Welcome to the Phion Heersink Academy

You are dreaming of a musical career. And rightly so! You overflow with talent, brim with ambition, and have already completed an academic education. You work hard to become even better every day. What would really help is the chance to gain practical experience — at the top level, why not? Phion Symphony Orchestra offers you that opportunity through the Phion Heersink Academy!

The Phion Heersink Academy bridges the gap between education and the professional music world. Young, talented musicians are given a unique opportunity to further develop their skills and make the transition from education to a professional music career.

As Phion’s educational institute, the Academy takes its responsibility seriously. We aim to make a crucial contribution to the development of top musical talent in Europe. To achieve this, we offer young professionals a platform to grow and secure their future role in the world of music.

Training in modern orchestra culture

If you earn a place in the Academy, that’s your ticket to participate in symphonic, opera, educational, and chamber music productions within Phion’s diverse program. In addition to the wealth of artistic experience you’ll gain, you’ll receive intensive audition training with mental coaching, as well as masterclasses and workshops. You can safely call it the most complete next step on your path to a successful career as a professional musician!

What makes the Phion Heersink Academy even more appealing is the chance to take part in innovative, theatrical productions (an elective component). For several years now, Phion has collaborated with Theater Oostpool and Theater Sonnevanck on spectacular stage productions in which musicians also perform — not hidden away in an orchestra pit, but acting wordlessly on stage! Can you already picture yourself taking on such a role?

Applications

As a member of our orchestra, you will rehearse regularly in Arnhem and Enschede, and you will take part in concert series throughout Gelderland, Overijssel, and beyond. The deadline for application has passed. Please keep an eye on our website and social media for any updates for vacancies for the upcoming seasons.

Profile:
– You are not older than 27 years on September 1, 2026.
– You preferably hold a Master’s degree from a conservatory, but you may also apply if, in September 2025, you are in the second year of your studies.
– You are a resident of a country within the European Union, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, or Switzerland, or you already hold a valid Dutch work permit.
– You are available for at least 10 weeks to take part in various productions within Phion’s programming.

Currently our applications for season 2026-2027 are closed. Follow us on social media to be one of the first ones to be notified about our application deadlines for the 2027-2028 season. 

Academy Members 2026 – 2027

In the 2026–2027 season, we were welcoming four academy members into our orchestra!

Maria Sala – Viola
Maria is from Alicante, Spain, and is currently studying in Utrecht. She picked up the viola at the age of seven, at the suggestion of a neighbour who told her mother it was a beautiful instrument to play with others. What started as something fun gradually grew into a deeper passion, especially once she began listening to symphonic repertoire in her mid-teens. She even started downloading scores to follow along while listening to recordings. Since moving to the Netherlands, her musical horizon has broadened significantly: she now plays in a world music and jazz group and sings in a duo alongside her classical studies. She is most excited about experiencing the major symphonic works on the programme for the first time, alongside the chamber music projects. “I really like to discover something new and get completely obsessed with it. I think that’s going to happen a lot this year.” 

Maria Gómez Rangel – Percussion

Spanish percussionist Maria is 25 years old and currently studies at Codarts Rotterdam. She began her musical journey playing the clarinet, before switching to percussion after watching the percussionists in her wind band. “They were always having so much fun. I wanted to be one of them.” Though she does not come from a classical music family, music has always been present in her life through her father, who sang in a choir. She describes the percussionist’s role in an orchestra as uniquely powerful: waiting for precisely the right moment to shape the entire dynamic of a performance. She is especially looking forward to playing the Rachmaninov Piano Concerto and the large symphonic works on the programme: “I really love the Rachmaninov Piano concerto, maybe I am going to cry while playing it.” During the upcoming academic year, she is mostly curious about the lifestyle that comes with playing in an orchestra.

Olga Gallego Custodio — Cello 

Cellist Olha comes from a musical family in Malaga, Spain: her grandfather and mother are both pianists, and her older brother plays the violin. It was precisely because of her brother that she chose the cello. She wanted to play a string instrument like him, but one she could play while sitting down. Since moving to the Netherlands to study in Utrecht, her musical world has expanded well beyond the classical repertoire she originally pursued, discovering jazz and interdisciplinary projects along the way. She is drawn to the Phion Heersink Academy because it offers the combination of orchestral experience, lessons and chamber music she has been looking for. She is particularly excited about the Star Wars programme. “In Spain it’s quite unusual for a professional orchestra to programme something like that. I think it’s a really great way to bring new audiences in.” 

Zsombor Könczei – Violin  

Hungarian violinist Zsombor comes from an exceptionally musical family: his father is a composer, choreographer and pianist who also served as his first music theory teacher, his brother is a professional folk musician who plays the viola. Zsombor obtained his bachelor’s degree in Budapest and studied in London where he held the Margaret Helen Harris Scholarship. He moved to the Netherlands, where he now studies with Mathieu van Bellen.  Zsombor is eager to explore chamber music throughout the year and hopes to build lasting musical partnerships with both fellow academists and orchestra members. In the orchestral repertoire, he is most looking forward to Tsjaikovski’s Fourth Symphony, a work he has long wanted to perform. “I see the orchestra as the most realistic path for a professional musician in modern Europe, but I am equally passionate about chamber music, teaching and composition.” 

Academy Members 2025–2026

Phion is now passing on an important musical tradition through the Phion Heersink Academy. In the 2025–2026 season, we were welcoming four academy members into our orchestra! These are our alumni:

Lucia Warren

Canadian violinist Lucia Warren, 26 years old, studies violin at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam with Matthieu van Bellen (Phion’s first concertmaster). She comes from a musical family as her mother played the flute, and her father played the trumpet and conducted professional orchestras. She is most looking forward to performing Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 and taking part in an opera production. “I’m completely new to Europe, so I’m very grateful for this opportunity to learn at a professional level.”

Celia Muñiz Medina

Spanish violist Celia Muñiz Medina is 23 years old and is pursuing her Master of Classical Music at Codarts, studying with Julia Dinerstein. She has been playing the viola since she was seven years old and comes from a family made up mostly of pianists. In addition to her work in large symphonic settings, she is interested in exploring chamber music. “It feels personal and intimate, and I think it’s very beautiful to grow together as a group. My ultimate goal and plan, however, is to play in an orchestra performing symphonic works.”

Clarisse Feliciano Gomes

Flutist Clarisse Feliciano Gomes (22) comes from a small village near Lisbon, Portugal. She has been playing the flute since the age of ten. A wind instrument she began learning to help with her breath control and asthma. This year, she is completing her studies at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels with Carlos Bruneel. “It’s very vulnerable to step into the professional music world as a musician. The structure of the Academy allows me to get to know this world gradually, in small steps, which will have a great impact on my development in the long term.”

Darío Carmona Beltrán

Darío Carmona Beltrán, 22 years old and from Spain, studies at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam with Miriam Pastor and Aisling Casey. He has been playing the oboe since he was six years old. Although he doesn’t come from a musical family, he discovered the instrument at school during an “instrument garden,” where children could try out different instruments. Music education is very important to Darío, and he is therefore especially looking forward to Phion’s various educational projects. “It’s important that new generations also learn to listen to classical music. I think it’s really special to be able to bring classical music to people who might not otherwise hear it because of their background or current situation.”