Our principal objective is to assist young professional musicians to enable them to purchase high-quality instruments, appropriate to their careers.
The Loan Fund for Musical Instruments is a Charitable Trust, set up in 1979. The Trustees are the Arts Council England, The Musicians’ Union, The Royal Society of Arts and The Worshipful Company of Musicians. Each of these organisations appoints a Trustee representative to sit upon the Executive Committee. Its principal object is to assist young professional musicians to enable them to purchase high-quality instruments, appropriate to their careers, which they would not otherwise be able to afford. A professional musician in this context is one whose main source of income is from public performance.
Although the fund has substantial assets, donations are welcomed from those who wish to support the aims of the Fund.
“I have been accepted to participate in the BBC Philharmonic’s Professional Experience scheme by audition. Without the assistance of the Loan Fund towards my purchase of the Püchner Professional Model 23 Bassoon, I would not have been able to achieve this result significant to my career development.”
Daniel Tse
The Loan Scheme is for professional players under the age of 36 who can show that they have sufficient income to be able to repay the Loan.
The Grant Scheme is designed to help students and young professional musicians from the beginning of their third year of full-time study until two years after the completion of their full-time course.
Preference is given to British Nationals and the Fund is particularly interested in supporting instrument makers resident in the United Kingdom. Awards are not made in respect of electric or electronically controlled instruments.
If you are interested in applying under either of the two schemes please click on the appropriate link above. All requests for assistance are considered individually by the Executive Committee at its regular meetings.
The next meeting of the Trustees will take place on Monday 17th June 2024 and completed applications with references, personal statements and the Monitoring Form must be received by 12.00 noon on Friday 17th May. Please email your application to info@lfmi.org.uk .
LFMI is committed to encouraging equality, diversity and inclusion and opposes all forms of prejudice and discrimination. LFMI seeks to play an active role in creating a more diverse and inclusive music industry. Our aim is to be truly representative of all sections of society in our board of trustees and the musicians we assist.
“I would like to thank the LFMI for the generous grant. It has made the world of difference to my career.”
Sophie Rosa
Vice Presidents
Dame Janet Baker CH DBE, Daniel Barenboim, Levon Chilingirian OBE, Nicholas Daniel, Sir Andrew Davis CBE, Bernard Haitink Hon CH Hon KBE, Sir Roger Norrington CBE, Sir Simon Rattle CBE.