Join the orchestra

The NYO Orchestra is the greatest adventure teenagers can have through playing and sharing music. You’ll soar in your musical development. Perform on iconic stages. Master new music and new ideas. Become a leader of musicians.

And as a change-maker for your generation, you’ll shape your world.

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About the NYO Orchestra?

The NYO Orchestra is at the heart of our community, celebrated internationally as ‘the world’s greatest orchestra of teenagers’.

Each year 160 teenagers from different backgrounds across the UK, brought together through their love of music and unrivalled talent, thrill audiences with performances in iconic venues and play their part as changemakers for their generation. They perform for, mentor and inspire thousands more young people.

A year in the NYO Orchestra

Each musician makes an 11-month commitment to play their part in the NYO Orchestra from October to August. Most activity takes place during school holidays and some weekends. Musicians will get involved live and digitally for around 40 days during the year. This could include:

digital meet ups
workshops
rehearsals on residencies
NYO Inspire projects
local and national projects
touring to schools and concert halls

A year in the NYO Orchestra could look like this timeline.

We allocate musicians to take part in projects best suited to your musical journey and availability.

A year in the NYO Orchestra could involve:

October

NYO Unite

A one-day activity with musicians from the NYO Orchestra and Inspire Programme.

December/January

Winter residency

Winter residency, concerts and schools tour (two weeks).

February

NYO Inspire Activity

Three days of sharing music and mentoring aspiring musicians.

April

Spring residency

Spring residency, concerts and schools tour (two weeks).

July

NYO Inspire Activity

Ten days of sharing music and mentoring aspiring musicians.

July/August

Summer residency

Summer residency and concert tour, including BBC Proms.

Who can join NYO Orchestra?

We’re looking for teenagers from across the UK who want to play and learn together, develop their technical abilities on their instrument and share their love of music with others.

To join the NYO Orchestra, you need to be 13-18 years old. You will be a British citizen, living or studying in the UK.

We welcome applications from musicians at secondary school, sixth form college, university and from those who are home-schooled. We don’t accept applications from those studying full-time at a college of music, or on a joint course with a college of music.

If you play your instrument at an advanced level, we want to hear you. Musicians will usually be playing at a level equivalent to Grade 8, but with no need for formal graded exams.

If you play your instrument at equivalent to Grade 6, why not look at our NYO Inspire Programme?

How to join

We begin looking for new musicians to join the NYO Orchestra in March each year. Musicians take part in video and in-person auditions and workshops with support and feedback every step of the way.

Musicians can upload a video audition to the Musicians’ Portal by mid-June. These video auditions will be reviewed by NYO team.

After the initial video audition, musicians will be invited to final round workshops and auditions in September. At each workshop day, musicians will take part in activities such as warm-ups, music activities, playing together and discussions. Each musician will also take part in a 15-20 minute audition.

Before the workshop day, you’ll be invited to an online event to help you prepare. If you’re eligible for the NYO Inspire Programme, you’ll also receive a one-to-one coaching session with an NYO tutor to support your progress.

Applications open

March

Application deadline

May

Video audition deadline

June

First round audition results

July

Final workshop and audition days

September

Final audition results

End September

Cost and financial support

Money is never a barrier to getting involved in the National Youth Orchestra.

First round video auditions are free. We offer free feedback and suggest further opportunities so why not give it a go?

Final workshop and audition days are also free, with travel and accommodation bursaries for those who need them. Email auditions@nyo.org.uk for more information.

We invest over £10,000 in each NYO musician every year, with expert music tuition, residencies, tours and performances. This year, we are asking each musician to contribute £2,370 towards this cost. We work with our supporter community to help raise the rest.

We understand that for some musicians, this level of contribution may be out of reach. That’s why we run a generous bursary scheme aiming to help with some, or all, of the contribution. We can also guide you in applying to other organisations for funding help.

Frequently asked questions

How old do I need to be?

The NYO Community is open to teenagers, but if you don’t quite fit that age bracket, we would encourage you to get in touch with us before you apply. Email auditions@nyo.org.uk. We are likely to get in touch with you directly if you would benefit from the experience of NYO Inspire but are just outside the age parameters.

Will I need to take time off school?

Sometimes our dates clash with some school activity. We try our best to schedule activity in the school holidays, but school holiday dates across the UK don’t always match up. If you have to miss school and are having trouble getting time off, we are more than happy to talk to the school and send a letter of support if required. 

Can I apply on more than one instrument?

Yes – but please make a separate application for each instrument, using the same login details.

Do I need to take graded exams?

There is no need to have taken any exams to be part of the NYO community, we are referring to these to give you a sense of the benchmark level.

If you are thinking of applying for the Orchestra, you will be playing at an advanced level equivalent to grade 8 and or above. You can self-assess by taking a look at the music we play [link to Experience The Music] and see if they are about the right standard. If you need further guidance, you can email: auditions@nyo.org.uk.

How much does it cost?

No musician will be limited from taking part in NYO activity due to their financial means. There is a cost attached to being in NYO, although NYO is a charity so this amount is heavily subsidised thanks to our community of generous donors. Auditions and applications are free, and bursaries are available.

I want to apply for NYO & NYO Inspire, can I apply for both?

Your application for the NYO Orchestra includes you in NYO Inspire activity if you are eligible. Many musicians who apply for the NYO Orchestra find they don’t get in the first or second time. We encourage everyone with feedback and further opportunities. Those musicians who are eligible for NYO Inspire activity will be offered opportunities in NYO Inspire projects.  