Unleashing the NYO at 70: Bernstein and more in London and Birmingham

The National Youth Orchestra (NYO) of Great Britain is now, amazingly, 70 and the orchestra and its players are as busy as ever. 6 and 7 April 2018 see the NYO joining with Chineke! Junior Orchestra for performances of Leonard Bernstein's theatre-piece Mass, conducted by Marin Alsop with Paulo Szolo as the Celebrant at the South Bank Centre (further details from the South Bank Centre website).

But the NYO is about far more than just performing, in 2018 164 NYO Musicians will volunteer over 1000 days as peer leaders, and engage with 10,000 young people, working side-by-side, empowered by their skills and experience to inspire others, thereby redefining what it is to be a member of a national ensemble with increasing capability for social action. In April, the NYO will be dividing into two ensembles so that in parallel with the Bernstein performances, NYO will be giving 'Unleashed' concerts by teenagers for teenagers, including UK premiere of James Newton Howard's The Hunger Games Suite, and John Williams music from Star Wars conducted by Kwamé Ryan in London and in Birmingham.