Teenage musicians representing all areas of the UK will ignite passion for orchestral music at every level.

The National Youth Orchestra (NYO) has announced the arrival of the next generation of changemakers in orchestral music. Teenage musicians from across the UK will play their part as musicians and role models in the Orchestra of 2025.

Amidst diminishing opportunities in music education, NYO receives hundreds of applications from talented young musicians who want to share the power of orchestral music with other young people. With musicians from every corner of the UK —from Guernsey to Aberdeen— the Orchestra exemplifies the broad reach and national impact of its work. The musicians will bring fresh energy to epic masterworks, and perform cutting-edge new work from contemporary composers in the country’s most iconic concert venues and across schools and youth spaces nationwide.

NYO remains committed to offering young people – at different levels of musical ability – opportunities to accelerate as musicians. NYO identifies musicians who demonstrate passion and commitment not only for their music-making but also in championing the transformational power of orchestral music for their generation. In creating bespoke opportunities for musicians who show their potential as changemakers, NYO is adapting the talent pipeline, to create a new generation of musicians who are passionate about sharing orchestral music with other young people.

48% of the Orchestra of 2025, including NYO Associates, came through NYO Inspire, a free programme for young people who want music to be a bigger part of their lives but face barriers and lack of opportunity to progress. NYO Associates are identified during the audition process, as brilliant, driven musicians who would thrive from the opportunity to broaden their musical experience with the Orchestra.

Sarah Alexander OBE, CEO & Creative Director: “We’re stepping up to the response we received from young people. They’re showing us that they want to play and share orchestral music with their generation. This is driving us forward in a climate where fewer young people than ever before have the opportunity to experience orchestral music.”

Eve, Principal, Violin: “As a musician in my third year of NYO, I’m so excited to be a role model this year and help inspire people both inside and outside NYO to make as much music as possible. Music has always been an intensely important part of my life and I love that NYO gives me the opportunity to share this with as many people as possible.”

NYO remains committed to fostering an inclusive and representative teenage community. 52% of Orchestra and NYO Associate musicians come from state schools and 35% are Black, Asian and ethnically diverse. The Orchestra is a powerful reflection of the diversity and potential of young people across the UK. For the 2025 season, 50% of leadership roles within the Orchestra are held by female musicians. In a historic achievement, half of the leadership positions in the Brass section are also now held by female musicians, marking a significant step toward gender parity in a traditionally male-dominated area.

Through collaborations with local music hubs and schools, NYO continues to create new opportunities for young musicians, bringing orchestral music into every region and community. This year, NYO musicians will take their role as changemakers to their local communities, with each of them leading a workshop in their local primary school. Each musician will conduct a workshop, sharing the transformative power of orchestral music with the primary school pupils in their communities. Alongside the groundbreaking NYO Inspire programme, NYO provides free performances and workshops in schools, youth spaces and music hubs across the country.

The Illuminate tour opens the 2025 year, with NYO presenting a rich programme of Ravel, Nielsen and Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s Catamorphosis, with conductor Jaime Martin. Tickets are free for teenagers, as part of NYO’s mission to ensure there are no barriers to young people experiencing the power of live orchestral music.

Illuminate

Jaime Martin conductor
Ravel Bolero
Anna Thorvaldsdottir Catamorphosis
Nielsen Symphony No. 4, The Inextinguishable

Barbican Hall – 4 January 2025 @ 7pm Tickets

Warwick Arts Centre – 5 January 2025 @ 3pm Tickets

Nottingham Royal Concert Hall – 6 January 2025 @ 7pm Tickets

Click here to find out more about the National Youth Orchestra.