National Youth Orchestras of Scotland

The National Youth Orchestras of Scotland (NYOS) has a vision where all the communities access world-class ensemble youth music and share in its social, personal, and cultural benefits.

NYOS projects aim to cater to students ages 8 to 25 through orchestras, training and outreach programmes. NYOS creates inspirational, world-class, adventurous and fun musical experiences, creating a sense of belonging in the community to be forward-thinking, accessible, inclusive, fair and diverse. NYOS is collaborative, where people can learn and innovate to develop music as skilled creators.

In addition to organising residential training courses, rehearsals and national and international concert tours, NYOS also provides music workshops in communities throughout Scotland.

The National Youth Orchestras of Scotland are a full member of the European UNION of National Youth Orchestras.

NYOS (The National Youth Orchestra of Scotland)
NYOS (The National Youth Orchestra of Scotland) is the flagship orchestra of Scotland. Founded in 1979, it is a symphony orchestra for musicians aged 25 and under. Following its two residential courses, the ensemble performs during spring and summer at a variety of venues and festivals as part of the Orchestra's annual national and international tours.

Auditions for entry to NYOS orchestras are held annually throughout Scotland, attracting over 300 applicants each year.

NYOS Development Orchestra
Replacing the former NYOS Junior and Senior Orchestras, NYOS Development is an orchestra for musicians aged 8 and above, and is the second stage on the classical pathway for aspiring members of NYOS (The National Youth Orchestra of Scotland). Annual membership of NYOS Development includes residential courses in both spring and summer, followed by the opportunity to experience the thrill of orchestral performance at top venues across Scotland.

NYOS Academy
Formerly NYOS Training Ensembles, the NYOS Academy sessions are designed for younger players (around the age of 8–14) to prepare them for entry into a NYOS orchestra. The sessions not only focus on learning repertoire, but also on essentials such as ensemble skills, listening, posture and musicianship, along with advice on audition preparation.

NYOS Camerata
NYOS Camerata is the pre-professional chamber ensemble of NYOS. It comprises current senior and past members of NYOS. Projects include tutoring, delivering workshops, working within Scottish communities, learning about various genres and working with professional musicians. Membership of NYOS Camerata is by invitation only.

NYOS Engage
NYOS Engage is the community-based outreach project that NYOS runs in collaboration with Local Authority Instrumental Music Services. It launched in September 2023 and brings together more than 100 young people from across the local authority area, where they have the opportunity to learn and perform as an orchestra, many of whom are experiencing this for the first time. NYOS Engage encourages young people to continue to develop within their instrument and progress onto the NYOS classical pathway. NYOS Engage is being piloted in East Lothian in 2023-24 and will move to another Local Authority in future academic years.