National Youth Orchestra of Scotland
Encyclopedia
The National Youth Orchestras of Scotland (NYOS) has provided music education and performance experience for young musicians throughout Scotland
since its formation in 1979.
NYOS runs eight national youth ensembles: The National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, The National Children’s Orchestra of Scotland (NCOS), The National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland (NYJOS), Camerata Scotland, NYOS Strings, contemporary music ensemble NYOS Futures, NYJOS Collective, and NYJOS Access.
As well as organising training, intensive rehearsals and national and international concert tours for these orchestras, NYOS is committed to introducing musical experiences to all of Scotland’s young people through workshops in nursery, primary and secondary schools.
NYOS has also a policy of operating a world-wide international student exchange scheme for orchestra members, of commissioning new work particularly from Scottish composers and of producing CDs of selected repertoire.
. Recent trips have included the young.euro.classic festival in Berlin
, as well as performances of Strauss' Ein Heldenleben and Lutoslawski's Cello Concerto in Poland
and The Netherlands.
NYOS also runs a Repertoire course in the Easter for unsuccessful applicants to develop orchestral technique. Many of these players are invited to join the full orchestra the following year. NYOS has performed with many distinguished conductors over the years, these have included Takuo Yuasa
, Garry Walker, Howard Williams and Christopher Adey, as well as a wide range of soloist, including Alexander Baillie
, David Pyatt
, Jennifer Pike
, Janine Jansen
, Tedi Papavrami
and NYOS alumnus Colin Currie
.
Auditions take place in January throughout Scotland, and also in Manchester and London. NYOS' most recent tour featured a programme consisting of MacMillan's Symphony No. 3, Ravel's
Rapsodie Espagnole
, and Mahler's
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen
. This was conducted by Christoph-Matthias Mueller, with soprano Jane Irwin as soloist in the Mahler. NYOS took this programme first to Perth Concert Hall, before performing at the Sage Gateshead, Worcester Cathedral, and returning to Glasgow for a homecoming concert at the GRCH
.
Application forms for NCOS come out in the autumn, and auditions take place in November throughout Scotland.
for young musicians between performing in The National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and the music profession, and has given concerts around the UK, Europe, and as far afield as Australia
, Japan
and Mauritius
. Most recently, the orchestra gave performances in Perth, Edinburgh and Glasgow of a programme featuring a new commission by Scottish composer Rory Boyle for Bassoon and orchestra, entitled "That Blessed Wood". The programme also featured Bach's 3rd Orchestral Suite, and Stravinsky's Suite from Pulcinella, and was conducted by Tecwyn Evans.
International Children's Culture and Arts Festival in China. Due to its great success, NYOS decided to continue the work of the string ensemble. Today it offers opportunities for the most experienced and talented String players from the youth Orchestra and Camerata Scotland to perform less performed String Orchestra works
in Stirling
in 1996, although courses had been running for young jazz musicians since 1992. The orchestra has done extremely well recently, selling out at all performances in 2005. The current directors are Andrew Bain (drummer)
and pianist Malcolm Edmonstone
.
Auditions take place in October and November in the isles and in January throughout the rest of Scotland.
The ensemble offers the more experienced members of The National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland the opportunity to publicly perform their own arrangements, play a wide variety of compositions and lead jazz workshops with members of the community and other jazz ensembles.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
since its formation in 1979.
NYOS runs eight national youth ensembles: The National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, The National Children’s Orchestra of Scotland (NCOS), The National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland (NYJOS), Camerata Scotland, NYOS Strings, contemporary music ensemble NYOS Futures, NYJOS Collective, and NYJOS Access.
As well as organising training, intensive rehearsals and national and international concert tours for these orchestras, NYOS is committed to introducing musical experiences to all of Scotland’s young people through workshops in nursery, primary and secondary schools.
NYOS has also a policy of operating a world-wide international student exchange scheme for orchestra members, of commissioning new work particularly from Scottish composers and of producing CDs of selected repertoire.
The National Youth Orchestra of Scotland
The National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, founded in 1979, is the flagship symphony orchestra of NYOS and meets biannually for residential courses in Summer and Winter, with a usually biennial Summer Tour around the UK and EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Recent trips have included the young.euro.classic festival in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, as well as performances of Strauss' Ein Heldenleben and Lutoslawski's Cello Concerto in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and The Netherlands.
NYOS also runs a Repertoire course in the Easter for unsuccessful applicants to develop orchestral technique. Many of these players are invited to join the full orchestra the following year. NYOS has performed with many distinguished conductors over the years, these have included Takuo Yuasa
Takuo Yuasa
is a Japanese conductor. Yuasa has directed major orchestras in Japan and the UK, and recording on more than 50 CDs as an exclusive artist for Naxos Records.-Biography:Takuo Yuasa was born in Osaka, Japan, where he studied piano, cello, flute, and clarinet...
, Garry Walker, Howard Williams and Christopher Adey, as well as a wide range of soloist, including Alexander Baillie
Alexander Baillie
Alexander Baillie is an English cellist. He is currently professor of cello at the Bremen Hochschule, as well as at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.-Early life:...
, David Pyatt
David Pyatt
David Pyatt is a horn player from England. In 1988, aged 14, he became the then youngest winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition. In 1996 Gramophone Magazine announced David Pyatt as their Young Artist of the Year...
, Jennifer Pike
Jennifer Pike
Jennifer Pike is a British violinist. In 2002, she became well known for winning the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition, and for six years she held the record of being the youngest winner, at twelve years of age.-Musical career:...
, Janine Jansen
Janine Jansen
Janine Jansen is a violinist. She began to study the violin at age 6. Her father and both her brothers are also musicians. Her mother is a classical singer and is a sister of the bass Peter Kooy...
, Tedi Papavrami
Tedi Papavrami
Tedi Papavrami, is an Albanian professional violinist and translator.-Biography:Papavrami was born in Tirana in 1971 and started to play the violin at the age of four. He studied violin with his father, well known Professor Robert Papavrami, which impacted heavily on the artistic future of his son...
and NYOS alumnus Colin Currie
Colin Currie
-Early Years:Colin Currie began his musical studies at the age of 5, going on to study at the Junior Department of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama from 1990-1994. There he studied percussion with Pamella Dow and piano with Sheila Desson, both of whom had an enormous influence on him...
.
Auditions take place in January throughout Scotland, and also in Manchester and London. NYOS' most recent tour featured a programme consisting of MacMillan's Symphony No. 3, Ravel's
Maurice Ravel
Joseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
Rapsodie Espagnole
Rapsodie espagnole
Rapsodie espagnole is an orchestral rhapsody written by Maurice Ravel. Composed between 1907 and 1908, the Rapsodie represents one of Ravel's first major works for orchestra....
, and Mahler's
Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler was a late-Romantic Austrian composer and one of the leading conductors of his generation. He was born in the village of Kalischt, Bohemia, in what was then Austria-Hungary, now Kaliště in the Czech Republic...
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen is Gustav Mahler's first song cycle. While he had previously written other lieder, they were grouped by source of text or time of composition as opposed to common theme...
. This was conducted by Christoph-Matthias Mueller, with soprano Jane Irwin as soloist in the Mahler. NYOS took this programme first to Perth Concert Hall, before performing at the Sage Gateshead, Worcester Cathedral, and returning to Glasgow for a homecoming concert at the GRCH
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall is an arts venue, in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is operated by Glasgow Life, an agency of Glasgow City Council, which also runs Glasgow’s City Halls and Old Fruitmarket venue...
.
The National Children's Orchestra of Scotland
The National Children's Orchestra of Scotland was founded in 1996 to provide a platform for young musicians aged 8-14 with many proceeding to join the full symphony orchestra. NCOS provides an important means of early musical education and performing experience for the young musicians of Scotland, fortunately assured through support from Standard Life, and numerous members end up playing with the flagship NYOS orchestra once they've reached 14. Performances are given at the annual NYOS Spring Concerts, usually accompanied by performances by Camerata Scotland or NYOS Strings. The most recent project for NCOS featured performances at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh, and the GRCH of works by Smetana, Jacobi, Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky.Application forms for NCOS come out in the autumn, and auditions take place in November throughout Scotland.
Camerata Scotland
Camerata Scotland is NYOS's pre-professional chamber orchestra. It was formed in 1992 as a stepping stoneStepping stone
Stepping stone and similar can refer to:* Step-stone bridge, stones placed in a river to allow pedestrians to cross* Stepping stone , a type of computer security measure...
for young musicians between performing in The National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and the music profession, and has given concerts around the UK, Europe, and as far afield as Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
. Most recently, the orchestra gave performances in Perth, Edinburgh and Glasgow of a programme featuring a new commission by Scottish composer Rory Boyle for Bassoon and orchestra, entitled "That Blessed Wood". The programme also featured Bach's 3rd Orchestral Suite, and Stravinsky's Suite from Pulcinella, and was conducted by Tecwyn Evans.
NYOS Strings
NYOS Strings evolved from a group of string players of the 2004 National Children's Orchestra of Scotland that was invited to the TianjinTianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
International Children's Culture and Arts Festival in China. Due to its great success, NYOS decided to continue the work of the string ensemble. Today it offers opportunities for the most experienced and talented String players from the youth Orchestra and Camerata Scotland to perform less performed String Orchestra works
NYOS Futures
NYOS Futures, made up of members of Camerata Scotland, studies and performs contemporary chamber music. NYOS Futures concerts are informal performances with the conductor introducing and explaining the music to the audiences.The National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland
The first public performance by NYJOS was given at the MacRobert Arts CentreMacRobert Arts Centre
The macrobert is a theatre and cinema complex, located on the main campus of The University of Stirling, Scotland. It was originally opened in 1971 as Scotland's first purpose built arts centre, the brainchild of the University's first Principal, Dr Tom Cottrell, who wanted appreciation of the arts...
in Stirling
Stirling
Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...
in 1996, although courses had been running for young jazz musicians since 1992. The orchestra has done extremely well recently, selling out at all performances in 2005. The current directors are Andrew Bain (drummer)
Andrew Bain (drummer)
Andrew Bain was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and began studying percussion and drumset at the age of twelve. Equally talented in both disciplines, Andrew showed early progress in many classical and jazz ensembles including The National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and The National Youth Jazz...
and pianist Malcolm Edmonstone
Malcolm Edmonstone
Malcolm Edmonstone is a jazz pianist, arranger and educator, born in Perth, Scotland in 1980. In 1998 he moved to London to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he gained Bachelors and Masters degrees. Today, Malcolm is a key professor in the Guildhall jazz faculty and Artistic...
.
Auditions take place in October and November in the isles and in January throughout the rest of Scotland.
NYJOS Access
A new branch of NYJOS was introduced at the 2008 summer Training Orchestra concert. Malcolm and Andrew decided that "Training Orchestra" is not good enough for those young jazz musicians because they were not training for anything, thus has been renamed "NYJOS Access". Their first Tour took place in early March '09 in the Paisley Grammar School to an audience of 400 pupils from across Renfrewshire's secondary schools.NYJOS Collective
NYOS’ most recent project, NYJOS Collective comprises selected members of The National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland. Essentially a jazz chamber ensemble, NYJOS Collective is a smaller and more flexible arm of the jazz orchestra. Throughout the year the ensemble gives concerts during residencies at a variety of venues around Scotland.The ensemble offers the more experienced members of The National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland the opportunity to publicly perform their own arrangements, play a wide variety of compositions and lead jazz workshops with members of the community and other jazz ensembles.
NYOS Variations
NYOS Variations is a chamber music project for amateur musicians of all ages and abilities who meet for a week-long residential music break in Scotland. Professional musicians are in residence to guide and advise.See also
- National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain
- National Youth Orchestra of WalesNational Youth Orchestra of WalesThe National Youth Orchestra of Wales , founded in 1945, has the distinction of being the first national youth orchestra in the world and is Europe’s longest-standing national youth orchestra....
- Music Schools in ScotlandMusic schools in ScotlandMusic schools in Scotland are available at several levels. Formal music education begins at 4½ years and can progress as high as postgraduate studies. Education in Scotland is a responsibility of the Scottish Government...