NYO Inspire

Start your free musical adventure with NYO Inspire. Open up your world and play your part.

Start your musical journey with NYO Inspire

About NYO Inspire

NYO Inspire is a musical adventure for teenage musicians who are ready to go further.

Apply to join the biggest orchestral music community you’ve ever seen. Accelerate as a musician with world-class tutoring. Play incredible music with people who love music just as much as you do.

Everyone’s NYO Inspire experience is different. Grow through opportunities that match where you’re at on your musical journey, for free.

It’s time to open up your future and play your part.

Who can join NYO Inspire

It’s open to 13-18 year-old musicians who play orchestral instruments at a level equivalent to Grade 6 and above. You don’t need any official grades, but you should be passionate about music and determined to take your playing to the next level.

We prioritise musicians with the greatest need for a place.

NYO Inspire is primarily for teenage musicians who go to state school, where there is a widespread lack of opportunity to progress in music.

The programme is also open to musicians who face systemic challenges accessing the musical opportunities they need. This includes teenage musicians who are home schooled and musicians who are Black, Asian or ethnically diverse.

Everyone has a different experience with NYO Inspire. We offer you opportunities that match your needs and where you’re at on your musical journey.

NYO Inspire brings together teenage musicians from across the nation, so you should be open to travelling within the UK to play your part in activities.

What if I’m not eligible? Sign up for an NYO Open event to experience high quality music making opportunities with other young people. Suitable for musicians from grade 3 to 8+. We have some creative opportunities for non-orchestral instruments too through NYO Open.

A musical adventure

Everyone’s adventure with NYO Inspire is different and not everyone will get to experience every NYO Inspire activity. We match musical opportunities to your needs and where you’re at on your musical journey.

Musicians who demonstrate their commitment to musical and personal development will have a great chance of being invited to play their part in every activity.

A year in NYO Inspire could involve:

October

NYO Unite

An epic day of music-making uniting musicians from the whole NYO community, including the Orchestra, NYO Inspire and local musicians in your area.

Everyone who is successfully accepted onto the programme is invited to NYO Unite.

February

Inspire Ensembles

Three-day residencies in orchestral family groups: strings, woodwind, brass and percussion. And creative ensembles for non-orchestral instruments.

For NYO Inspire musicians who have demonstrated commitment to their musical and personal development.

July

NYO Inspire Summer Orchestras

Residential activity where you will play in a full orchestra and take part in workshops and public performances.

For musicians who would thrive by taking part in this opportunity and have shown commitment to their entire NYO Inspire adventure across the whole year.

Throughout the Year

Events include:

Chances to attend NYO residencies, Free for Teens tickets, Play the City opportunities, and NYO community meet ups.

How to join

Applications are open until 30 September. All you’ll need to do is create an account and complete an application on the Musicians’ Portal. We will let you know if you’ve successfully secured a place on NYO Inspire within two working weeks of applying.

There are some questions that you may need your parent or carer to help you with.

If you are a music educator, you can talk to our friendly team about encouraging the motivated teenage musicians you know to join NYO Inspire. Or look at NYO Open to explore opportunities for everyone.

If you have previously taken part in NYO Inspire and you want to take part again, you’ll need to re-apply. If you have already applied for the Orchestra of 2026 and you’re eligible for NYO Inspire, you do not need to complete an application for NYO Inspire.

By signing up, you’ll also receive invites to free one-off NYO Open events taking place in your local area. A chance to play and experience orchestral music and get an intro to the NYO Community.

Frequently asked questions

How much does NYO Inspire cost?

NYO Inspire is completely free.

All activities are funded through the kind donations of our supporters and generous support of sponsors. We ask musicians to arrange their own transport but travel bursaries are available for anyone who needs them.

Can I still apply if I’m not 13-18 years old?

If you don’t quite fit the age bracket, we encourage you to get in touch with us before you apply: email inspire@nyo.org.uk.

What instruments can I apply to play at NYO Inspire?

You can apply to play orchestral instruments including: violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, orchestral percussion, harp, orchestral keyboard and saxophone.

We are developing creative projects for non-orchestral instruments, so please apply whatever your instrument you play. You can simply select ‘other’ when you fill out your application and let us know which instrument you play.

Can I apply for more than one instrument?

Yes. If you’d like to apply for more than one instrument, you can let us know on the application form. You can indicate your ‘Primary Instrument’ and ‘Secondary Instrument’ on the application form. We suggest you choose the instrument you are most competent on for your ‘Primary Instrument’.

You don’t need to complete two separate application forms.

How will you support me?

We put you first, ahead of music making.

Our expert Support Team is dedicated to ensuring you develop a strong sense of belonging and you have everything you need to thrive.

Why can’t you get into NYO Inspire if you go to an independent school?

What type of education you are taking part in is one of the biggest factors in determining what musical opportunities you have access to. Due to an increasing lack of music education in state schools, musicians who go to state school do not have as many musical opportunities as musicians who go to independent schools where music education provision is much more prevalent, inside and outside the classroom.

We recognise that not every independent school has high-level music education provision but on a national level, independent schools have more opportunities for musical progression than state schools. We need to ensure our eligibility requirements prioritise teenage musicians with the greatest need for a place.

Many musicians from NYO Inspire go on to secure a place in the Orchestra. Over the last decade, we have been working hard to ensure representation of state school musicians in the Orchestra and NYO Inspire supports us to achieve this.

What about other eligibility requirements for NYO Inspire, can you tell me more about that?

Whilst NYO Inspire is primarily for musicians who go to state school, we recognise that there are other factors which impact access to musical opportunity. That’s why we also welcome applications from musicians who are home–schooled and musicians who are Black, Asian or ethnically diverse.