National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain
The National Youth Orchestra, hailed as “the most uplifting orchestra in the world” by The Times, brings together young players and composers, inspiring others through fresh powerful performances.
Introducing Sarah Alexander - Director, National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain
"‘Have you heard what young people can do?" 
Sarah Alexander was appointed Director of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain in 2007. Her career began in theatre, where she worked as a director before moving into opera. She spent five years at the Welsh National Opera, where she established a pioneering outreach programme, WNO MAX.
‘The National Youth Orchestra brings together teenagers from across the country to achieve something extraordinary. They generate tremendous team spirit and remind us all of the exhilarating rewards that come from hard work, dedication and following your dreams. In 1948 the NYO was created by Ruth Railton to celebrate and help realise the potential young people have to make orchestral music together at an exceptionally high level. Through its relationship with outstanding professional musicians who teach, world class soloists and conductors, and exceptionally talented and committed young instrumentalists, the NYO has become a benchmark of excellence in orchestral performance.
We believe that the impact of playing orchestral music at a high level and embracing the values of depth, difficulty, complexity, rigour and teamwork createw an impact on our young players that they take with them, wherever their careers lead them. Since 2008 the NYO has transformed the ethos of our orchestra by putting ensemble at the heart of everything we do. We have improved performance standards by working hard to develop non-musical aspects of our performance practice. We have raised our profile by appointing an artistic figurehead in our Principal Conductor Vasily Petrenko. We have explored our national role by increasing our regional embeddedness, through partnerships with The Sage Gateshead, Durham University, Southbank Centre, Aldeburgh Music, Tate Modern, and Birmingham University. This has enabled us to meet more young musicians, improving access to the NYO. We have also successfully embraced 20th century and contemporary repertoire, including taking a leading role in Southbank Centre's Varèse 360 festival where the NYO performed alongside the London Sinfonietta. We have seen a significant transformation of the NYO’s identity. From our publicity material to our performances, the NYO is not only a youth orchestra. It is now a young orchestra.
The Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela has transformed perceptions internationally of the significance and potential of the youth orchestra, both as a thrilling experience of orchestral performance and as a vehicle for achieving permanent social and individual transformation for young people. Our Venezuelan counterparts are a source of great inspiration to us at the NYO and offer us a great context within which to enrich our own relevance as a national performance organisation that can have a real impact on the lives of young people. However we cannot singlehandedly create the kinds of pathways that lead from grass-roots playing to achieving national performance standards. Great work has taken place over the last ten years in music education nationally, and the NYO is determined to do whatever we can to link in with this, and inspire young players across Britain who are all potential NYO members of the future.
But don’t just take my word for it. Read what member David Wong has to say about the experience.’
Case Study: David Wong, 17
‘The NYO for me is all about the people. This is Britain's biggest orchestra, and this fact draws all the people together into a team. This team spirit and commitment is what gives us the feeling of companionship in all activities, both musical and social. Last year, and indeed every year, there is a huge amount of teamwork involved right from the beginning until our BBC Prom at the Royal Albert Hall. I have met the most amazing people from a very wide range of backgrounds, and this has taught me a lot about not only other people, but also myself. This sense of self-improvement is a major part of the NYO, in a social sense as well as a musical one. I have learnt so much about how to operate in a team, and in groups of unfamiliar people in unfamiliar situations.
The obvious self-improvement that the NYO provides is of course musically- that is simply natural after two weeks of intense rehearsal three times a year. After each NYO course I can feel myself playing with a much greater stamina than before. I am always more critical of my own playing and that of others as well, making me more aware as a musician. The section tutors are inspiring and invaluable in that they directly teach us the orchestral technique to a professional level. Even simply being around 170 other fantastic musicians is inspiring and humbling. The orchestral culture in the NYO is absolutely unique. Our rehearsal traditions are so rarely displayed with other orchestras. By our traditions, we generate a powerful focus and group concentration, with the common aim of bringing the music together. Everyone really wants to be there, and everyone really wants to play a part in making the NYO what The Times has called "The most uplifting orchestra in the world". This is so unique of the NYO, and I am eternally grateful to have been part of it, since this definitely does not happen anywhere else.
It is a privilege to have met such distinguished musicians who have taken the time to coach us. Meeting new (sometimes very famous and distinguished!) conductors and soloists is a huge privilege, as is playing in such prestigious concert halls. We all learn so much from each other, in particular new ways of looking at the same problems. This is something which the NYO shows us all the time. There is a huge range of ideas from the conductors, tutors and soloists who come in, and this is part of the reason I really want to come back. They give us inspiration about music, and give us new energy and enthusiasm to inject into whatever we do.
Of course, the music we play is an experience in itself. The sheer excitement of the repertoire we play is enough to not only please audiences, but to inspire more people to become involved in music-making. This kind of inspirational outreach is something unique amongst youth orchestras. We appeal to younger people, inspiring them to play classical music. I love the idea of the propagation of classical music via inspiration of younger people (and also older people)! The reviews we get are on national papers, and they are read by millions of people. Even thinking about the scale of influence we may have on the public is awe-inspiring.
The NYO is a professional youth orchestra. No other youth orchestra in the country is as high-profile and as skilled as us. Our concerts attract thousands of people across the country, and indeed millions of others via radio and television. The intense training we get from each course has produced some of the finest musicians in the world, and will continue to do so. For someone wishing to become a musician, this experience is a springboard to success, because the work we do is to a professional standard, and with professional mindset (although, dare I say, we are more enthusiastic and energetic than most professionals, from what I hear from reviews!).
For me, the NYO has taught me many lessons in life, and how to work with different people. It has taught me about discipline, and what can be achieved. Nothing is impossible for the NYO, and it is always moving forward in producing excellence and inspiring millions of young people. The people of the NYO, both members, staff and guest artists are such a privilege to meet, and I really want to express my utmost gratitude to you in helping me to experience the NYO. The NYO changes every year, bringing new challenges, privileges, ideas, people and close friends. This is what is refreshing, and so attractive to me about this organisation.’
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www.nyo.org.uk
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