NYOS Spring 2017 - News & Reviews

NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRAS OF SCOTLAND - SPRING 2017 NEWS & REVIEWS

Dear Friends & Supporters of NYOS,

It's a pleasure to welcome you to our latest newsletter, and to revisit with you the excitement of our spring concerts. We'll report on the three orchestral courses that happened over the month of April, and the fantastic concerts put on by our Junior, Senior and flagship Symphony orchestras that will live long in the memory. We closed out the month with our first appearance at the UNESCO International Jazz Day festivities put on by Glasgow Life, with an astounding quartet of players representing the past, present and future of NYOS Jazz.

All of this activity has made for an incredible introduction for me to the NYOS family, and I feel privileged to be here. The standard is staggering, and if you were fortunate enough to attend any of these performances you will know how inspiring it is to hear young talent flourish.

We're already looking ahead to a busy July and August, with our full programme of orchestral and jazz ensembles appearing all over Scotland; do come and hear some wonderful performances if you can. In the meantime, read on for a taster of what Scotland's talented young musicians got up to over the past month.

Nick Zekulin

Chief Executive & Artistic Director

Spring Course: 31 March - 3 April

Spring Concert: 4 April, Stevenson Hall, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow

" The Spring concert is a special one. It is the first time these young people play together in public; for many, it is the first time they've played in a large ensemble at all; and our audience is filled with family, friends and our greatest supporters. So it is always full of emotion, and a brilliant way to start these musicians' performing careers." Conductor, Holly Mathieson

Following a four day residential course at Strathallan School in Perth, an eager audience welcomed our talented young musicians in the NYOS Junior Orchestra for a special concert at Stevenson Hall at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow.

During the course our 98 youngest musicians refined their interpretive skills and the art of working together as a team under the guidance of our dedicated NYOS tutors, and assured direction of resident conductor Holly Mathieson.

The Orchestra, aged between 10 and 15 years old, performed an ambitious and challenging programme exploring a range of music from North and South America, showcasing sheer talent and concentration, with enjoyment oozing out of every note.

Our evening featured beautiful woodwind solos in Gershin's Walking the Dog, to 'meows' from the percussion section in Anderson's The Waltzing Cat. The Orchestra displayed great control throughout the folk songs of Jean Coulthard's Canada Mosaic capturing the landscape with their infectious enthusiasm. None more so than when tackling Marquez's fiery and exotic Danzon No. 2, a challenging piece even for a seasoned professional.

"What an exhilarating evening! Sheer talent, concentration and enthusiasm. From the woodwind soloists who started off the evening in Walking the Dog to the controlled exuberance of The Liberty Bell encore, the concert was an absolute delight. Well done everyone!! Can't wait for the July concert!" Audience member, 4 April 2017

To view images from NYOS Junior Orchestra's Stevenson Hall performance please click here

To watch a film clip from the Stevenson Hall performance click here

Spring Course: 5-8 April

Concert: 9 April, City Halls, Glasgow

"Had the best week and concert with NYOS Senior Orchestra. Huge well done and thank you to everyone!" NYOS Senior Orchestra member, April 2017

This spring NYOS Senior Orchestra comprised 99 musicians aged between 13 and 19, of whom almost 50% were completely new to The National Youth Orchestras of Scotland set up. A statistic that becomes all the more startling when you consider just how well they coped with some extremely challenging repertoire and helps to demonstrate the wealth of young talent available right across Scotland.

Throughout the course the Senior Orchestra was pushed to the limit by the complex rhythms and fast finger work in Copland's El salón México and Torke's Javelin, but their persistent hard work during rehearsals paid off, culminating in a rousing first half performance, with better still to come.

The second half did not disappoint, as the Orchestra wooed the audience with the lushness of Howard Hanson's Second Symphony. It was the pinnacle of a very difficult programme, but the orchestra just kept raising its level, thanks, in no small part to the calm direction and poise of conductor Maxime Tortelier.

Maxime is the conductor of NYOS Senior Orchestra for 2017 (only the orchestra's second conductor since its inauguration in 2013) and he ensured the orchestra gave an inspired performance on the night.

"Time to fly back to Paris after an exhilarating concert. Wish I could have hugged and high-fived all 99 members of NYOS Senior Orchestra backstage" Conductor, Maxime Tortelier

To view images from NYOS Senior Orchestra's City Halls performance please click here

To watch a short film clip from the City Halls concert click here

Spring Course: 10-13 April

Spring Concerts: 14 April, Perth Concert Hall

15 April, Usher Hall, Edinburgh

"I was under the impression I was here to conduct a youth orchestra, but it appears a professional ensemble have come to play instead. Great concerts ahead!" NYOS Symphony Orchestra conductor Tecwyn Evans, 12 April 2017

"It's been another inspiring week at NYOS Symphony Orchestra spring course. I loved working with the amazing Tecwyn Evans and soloist Chloë Hanslip." NYOS Symphony Orchestra member, April 2017

"Had an inspiring week at NYOS Symphony Orchestra spring course - met some great musicians and had the pleasure of working with the amazing Tecwyn Evans. Thank you all!" NYOS Symphony Orchestra member 2017

Review: FIVE STARS - Perth Concert Hall, 14 April 2017

AS part of the National Youth Orchestras of Scotland's spring programme - the first series of concerts under new chief executive and artistic director Nicolas Z ekulin - their flagship orchestra, NYOS Symphony Orchestra, gave a triumphant performance. To witness such a wealth of young Scottish talent was uplifting, and a real testament to the organisation's work of nurturing the country's young orchestral musicians. Miranda Heggie, The Herald Scotland, April 2017

To read the review in full please click here

"It was an absolute joy to play with the NYOS Symphony Orchestra. Their attention to detail and evident enjoyment of making music is wonderful to see, hear and perform with. We can be sure that the future of classical music is in very safe hands!" Violinist, Chloë Hanslip

"Great concert - so much energy in the Dvorak - so much calm in the Glass. The Muhly was full of interest. Back again at the Usher Hall." Audience Member, Perth Concert Hall, April 2017

"The Usher Hall ADORES NYOS Symphony Orchestra, TRULY amazing after being WONDERFUL in Perth." Audience Member, Usher Hall, April 2017

BBC Radio Scotland, Classics Unwrapped: Listen again to highlights from the NYOS Spring concert recorded live at Edinburgh's Usher Hall.

To view images from the Usher Hall performance please click here

To watch a short film clip from the same performance click here

Concert: 30 April

Late Night Studio, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

What an amazing way to celebrate UNESCO International Jazz Day with a whole day of events, including free performances by various local bands at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall. Audience numbers were great throughout the day and into the evening for the headline act, the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra performing in the main auditorium, followed swiftly by NYOS Jazz Collective in the more intimate surrounds of the Late Night Studio overlooking the long vista of Glasgow's Buchanan Street at night.

It was a fitting venue for the crème de la crème of the NYOS Jazz set up, past and present. Truly one of the finest quartets ever to emerge from the NYOS Jazz pathway with Brodie Jarvie on bass, Stephen Henderson on drums, David Swan on piano, and current Jazz Orchestra member Matthew Carmichael on saxophone. The quartet performed some popular standards, but really wowed the audience with their own compositions, including a fantastic final piece written by Matthew, inspired by a late autumn visit to a beach on the Isle of Mull. The entire performance was an absolute delight. Take note of these names because the best is yet to come.

'Phenomenal musicianship and a near-telepathic level of teamwork' Audience member, April 2017

'An education in jazz from a quartet of Scotland's finest young musicians' Audience member, April 2017

'I was bowled over by the skill and ease, and level of inventiveness with which these young musicians performed both old standards and original compositions' Audience member, April 2017

To view images from NYOS Jazz Collective's Late Night Studio performance please click here

To watch a short film clip from the same performance click here