The National Youth Orchestra is the UK’s leading organisation championing orchestral music as a powerful agent for teenage development. We are a welcoming community where every teenager can play their part in shaping their world through extraordinary music.
It’s the greatest adventure a teenager can have in orchestral music where young people develop much more than musical skills.
NYO engages 10,000 teenagers of varying musical abilities, offering them the adventure of a lifetime in orchestral music. Our internationally acclaimed Orchestra, known as NYO, is celebrated as ‘the world’s greatest orchestra of teenagers’ for its dazzling performances. Each musician also serves as a leader and role model, sharing their passion and skills through our NYO Inspire and NYO Open programmes.
In an era where music education is dwindling in state schools, NYO’s free programmes are more crucial than ever, providing opportunities for teenagers to build confidence and life skills through music. By joining NYO, teenagers gain new friends, rise to new challenges, and learn to inspire and lead others.
Over the next decade, we aim to create a significantly larger national community for teenage musicians of all levels, addressing gaps in music education and fostering social equality. Our 75-year history reflects our pioneering spirit and unwavering commitment to nurturing teenage potential.
The Orchestra
At the heart of our community is NYO, celebrated as ‘the world’s greatest orchestra of teenagers’. Comprising 160 dedicated musicians, NYO performs in an annual programme of intensive residencies and concert tours during school holidays. These musicians have shown exceptional dedication, placing music at the centre of their lives and aspiring to professional careers. They have made personal sacrifices, taken risks, had setbacks, and taken every opportunity that has come their way.
Over 750 young people compete for 160 seats through a rigorous audition process. We select musicians playing at the highest level who will benefit from intensive training and significantly contribute to our mission. Auditions are free, supported by nationwide campaigns and 1:1 preparation sessions for state school musicians to ensure equity.
World-class instrumental and creative practitioners train and guide our musicians to achieve exceptional performances and develop leadership skills. NYO performs with leading international conductors and artists in iconic UK venues, including regular broadcasts on BBC Radio 3 and an annual televised BBC Prom.
Beyond their performances, each NYO musician serves as a leader, sharing their passion and skills. The orchestra tours schools and youth centres, supports NYO Inspire activities, and each musician acts as a music ambassador in their local primary school.
NYO Inspire
NYO Inspire addresses opportunity disparities, focusing on committed teenagers playing at Grade 6 level from low-income families, state schools, and diverse backgrounds. The north of England is a priority geographical focus. The free, year-round programme offers projects supporting ensemble skills and musical progression with high interaction with NYO peers.
Many musicians progress through the programme, some earning a seat in NYO (in 2024, 41% of the Orchestra had progressed from Inspire) while others find Inspire a pinnacle of their music-making journey. After one or two years Inspire musicians often become role models themselves for less experienced musicians.
In 2024, 800 teenagers engaged with Inspire, 83% from state schools and 43% from ethnically diverse backgrounds, representing 71% of UK local authority areas.
NYO Open
NYO Open offers free workshops and experiences for musically curious teenagers of all skill levels. As an entry point, young people can join a series of opportunities to chart their own journey. In 2024, our workshops reached 800 participants. Tickets for NYO concerts are Free-for-Teens, representing 30% of our concert audiences. We tour schools and youth centres, engaging over 8,000 teenagers in workshops, collaboration, and performances. On social media, relatable role models present content to make orchestral music accessible to all, with 66K followers across all platforms, a growth of 89% since 2021.
