The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain begins its Winter tour tomorrow (4 January 2023) at the Barbican Centre, the first of four concerts with appearances at Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham (6/1/2023), Warwick Arts Centre (7/1/2023) and Liverpool Philharmonic (8/1/2023). Alexandre Bloch conducts the 156 teenagers in Britten's Four Sea Interludes, Anna Clyne's Rift and Strauss' Also sprach Zarathustra. There are free tickets for teenagers at every concert, and the Barbican concert will be live-streamed as part of the Live from the Barbican series.
This year's orchestra is admirably diverse, 50% of the orchestra are from state-education and a further 16% are members of the Department for Education's Music and Dance scheme, attending specialist music schools. Female and non-binary musicians take 61% of leadership positions across the orchestra, and 29% are Black, Asian or ethnically diverse - the teenagers come from every region in the UK.
The way the orchestra's own efforts in achieving diversity have paid dividends is reflected in the fact that 42% of the 2023 orchestra have progressed from NYO Inspire. NYO Inspire is the orchestra's programme to provide ensemble opportunities exclusively for communities that are underrepresented in the world of orchestral music. In this way, the orchestra and its players seek to change the fabric of the orchestral sector from the ground up, investing in and engaging with those with limited access to musical experience. Following the tour, the young musicians will embark on Play the School projects in secondary schools in Oldham - performing and working with the pupils, showcasing their creative music-making.
Full details from the orchestra's website.
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