We’re excited to announce a further development of NYO Inspire, with the Blavatnik Family Foundation joining other principal supporters of the groundbreaking programme. Their support over the next five years will help NYO reach more young people through NYO Inspire, building on the success of the programme to date. We will significantly increase the number of opportunities for teenage musicians who need them by continuing to champion orchestral music as a powerful agent for teenage development.
The NYO Inspire programme addresses the growing limitations in music education especially where social inequity exacerbates the challenges faced by young people, with a focus on teenagers who attend state schools and face a lack of opportunities to progress in music. The free programme offers a musical adventure for teenagers through a series of orchestral music projects for musicians playing at a level equivalent to Grade 6-8+, with no auditions or formal grades required to participate.
Over the last ten years, NYO Inspire has supported over 5,000 young people to make music a bigger part of their lives. NYO Inspire has a track record for supporting teenagers to accelerate their musical skills, personal confidence and skills for life.
Teenagers accelerate their musicianship through playing music with their peers, and for youth audiences, supported by coaching from expert tutors. These experiences combine to open up young people’s futures, by developing skills to share the power of music with their generation, in performance and through role-modelling, leadership and musical collaboration. A recent survey found that 90% of programme participants (2024) learned new musical skills, and 93% felt a sense of purpose in sharing those skills and music with others. 95% of parents or carers told us that their young person’s confidence and self-esteem had increased whilst on the programme.
A further impact of the NYO Inspire programme is on the Orchestra, where the last decade has seen significant and sustained increase in the representation of state school students in the Orchestra, from 35% to consistently over 50%.
About the Blavatnik Family Foundation
The Blavatnik Family Foundation supports world-renowned educational, scientific, cultural and charitable institutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel and across the globe. Led by Sir Leonard Blavatnik, founder of Access Industries, the Foundation advances and promotes innovation, discovery and creativity to benefit the whole of society. Over the past decade, the Foundation has contributed more than $1 billion to over 250 organisations.