Totally Teenage

NYO wants to give the UK’s most dedicated young musicians every opportunity to participate in our vibrant, challenging orchestra. We look for musicians and composers who combine considerable technical aptitude and flair for orchestral playing with a taste for adventure, open minds and a great team spirit. Our musicians have a responsibility not simply for themselves as performers but for each other and as ambassadors, encouraging other young musicians to deepen their relationship with orchestral music.

In this section you will find details about eligibility requirements and what financial assistance is available to cover the cost of auditioning and being part of the orchestra.

Instrumentalists

If you're aged 13-18, play at Grade 8 distinction level or equivalent, and want to break through to the next level of orchestral brilliance... the world's greatest orchestra of teenagers needs you!

Composers

NYO Composers are a unique feature and special section of NYO. We're recruiting teenage composers for a year of immersion in orchestral and creative opportunities.

Pianists

We will hold auditions for orchestral pianists alongside other instrumental auditions. Information will be available in May. If you would like to apply, email auditions@nyo.org.uk to register your interest.

As a strictly teenage orchestra, we have the following requirements:

You need to be between 13 and 18 on 1 September 2017 in order to apply for NYO 2018.
Unless you're applying as a composer, you should be at Grade 8 distinction level or equivalent. You will either need a copy of your certificate or mark sheet, or a letter from your instrument or music teacher to provide written confirmation that you are of the required standard.
You are a British citizen, or resident or studying in the British Isles.
You are not studying full-time at a college of music, or on a joint course with a music college.
You are available for all of the rehearsal residencies, tour dates and performances and between 5-10 days of NYO Inspire activity. In addition, we may ask if you would like to attend other activities that come up throughout the year. These will be voluntary. For musicians in the keyboard section, we will rotate all of these dates as the repertoire dicatates. We ask however that all applicants are available for the complete NYO calendar at this stage.

Pianists must be able to make the first round of auditions, held for two days in September or October. We will confirm these dates by the application closing date of 3 July, if not before.
When you complete your application, there is space to let us know about any availability issues you may have. Once you have been scheduled an audition slot, please let us know within four weeks if you cannot make this date, venue or time. We will do our best to reschedule any auditions, but have extremely limited flexibility. Auditions cancelled after this time may incur a penalty charge of £150.

Auditions are FREE, and take place around the country. We have travel bursaries available to help with costs to and from the audition venue. For further information, please email info@nyo.org.uk.

The audition experience aims to be positive and constructive and all auditionees will receive a workshop and written feedback. Bursaries are also available to cover the full cost of a place in NYO.

Financial information: costs and assistance

We can help you be part of NYO.

NYO subsidises every seat in the orchestra to a manageable level. We raise over £1.5m so that we can do this. Also we ensure that free places are available to musicians who need them.

For NYO 2018, we ask for a contribution of £2100 from each musician. The actual cost of being part of NYO is £8000, so your contribution represents around a quarter, and equates to the cost of accommodation and travel on tour.

If you are offered a place in NYO and require financial assistance to cover the contribution our bursary scheme will help you. Depending on your financial circumstances we will fund all of the contribution or some of it. We can also guide you in applying for support from other organisations.

If you would like to help fund NYO bursaries, please contact our development team.

I feel very welcome in NYO – it's like I’ve been here all my life!

Sophie Bell

Horn

Without NYO, I would never be where I am today. I joined a self-doubting and nervous 13-year-old and the organisation massively helped me, as a musician and as a human being.

Michael Buchanan
Trombone

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Who can apply?