ClassicalConnect: A Space for Honest Conversations in Classical Music

I caught up with our founder Lizzie Holmes, after the launch of ClassicalConnect.

DEBUT’s new monthly online drop-in for classical musicians navigating freelance life, artistic decision-making, and the realities of building a portfolio career today.

DEBUT founder: Lizzie Holmes

What does a sustainable career in classical music actually look like today?

For many musicians, the answer is not straightforward. ClassicalConnect was created as a space to explore that question openly, without pressure or expectation.

What is ClassicalConnect?

ClassicalConnect is a free monthly online drop-in for classical musicians. It is a space to pause, reflect, and talk honestly about the realities of building a career in music today.
It is not a webinar or a formal workshop. There is no set agenda and no preparation required. It is simply a group of musicians coming together to share experiences, ask questions, or listen.

Why did you create it?

ClassicalConnect grew out of both my own experience and conversations with other musicians.

Alongside DEBUT, I work as a guest lecturer in Creative Enterprise at the Royal College of Music with undergraduate and master’s students. It became clear that many musicians are asking similar questions about what a sustainable career looks like, but there are very few spaces where those questions can be explored openly.

Over the past decade, I have worked as a freelance soprano, built DEBUT from scratch, and moved into the startup tech world. That combination has shaped a broader view of what a career in classical music can be.

There is still a strong narrative that the path is limited to performing, often supported by teaching. In reality, many musicians are building far more varied working lives.
Some are combining performing with roles in completely different fields. These kinds of careers are more common than we acknowledge, particularly in London where sustaining yourself on music alone can be financially challenging.

ClassicalConnect was created to open up that conversation and create space to think more creatively about how a career can be shaped.

What actually happens in a session?

Each session is an open conversation shaped by the people in the room.
You can bring a question, share something you are working through, or simply listen. Topics often include career direction, income streams, audience engagement, and navigating change.
The focus is on reflection and shared experience rather than advice or instruction.

Who is it for?

ClassicalConnect is for conservatoire-level and post-conservatoire musicians, as well as early- and mid-career freelancers.
It is particularly relevant for anyone navigating a portfolio career, feeling uncertain about their next step, or looking to think more broadly about their work.
There is no requirement to have worked with DEBUT before.

How is it different from other industry events?

Most industry events are structured around delivering information.
ClassicalConnect is built around conversation. There is no expectation to have answers or to present yourself in a certain way. It is a space to think, listen, and engage at your own pace.

Why does this kind of space matter?

Careers in classical music are increasingly non-linear.
Musicians are balancing multiple roles and income streams, often without clear frameworks for how to do this. At the same time, the skills developed through classical training are highly transferable, including problem-solving, adaptability, and the ability to build something from very little.
Creating space to recognise and explore this helps shift the perception of what a career in music can be.


How can people get involved?

ClassicalConnect runs on the first Tuesday of every month online.
It is free to attend and open to anyone who feels it would be useful. You can join once or come regularly.

There is no single way to build a career in classical music. Having space to talk about it openly, and to hear how others are navigating it, makes that process clearer and more connected.

ClassicalConnect sits alongside DEBUT’s wider work, creating space not only for performance, but for reflection, conversation, and long-term career development.

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