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| National Youth Orchestra |
The National Youth Orchestra (NYO) opens 2025 with its Illuminate tour, when Jaime Martin will conduct the teenage musicians in Ravel’s Bolero, Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s Catamorphosis and Nielsen’s Symphony No. 4 ‘Inextinguishable’, with concerts at the Barbican (4 January 2025), Warwick Arts Centre (5 January) and Nottingham Royal Concert Hall (6 January). Tickets are free for teenagers, as part of NYO’s mission to ensure there are no barriers to young people experiencing the power of live orchestral music.
48% of the Orchestra of 2025, including NYO Associates, came through NYO Inspire, a free programme for young people who want music to be a bigger part of their lives but face barriers and lack of opportunity to progress. NYO Associates are identified during the audition process, as musicians who would thrive from the opportunity to broaden their musical experience with the Orchestra.
52% of Orchestra and NYO Associate musicians come from state schools and 35% are Black, Asian and ethnically diverse, making the Orchestra is a reflection of the diversity and potential of young people across the UK. For the 2025 season, 50% of leadership roles within the Orchestra are held by female musicians. In a historic achievement, half of the leadership positions in the Brass section are also now held by female musicians, marking a significant step toward gender parity in a traditionally male-dominated area.
Through collaborations with local music hubs and schools, NYO continues to create new opportunities for young musicians, bringing orchestral music into every region and community. This year, NYO musicians will take their role as changemakers to their local communities, with each of them leading a workshop in their local primary school. Each musician will conduct a workshop, sharing the transformative power of orchestral music with the primary school pupils in their communities. Alongside the NYO Inspire programme, NYO provides free performances and workshops in schools, youth spaces and music hubs across the country.
More about the 2025 Orchestra at the NYO website, along with full details of the NYO’s performances.
