Welsh youth orchestra
The National Youth Orchestra of Wales
(NYOW,
Welsh
:
Cerddorfa Genedlaethol Ieuenctid Cymru
) is the national
youth orchestra
of
Wales
, based in
Cardiff
. Founded in 1945, it is the longest-standing national
youth orchestra
in the world.
Organisation
[
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]
The orchestra numbers around 115 young players aged between 13 and 22 years who are auditioned and drawn from all over Wales, and who represent some of Wales' most talented young musicians.
The NYOW has performed in
St David's Hall
(
Cardiff
), the
Bridgewater Hall
(
Manchester
), the
National Concert Hall
(
Dublin
),
Waterfront Hall
(
Belfast
), Town Hall (Birmingham),
Sage Gateshead
, Beethovensaal (Stuttgart), the Salle Erasme (
Strasbourg
) the Konzerthaus am Gendarmenmarkt (
Berlin
), and La Mortella on the island of
Ischia
.
Many Welsh composers have been commissioned to write new works for the orchestra, such as
Grace Williams
,
David Wynne
,
Daniel Jones
,
Arwel Hughes
, former member
Karl Jenkins
, and founder member of the orchestra
Alun Hoddinott
. (Two dozen pairs of
clogs
were needed for the Orchestra's
premiere
of Karl Jenkins' Scenes From Wales in 2000).
[1]
Conductors
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]
The NYOW has traditionally appointed a resident Principal Conductor and Musical Director. These have included
Clarence Raybould
(1945?1966), Arthur Davison (1967?1990),
Elgar Howarth
(1991?1995), Christopher Adey (1996?2002), and
Owain Arwel Hughes
(2003?2010). 2011's concert series was conducted by
Takuo Yuasa
.
Carlo Rizzi
(2012),
Grant Llewellyn
(2013), Jac Van Steen (2014), and
Paul Daniel
(2015).
Carlo Rizzi
returned for the 2016?2018 season. American conductor,
Andrew Litton
, conducted the 2019 concert series.
Courses
[
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]
A residential course is normally held in the summer, followed by a short tour comprising four or five concerts.
Known to its members as the "NASH" the annual residency offers a valuable opportunity for talented musicians to work together with top professionals in an intensive environment, culminating in a series of concerts. Since 2013, a young composers course has run alongside the orchestra's summer residency, giving composers the opportunity to have their music played by members of the orchestra. Works are composed during each residency which are then given their first performances at venues including The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama,
Aberystwyth University
and in 2015 in the performing foyer spaces at
Sage Gateshead
and St David's Hall Cardiff.
Since 2001, the National Youth Orchestra of Wales and the
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
have worked together on projects culminating in joint concerts or recordings, giving young players the opportunity to play alongside some of the best orchestral players in Britain.
Auditions
[
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]
Candidates
are accepted for audition on the approval of their county Head of Music Service and are expected to support music activity at school/college and
county
level. The minimum standard for all
instruments
(except
harp
) is Grade VIII. Harpists may play at Grade VI.
Auditions
take place throughout the autumn around Wales and at selected centres in England for those studying away from home.
History
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]
- 1945 Orchestra founded by Irwyn Walters
- 1946 First concert at the Rolls Hall, Monmouth
- 1948 First appearance at the
National Eisteddfod
where the first recordings were made for future broadcasting
- 1953 First broadcast to the
Commonwealth
to mark the
Coronation
of
Queen Elizabeth
- 1955 The NYOW appeared at the
Edinburgh Festival
- 1956 First record launched by Qualiton Records
- 1957 First concert tour abroad
Repertoire
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]
Vaughan Williams
'
A London Symphony
featured in an all British-programme in 2008, alongside the
Celtic Dances
of Welsh composer,
William Mathias
. A former member of the National Youth Theatre of Wales, Hollywood actor
Matthew Rhys
narrated the first-ever Welsh translation of
Britten's
Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra
in a NYOW concert at
St David's Hall
, on 7 August
[2]
as part of the
National Eisteddfod
in
Cardiff
.
The 2009 programme included
Arwel Hughes
Prelude for Orchestra,
Tchaikovsky
Swan Lake
Ballet Suite and
Mahler
Symphony No. 1
, with the orchestra performing at
Aberystwyth Arts Centre
; Prichard-Jones Hall,
Bangor
;
Adrian Boult Hall
, Birmingham;
Sage
, Gateshead;
Three Choirs Festival
, Hereford Cathedral and
St David's Hall
, Cardiff
The 2010 programme included Brian Hughes's
Troad
,
Claude Debussy
's
La mer
, and
Rachmaninoff
's
Symphony No. 2
. The orchestra performed at
St David's Cathedral
;
Aberystwyth Arts Centre
;
St David's Hall
,
Cardiff
;
St Asaph's Cathedral
; and
RNCM
Concert Hall,
Manchester
.
2011's repertoire included
Hilary Tann
's
From the Feather to the Mountain
,
Liszt
's
Tasso, Lamento e Trionfo
and
Prokofiev
's
Symphony No. 5
. Concerts were held at William Aston Hall,
Glynd?r University
,
Wrexham
;
Sage Gateshead
;
RNCM
Concert Hall,
Manchester
; and
St David's Hall
,
Cardiff
.
2014's repertoire included
Berlioz
Symphonie Fantastique
, with performances at
St David's Hall
, Cardiff,
Sage Gateshead
,
St Asaph Cathedral
, and at the Fishguard Music Festival at St David's Cathedral.
2015's repertoire included
Dukas
'
La Peri
, Schmitt,
La Tragedie de Salome
and
Stravinsky
's
The Rite of Spring
, with performances at the
Three Choirs Festival
in Hereford Cathedral as well as
Bangor University
and St David's Hall, Cardiff.
The 2016 season included
Bartok
's
Concerto for Orchestra
and
Strauss
'
Ein Heldenleben
, as well as a new commission
Fanfare for our Youth
by
Gareth Wood
(commissioned especially for the orchestra on their 70th anniversary).
In the summer of 2017, the orchestra performed
Richard Strauss
'
Der Rosenkavalier Suite
,
Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks
,
Benjamin Britten
's Four Sea Interludes from
Peter Grimes
and
Debussy
's
La mer
.
The 2018 season opened with
Richard Strauss’
Serenade for 13 Wind Instruments. This was followed by a first time collaboration with the
National Youth Choir of Wales
performing
Leonard Bernstein's
Chichester Psalms
to commemorate Bernstein's 100th birthday. The final item of the program was
Gustav Mahler's
5th Symphony
.
The 2019 concert season conducted by
Andrew Litton
opened with
Grace Williams’
much loved
Fantasia on Welsh Nursery Tunes
. This was followed by an orchestral suite based on
Aaron Copland's
only opera;
The Tender Land
. The final piece was
Dmitri Shostakovich's
10th Symphony
.
See also
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]
References
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]
External links
[
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]
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