160 young musicians take to the road again this summer

The National Youth Orchestra(NYO) of Great Britain is embarking on an ambitious tour this August when, conducted by Sir Mark Elder, they will perform a programme which combines Mahler's Symphony No. 9 with the premiere of Tansy Davies' Re-greening. Performances take place at Snape Maltings (6 August), Symphony Hall, Birmingham (7 August), the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall (8 August, also on BBC Radio 3), and the Konzerthaus, Berlin (10 August). This will be the orchestra's first trip abroad for 20 years, and the culmination of a two week residency in Birmingham with the 163 teenager coming from a very wide range of social backgrounds. Guest conductor during the residency is NYO alumnus Kwamé Ryan, who brings two musicians, Luke Walker (percussion) and Mawasi Warner (double bass) from his Connectt youth orchestra in Trinidad and Tobago to join in rehearsals and performances.There is a chance to hear the orchestra in Birmingham during the residency, on 1 August 'Play the City' sees the entire orchestra divide into small ensembles and take to the streets to bring music to the people of Birmingham.

On the tour the orchestra combines Mahler's challenging final symphony with Tansy Davies' Re-greening. The second brand new work written especially for NYO this year, it is performed without a conductor and partly from memory. Through movement and voice, players connect with each other and tap into their emotions, awakening an ebullient Spring from her long Winter slumber.

During July NYO's Inspire Orchestra has been busy touring secondary schools in the North-West of England giving workshops and performances with local young performers with the aim of strengthening the reach and impact of the NYO's work and inspiring peer musicians.