than just posting a listing and hoping students show up.

Define Your Ideal Student and Niche

The biggest mistake new teachers make is trying to teach everyone. A seven-year-old beginner and a college junior preparing for graduate auditions require completely different skill sets, materials, and lesson structures. You will be more effective and more marketable if you specialize. Think about where your expertise and passion intersect.

If you have strong orchestral experience, consider focusing on advanced students who are preparing for youth orchestra auditions, college auditions, or pre-professional development. These students and their families are willing to invest more because the stakes are higher. Your professional experience gives you credibility that a general music teacher cannot match. I built my initial studio entirely around audition prep for high school violists, and it filled up within three months because there were almost no other options in my area.

Set Your Rates With Confidence

Undercharging is epidemic among freelance musician-teachers. You are not just selling 60 minutes of your time. You are selling years of training, performance experience, and specialized knowledge. Research what other professional-level teachers in your area charge, and price yourself competitively. If you have a performance resume that includes professional orchestral work, you should be charging at the higher end of the local market.

Offer lesson packages rather than single lessons. A semester package of 16 lessons paid upfront creates predictable income and commitment from both sides. Include a clear cancellation policy and stick to it. Students who pay per lesson are far more likely to cancel. Students who have invested in a package show up consistently.

Create a Professional Infrastructure

Treat your studio like a business because it is one. Set up a dedicated teaching space, even if it is a corner of your apartment with good lighting and a music stand. Use a scheduling tool like Calendly or Acuity to manage bookings. Send invoices through a proper platform. Have a studio policy document that covers lesson length, rates, cancellation rules, and expectations.

A simple website with your bio, teaching philosophy, rates, and a contact form adds enormous credibility. Parents researching teachers will almost always choose the one with a professional web presence over someone who just has a Facebook post. You do not need anything fancy. A single-page site with your headshot and a few testimonials is enough to start.

Balance Teaching and Performing Without Burning Out

The key to sustaining both a teaching studio and a freelance performance career is time blocking. Designate specific days or time slots for teaching and protect your performing schedule. For example, you might teach Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons, leaving Tuesday and Friday open for rehearsals and gigs. Weekends are for concerts.

Communicate your schedule clearly to students and families at the start of each semester. If you have a known performing commitment, like a two-week opera run, build that into the schedule in advance. Most families are understanding and even impressed that their teacher is an active performer. Your performing career is not a conflict with teaching. It is your greatest teaching credential.

Grow Through Referrals and Community Presence

The most sustainable way to fill your studio is through word of mouth. When a student wins a chair in the regional youth orchestra or gets accepted to a competitive summer festival, celebrate it publicly with the family’s permission. Post about it on social media. Send a congratulatory note. These wins become your marketing.

Get involved in your local music community. Offer to coach sectionals at a local youth orchestra. Give a free workshop at a school. Judge a local solo competition. Each of these activities puts you in front of potential students and their families and establishes you as a serious, invested teacher. Over time, you will have more inquiries than you can accept, and that is exactly when you raise your rates again. A full studio with a waitlist is the goal, and it is completely achievable within two to three years of intentional effort.

Ethan Kim is the founder of Orchestra Kingdom, helping string players win auditions and move up in their sections. Follow him on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for daily tips.

Most full-time orchestra musicians did not land their position cold from an open audition. Many of them first built relationships through years of substitute and extra work, proving themselves one service at a time. If you are a freelance string player hoping to turn sub work into something permanent, there is a strategy to it that goes far beyond just playing well. Here is how to approach sub and extra work like the career investment it truly is.

Say Yes to Everything in Your First Two Years

When you are building a reputation, availability is almost as important as ability. If a personnel manager calls you at 4 PM for a rehearsal the next morning, say yes. If the gig pays less than you would like, say yes. If the repertoire is something you have never played before, say yes and then go learn it tonight. Personnel managers keep mental lists of players who are reliable and easy to book, and being on that list is worth more than any single paycheck.

I know a violist who subbed with a mid-tier regional orchestra for three seasons. She said yes to every call, even the ones that required a two-hour drive each way. When a full-time position opened up, the music director already knew her playing, her work ethic, and her personality. She won the audition, but she had already won the job in every way that mattered long before the screen went up.

Prepare Like a Principal Even When You Are Sitting in the Back

When you receive the repertoire list for a sub week, prepare every excerpt as thoroughly as if you were auditioning. Listen to the orchestra’s own recordings if available. Mark your bowings to match the section before you arrive. Know the style preferences of the music director. If the program includes Mahler Symphony No. 5, study not just your part but the full score so you understand how your line fits into the larger texture.

This level of preparation is noticeable. Section leaders and principals pay attention to who shows up having done their homework and who is sight-reading in the first rehearsal. Your goal is to make the section leader’s job easier, not harder. When you achieve that, they start requesting you by name for future weeks.

Master the Social Dynamics of the Orchestra

Sub work is a social audition as much as a musical one. Arrive early. Introduce yourself to your stand partner and the section leader. Be friendly but not intrusive. Do not offer unsolicited opinions about the conductor, the repertoire, or how things were done at other orchestras you have played with. Listen more than you talk. At breaks, make genuine conversation. Ask veteran members about the orchestra’s history or upcoming season. These small interactions build the personal connections that lead to recommendations when positions open up.

One thing to avoid at all costs: complaining. Even if the rehearsal schedule is grueling, the hall is freezing, or the conductor is difficult, keep your frustrations private. Permanent members notice subs who handle tough weeks with grace, and that reputation follows you in all the right ways.

Follow Up Professionally After Every Engagement

After your sub week ends, send a brief email to the personnel manager thanking them for the opportunity and expressing your interest in future work. Keep it short and professional. If you connected with the section leader or principal, a quick message saying you enjoyed playing with them goes a long way. These follow-ups keep you in mind for the next opening and demonstrate the kind of professionalism that orchestras value.

Know When a Sub List Can Lead to an Audition Invite

Many orchestras have an internal sub list, and players on that list sometimes receive invitations to audition before positions are publicly posted. Being on the sub list also means the committee already knows your playing, which provides a psychological advantage in the audition. Your job during sub work is to make such a strong impression that when the position opens, multiple people in the orchestra are advocating for you behind the scenes. That kind of internal support is the hidden advantage that turns a competitive audition into a winnable one.

Ethan Kim is the founder of Orchestra Kingdom, helping string players win auditions and move up in their sections. Follow him on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for daily tips.

The image of a professional orchestral career used to be simple: win an audition, get a full-time seat, play for forty years. That path still exists, but the reality for most string players today involves years of freelancing, subbing, and piecing together a sustainable living from multiple musical income streams. The good news is that a freelance orchestral career can be deeply rewarding if you approach it strategically.

I have watched talented players struggle because they treated freelancing as a waiting room for a full-time job, and I have seen others thrive because they built their freelance career with intention. The difference is not talent. It is business sense.

Building Your Reputation Before You Need It

In the freelance orchestral world, your reputation is your resume. Personnel managers hire people they trust, and trust is built through consistent, reliable behavior over time. Say yes to every gig you can in the early years, even if the pay is modest. Each gig is an audition for the next one.

When you sub with an orchestra, treat it as if you are auditioning for a permanent position. Learn the conductor’s style quickly. Be over-prepared on the music. Be friendly but professional with your stand partner. The principal cellist who notices your solid preparation today might recommend you for a better-paying chamber music series next month.

The Financial Reality of Freelancing

Let us be honest about money. Freelancing means irregular income, and you need to plan for that. I recommend maintaining a financial buffer of at least three months of expenses. When a well-paying gig comes in, resist the urge to upgrade your lifestyle immediately. Put a percentage into savings and invest in things that generate more work, like better strings, a quality recording setup, or professional headshots.

Track every expense related to your career. Instrument maintenance, strings, sheet music, concert attire, travel to auditions, and your home practice space are all potential tax deductions. A good accountant who understands musician finances will save you far more than they cost. I started working with a music-industry tax specialist three years ago, and the difference has been significant.

Networking Without Feeling Sleazy

Many musicians hate the word networking because it feels transactional. Reframe it. Networking is just being a good colleague and staying connected. After a gig, send a brief thank-you message to the personnel manager. Connect with fellow musicians on social media and engage with their posts. Attend concerts and say hello to people you have played with before.

Join your local musicians’ union and attend meetings. Volunteer for the union orchestra committee if there is one. These are the rooms where relationships form, information flows, and opportunities emerge. I got my first major sub call because another musician remembered me from a union event and recommended me when they could not take the gig themselves.

Diversifying Your Income

The most sustainable freelance careers are diversified. Teaching private lessons provides a steady baseline income that smooths out the feast-or-famine cycle of gig work. Even ten students at reasonable rates creates a financial foundation that reduces the pressure on your performing income.

Consider chamber music, church gigs, recording sessions, wedding and event work, and community orchestra conducting or coaching. Each income stream adds stability and introduces you to new networks. A recording session might connect you to a film composer who needs string players regularly. A church gig might lead to a Christmas concert series that pays well every December.

Online teaching and content creation are also growing rapidly. If you have expertise in audition preparation, technique, or repertoire, there are students around the world willing to pay for lessons via video. Building an online presence takes time, but it creates opportunities that are not limited by geography.

Taking Auditions Strategically

While building your freelance career, keep taking auditions for full-time positions that genuinely interest you. But be strategic. Do not audition for every opening. Focus on orchestras where you would actually want to live and work. Each audition costs money in travel and preparation time, so invest that energy wisely.

Treat each audition as a learning experience regardless of the outcome. After every audition, write down what went well and what you want to improve. This reflective practice accelerates your growth far more than simply scheduling the next audition and hoping for a different result.

The Long Game

A freelance orchestral career is a marathon, not a sprint. The players who sustain it are the ones who invest in relationships, manage their finances, maintain their health, and keep growing musically. It is not always easy, but there is a unique freedom in building a career on your own terms while doing what you love. Start where you are, stay consistent, and trust that good work leads to more good work.

Ethan Kim is the founder of Orchestra Kingdom, helping string players win auditions and move up in their sections. Follow him on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for daily tips.

A private teaching studio is one of the most valuable assets a string player can build. It provides reliable income between performance gigs, deepens your understanding of your instrument, and creates meaningful connections in your musical community. But building a studio from zero students to a full roster requires strategy, not just musical ability. Here is how to do it right.

Define Your Niche and Ideal Student

Before you start recruiting students, get clear on who you want to teach and what you offer that is unique. Are you a violinist who specializes in preparing students for youth orchestra auditions? A cellist focused on adult beginners? A violist who coaches chamber music? Specializing makes you more attractive than a generic listing that says ‘violin lessons available.’

In my experience, the most successful private teachers carve out a specific reputation. A colleague of mine in Boston focuses exclusively on audition preparation for conservatory applicants. She charges premium rates, has a waitlist, and her students consistently get accepted to top programs. She built that by choosing a niche and becoming the recognized expert in her area.

Set Your Rates and Policies From Day One

Research what other teachers in your area charge. Rates vary enormously by region, but as a general guideline, a teacher with a performance degree from a reputable conservatory and professional orchestral experience should not be charging beginner-level rates. Undercharging devalues your expertise and attracts students who may not be serious about their studies.

Create a clear studio policy document that covers lesson length, payment terms, cancellation policy, and expectations for practice. Distribute this to every new student and their parents. Having clear policies prevents misunderstandings and establishes you as a professional from the start.

I recommend requiring monthly tuition rather than pay-per-lesson. Monthly tuition provides predictable income, reduces the administrative burden of collecting payments each week, and discourages last-minute cancellations. Most established studios operate on this model for good reason.

Find Your First Students

Your first students will come from your existing network. Tell every musician, teacher, and parent you know that you are accepting students. Post on local community boards and parent groups. Contact the string teachers at nearby schools and offer to do a free workshop or masterclass. These relationships often lead to referrals.

Create a simple professional website or online profile that showcases your credentials, teaching philosophy, and contact information. Parents searching online for ‘violin teacher near me’ need to find you. Include your educational background, performance experience, and a clear description of what students can expect from lessons with you.

Consider offering a trial lesson at a reduced rate to lower the barrier for new families. A thirty-minute trial gives you a chance to assess the student and gives them a chance to experience your teaching style. Most trial lessons convert to regular students if you make a strong first impression.

Retain Students and Build Word of Mouth

Getting students is one challenge. Keeping them is another. Students leave for many reasons, but the most common are feeling stuck, losing motivation, or not seeing progress. Combat this by setting clear short-term goals, celebrating achievements, and varying your lesson content to keep things fresh.

Organize studio recitals twice a year. Recitals give students a goal to work toward, create a sense of community among your students and their families, and showcase your studio to potential new students. A well-run recital is one of the best marketing tools available to a private teacher.

Encourage current families to refer friends. Word of mouth is the most powerful recruiting tool in private teaching. When parents see their child progressing, making all-state orchestra, or winning a competition, they talk about it. Be the teacher who delivers results, and your studio will grow organically.

Scale Without Burning Out

A full studio of twenty to twenty-five students is manageable for most teachers alongside a performing career. Beyond that, you risk exhaustion and declining lesson quality. If demand exceeds your capacity, raise your rates rather than adding more students. Higher rates attract more committed students and compensate you fairly for your expertise.

Block your teaching hours into consistent time slots on specific days. This structure protects your practice time, performance schedule, and personal wellbeing. A studio built on clear boundaries and high standards will sustain you for years, generating income, artistic satisfaction, and a lasting impact on the next generation of string players.

Ethan Kim is the founder of Orchestra Kingdom, helping string players win auditions and move up in their sections. Follow him on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for daily tips.

Classical musicians are trained to be perfectionists in the practice room but are given almost zero preparation for one of the most important skills in building a career: networking. The word itself makes most musicians cringe — it conjures images of forced small talk and business card exchanges at cocktail parties. But networking in the classical music world isn’t about schmoozing. It’s about building genuine relationships with people who share your passion, and those relationships become the foundation of every professional opportunity you’ll ever get.

Redefining What Networking Actually Means

Forget the corporate version of networking. In classical music, networking is simply this: being a good colleague and staying in touch with people you’ve made music with. Every time you play in a festival orchestra, sub in a professional ensemble, or attend a masterclass, you’re building your network organically. The violinist sitting next to you at Tanglewood might be on an audition committee in five years. The conductor leading your youth orchestra program might recommend you for a sub list. These connections compound over time, but only if you nurture them.

The most effective networkers in music aren’t the most socially aggressive — they’re the most consistently professional and genuinely interested in other people’s work. Ask your stand partner about their teaching studio. Congratulate a colleague on their recent competition result. These small gestures of genuine interest build the kind of trust that leads to professional referrals.

Leveraging Summer Festivals and Workshops

Summer festivals are networking gold mines. Programs like Aspen, Marlboro, Spoleto, and the National Repertory Orchestra bring together emerging and established professionals in an intensive, social environment. The key is to approach these experiences with dual purpose: grow as a musician and build relationships that extend beyond the festival dates.

During festivals, make a point to play chamber music with as many different people as possible. Volunteer for reading sessions. Attend the faculty recitals and approach the performers afterward with specific, thoughtful comments about their playing — not generic praise, but observations that show you were listening carefully. After Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 8, you might mention how their approach to the second movement’s intensity created an almost unbearable tension. Specificity signals genuine engagement, and musicians remember people who truly listened.

The Follow-Up Is Everything

Meeting people is only half the equation. Following up is what transforms a brief encounter into a lasting professional relationship. Within a week of meeting someone significant, send a brief email or message. Reference something specific from your interaction. Don’t ask for anything — just express genuine appreciation for the conversation or the musical experience you shared.

Maintain these connections with periodic, low-pressure touchpoints throughout the year. Share an article they’d find interesting. Congratulate them on a performance you saw announced. Recommend a student to their program. The goal is to stay on people’s radar in a way that feels natural rather than transactional. Over years, this consistent engagement builds the kind of relationships that lead to real opportunities: sub calls, recommendations, chamber music invitations, and audition inside information.

Building Your Online Presence Authentically

Social media has become an essential networking tool for classical musicians, but it works best when it reflects your genuine artistic identity rather than a manufactured brand. Share your real practice journey — the breakthroughs and the struggles. Post about concerts you’re excited to perform. Share insights from masterclasses you attend. This kind of authentic content attracts people who resonate with your musical values and creates connection points for in-person conversations.

Your online presence also makes you discoverable to contractors, managers, and personnel managers who increasingly look to social media when building sub lists or evaluating candidates. A well-maintained Instagram or YouTube channel with clips of your playing, thoughtful captions about your musical life, and evidence of active engagement in the music community serves as a living portfolio that works for you around the clock.

Navigating the Awkwardness Directly

If networking feels awkward, acknowledge it to yourself and do it anyway. Most musicians feel the same discomfort — you’re not alone. Start small: introduce yourself to one new person at each concert or event you attend. Ask a simple question about their background or what they’re working on. Listen more than you talk. Most people love discussing their musical projects, and showing genuine curiosity is the simplest and most effective networking skill you can develop.

Remember that the classical music world is remarkably small. The person you share a stand with in a community orchestra today might be the personnel manager of a regional symphony in ten years. Every interaction is a potential seed for your career — approach them all with warmth, professionalism, and genuine musical curiosity, and the opportunities will follow naturally.

Ethan Kim is the founder of Orchestra Kingdom, helping string players win auditions and move up in their sections. Follow him on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for daily tips.

Nobody tells you in music school that most orchestral musicians do not land a full-time position straight out of graduation. The reality is that the path to a tenured seat often runs through years of freelance work, subbing, extra playing, and piecing together a career from multiple ensembles. The good news is that freelancing can be incredibly rewarding, both artistically and financially, if you approach it strategically.

Getting Your First Sub Call

Your first sub call will almost certainly come through someone you know. This is why networking in music school and at festivals matters so much. Stay in touch with classmates who win positions. When they need a day off, your name should be the first one that comes to mind. Attend local concerts and introduce yourself to personnel managers afterward. Send a brief, professional email with your resume and a link to a recording. Keep it short, three sentences about who you are, one sentence about your availability, and your contact info.

Personnel managers keep lists of subs organized by instrument and reliability. When they need a second violinist for next Tuesday, they scroll through that list. Getting on the list is step one. Staying on it requires showing up prepared and being easy to work with.

Nailing the Sub Gig

When you get that first call, over-prepare. Get the parts early if possible, or look up the program and study the scores. Arrive 30 minutes early. Bring your own pencils, a mute, extra strings, and a clip-on stand light. Dress appropriately, match or exceed the dress code of the regular members. Make zero assumptions about how things work. Ask your stand partner about bowings, repeats, and any changes the conductor made in previous rehearsals.

The biggest mistake new subs make is trying to stand out musically. Your job as a sub is to blend seamlessly into the section. Match the vibrato speed and width of the player next to you. Follow every bowing exactly. Be invisible in the best possible way. After the concert, send a brief thank-you email to the personnel manager. Something like “Thank you for the opportunity to play this week. I had a great experience and would love to be called again.” Simple, professional, memorable.

From Occasional Sub to Regular Extra

Consistency converts sub calls into regular extra work. If you say yes to every call, show up prepared every time, and get positive feedback from section leaders, the calls will increase. Most orchestras have a tier system. Casual subs at the bottom, regular extras in the middle, and tenured members at the top. Your goal is to climb from casual to regular by proving your reliability over six to twelve months.

I know violinists who built full-time incomes entirely from extra work with three or four regional orchestras. They play 30 to 40 weeks per year across multiple ensembles, earning comparable salaries to some tenured positions. The trade-off is less job security and more logistical juggling, but the musical variety can be stimulating.

Building Your Network Strategically

Attend every social event the orchestra holds. Join the after-concert dinner. Be friendly with the librarian, the stage manager, and the operations staff. These people influence who gets called and who does not. If the librarian knows you by name and you are pleasant to deal with, your parts will be ready early and your life will be easier.

Connect with personnel managers from neighboring orchestras too. If you impress one orchestra, ask if they can recommend you to others. The freelance orchestral world is surprisingly small, and a good reputation travels fast. So does a bad one.

Managing the Business Side

Freelance musicians are small business owners. Track your income and expenses meticulously. Mileage to rehearsals, instrument maintenance, string purchases, and even a portion of your rent if you practice at home are potential tax deductions. Set aside 25 to 30 percent of every payment for taxes. Get a separate bank account for your music income. Consider working with an accountant who understands the music industry.

Keep a detailed calendar with all your commitments. Double-booking is a career-ending mistake in the freelance world. If you have to turn down a gig, do it immediately and recommend a colleague. This generosity comes back to you in the form of future recommendations.

When to Keep Freelancing and When to Pursue a Full-Time Seat

There is no single right path. Some freelancers eventually win auditions and move into tenured positions. Others build thriving portfolio careers that combine performing, teaching, and recording. Evaluate your goals annually. If you want the stability and benefits of a full-time position, keep taking auditions while freelancing. If you love the variety and autonomy of freelancing, invest in building that career intentionally.

Either way, every gig you play is building your skills, your network, and your reputation. Treat each one as an opportunity, and the career will take shape.

Ethan Kim is the founder of Orchestra Kingdom, helping string players win auditions and move up in their sections. Follow him on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for daily tips.

Here’s a secret that most conservatories don’t teach you: the majority of substitute and extra work in professional orchestras doesn’t come from auditions. It comes from relationships. The sub list at most regional and major orchestras operates primarily on personal recommendations and word-of-mouth. If nobody in the orchestra knows you exist, you’re invisible—no matter how well you play.

I built my early career almost entirely on sub and extra work, and it opened doors to permanent positions, chamber music opportunities, and teaching connections that I still benefit from today. Here’s the playbook I wish someone had given me when I was starting out.

Start With Your Local and Regional Orchestras

Don’t make the mistake of only targeting major orchestras. Regional, community, and semi-professional orchestras are your entry point into the professional network. These ensembles frequently need subs, they’re more accessible, and the players in them often also play in larger organizations.

Research every orchestra within a two-hour drive of your location. Find out who the personnel manager is, who the section principals are, and what their season schedule looks like. Many regional orchestras have their personnel manager’s contact information on their website. Send a brief, professional email introducing yourself, listing your relevant experience, and asking to be considered for the sub list. Attach a one-page musical resume—not your full CV, just the highlights relevant to orchestral playing.

The email should be three paragraphs maximum. Something like: “Dear [Name], I’m a violinist based in [city] with experience in [relevant orchestras/programs]. I’m interested in being considered for your substitute list for the upcoming season. I’ve attached my orchestral resume and would be happy to provide references or a recording if helpful. Thank you for your time.” Short, professional, no fluff.

The Power of Showing Up (Even When You’re Not Playing)

Attend concerts of the orchestras you want to sub with. This sounds obvious, but almost nobody does it. Go to performances, and afterwards, introduce yourself to musicians you know or have been connected with. Be genuine—comment on something specific about the performance. “The Shostakovich 5 finale was incredible tonight—your section’s intensity in the coda was electric” is infinitely better than “Great concert!”

Attend local music events, chamber music concerts, and new music performances. The professional music world in any city is surprisingly small. The cellist you chat with at a contemporary music concert might be the assistant principal of the regional symphony, and when they need a sub violinist next month, your name will come to mind because you had a genuine conversation about Ligeti’s cello sonata.

Be the Sub Everyone Wants to Call Back

Getting your first sub call is the hardest part. Once you’re in the door, your behavior determines whether you get called again. Here are the unwritten rules that separate one-time subs from regulars:

Arrive absurdly early. Be at the venue 30 minutes before the first rehearsal. Know where to park, where the stage entrance is, and where the musician lounge is. Nothing makes a worse first impression than walking in late because you couldn’t find the building.

Come over-prepared. Study the entire program, not just your part. Mark your bowings in pencil (never pen) before the first rehearsal. If you can get bowings from the section in advance, even better. Know the tricky spots, the tempo changes, the exposed passages. The goal is to be completely invisible—to play so well that nobody notices you’re a sub.

Be socially appropriate. Be friendly and collegial, but don’t try too hard. Don’t dominate conversations in the green room. Don’t offer unsolicited opinions about the conductor or the repertoire. Listen more than you talk. Remember names. Thank the personnel manager and your stand partner at the end of the week.

Follow up professionally. After your first sub week, send a brief thank-you email to the personnel manager expressing your appreciation for the opportunity and your availability for future calls. Don’t be pushy—just plant the seed.

Building Relationships That Last

The musicians who get the most sub work aren’t necessarily the best players—they’re the most reliable, pleasant, and well-connected ones who play at a professional level. Reliability means saying yes when you can and giving as much notice as possible when you can’t. It means never canceling a commitment except for genuine emergencies. In a world where personnel managers are often scrambling to fill seats at the last minute, being the person who always says yes and always shows up prepared is worth its weight in gold.

Invest in genuine relationships with your colleagues. Remember details about their lives. Congratulate them on their successes. Recommend other good players when you’re unavailable for a gig—this builds enormous goodwill and expands your network simultaneously. The sub world runs on reciprocity: the more you give, the more you receive.

Building a sub career takes time—typically 2-3 years of consistent effort before you’re getting regular calls. Be patient, stay professional, and keep improving your playing. The opportunities will come, and when they do, you’ll be ready.

Ethan Kim is the founder of Orchestra Kingdom, helping string players win auditions and move up in their sections. Follow him on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for daily tips.

The dream is a full-time orchestra position with benefits and a pension. The reality for most string players is years — sometimes decades — of freelancing. And freelancing in the orchestra world is nothing like what they taught you in conservatory. Nobody tells you about the tax implications, the feast-or-famine cycle, or the physical toll of playing six services in three days for three different ensembles. But with the right approach, freelancing can be more than just a survival strategy — it can be a genuinely fulfilling career.

I spent seven years as a freelance violinist before landing a section position, and I learned more about the business of music in those seven years than in my entire time in school. Here’s what I wish someone had told me from the start.

Building Your Network (It’s Not About Schmoozing)

The freelance string world runs on reputation, and reputation is built through consistency, not flash. The personnel managers who hire subs and extras aren’t looking for the most impressive player — they’re looking for the most reliable one. Show up early, be prepared, follow bowings, and be pleasant to sit next to. Do this consistently and the phone will start ringing.

Introduce yourself to personnel managers directly, but don’t be pushy. A brief email with your resume and a recording link is perfect. Follow up once, then let your work speak for itself. The best networking happens organically: play well as a sub, and the principal cellist mentions your name to the personnel manager of another ensemble. That word-of-mouth referral is worth more than a hundred cold emails.

The Financial Reality: Plan Like a Business Owner

As a freelancer, you’re a small business. Start treating yourself like one from day one. Open a separate bank account for your music income. Track every expense — strings, rosin, bow rehairs, mileage to rehearsals, instrument insurance, concert black clothing. These are all tax-deductible, and they add up to thousands of dollars per year. If you’re earning more than $30,000 annually from freelancing, consider hiring an accountant who understands the music industry.

Set aside 25-30% of every payment for taxes. This is painful but essential. Nothing derails a freelance career faster than a surprise tax bill in April. Build a three-month emergency fund as quickly as possible — freelance work is seasonal, and January through March can be very lean.

Managing the Feast-or-Famine Cycle

October through December, you might have more work than you can handle. July and August, your phone goes silent. This cycle is predictable, so plan for it. During busy seasons, resist the temptation to accept every single gig. Overplaying leads to fatigue, and fatigue leads to injury. I once played 14 services in one week across four different orchestras. By Sunday, my left shoulder was in so much pain I couldn’t lift my arm. The money wasn’t worth the three weeks of recovery.

Use quiet periods strategically. This is when you prepare audition repertoire, record for your website, reach out to new contacts, and invest in professional development. Treat slow weeks as an investment in your future, not a crisis to panic about.

Diversifying Your Income Streams

Don’t rely solely on orchestral sub work. Build multiple income streams: teaching private lessons, playing chamber music gigs, doing recording sessions, performing at weddings and corporate events. Each stream has different peak seasons and different skill requirements. A diverse portfolio protects you when one stream dries up and keeps your playing versatile.

Teaching, in particular, provides stable recurring income that balances the unpredictability of performance work. Even five or six regular students can cover your fixed monthly expenses, which takes enormous pressure off the performing side. And teaching makes you a better player — explaining concepts to students forces you to understand them at a deeper level.

Protecting Your Body and Mind

Repetitive strain injuries are the freelancer’s biggest occupational hazard. Without the structure of a single orchestra’s rehearsal schedule, you might find yourself playing five hours straight without adequate breaks. Build recovery time into your schedule the way you’d build in rehearsal time. Invest in a good Alexander Technique teacher or physical therapist who works with musicians — preventive care is far cheaper than injury treatment.

The mental health side is equally important. Freelancing can be isolating, and the constant uncertainty about future work creates chronic low-level anxiety. Find a community — a regular chamber group, an orchestra you play with frequently, or even an online group of freelance musicians. Knowing you’re not alone in the struggle makes an enormous difference.

Freelancing isn’t a consolation prize — it’s a legitimate career path that offers variety, flexibility, and musical experiences you’d never get in a single orchestra. The players who thrive are the ones who approach it with intention, discipline, and self-compassion. Build your business, protect your body, nurture your relationships, and the music will follow.

Ethan Kim is the founder of Orchestra Kingdom, helping string players win auditions and move up in their sections. Follow him on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for daily tips.