Hope and optimism at the heart of new National Youth Orchestra programme

The below has been adapted from an article that originally appeared in Classical Music. 

As part of the new 'Hope Exchange' programme, members of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain (NYO) will go into their local schools to inspire other young musicians. They will also host a series of webinars with international youth organisations that will shed light on the environments in which music-making is an act of hope for young people around the world.

This will culminate in four programmes of music at Saffron Hall, Southbank Centre, Leeds Town Hall and Birmingham Symphony Hall, as well as a BBC Proms performance at the Royal Albert Hall.

NYO musician Izzy said: 'I’m really excited to be back making music again to audiences. Live music feels like a real act of hope this year.'

Sarah Alexander, CEO and artistic director of NYO said: 'The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain is committed to enabling young people to find their voice in and through orchestral music.

'During creative planning for summer 2021 the teenagers of the orchestra were encouraged to share their views on the world they live in, and the role that they want their music-making to have in that world. There was a powerful sense that NYO's theme for 2021 had to be "hope".

'Hope sustains us through our difficulties and helps us to keep going through uncertainty. While hope has enabled many young musicians to keep on practising through lockdown, it has been the joy and intimacy of listening to and creating music that has sustained that hope.'

NYO's Hope Exchange concert series begins on 28 July at Saffron Hall, featuring soloist Jess Gillam. Later concerts feature Annemarie Federle, BBC Young Musician 2020 finalist, Nicola Benedetti (Proms), and Francesca Dego. NYO's repertoire includes new work by Laura Churd, alongside music by Jessie Montgomery, Stravinsky, Janáček and others.

More information can be found here. 

nyo.org.uk