Young disabled musicians living in and around Cardiff will have access to a musical progression route for the first time, as the National Open Youth Orchestra launches a centre in the Welsh capital.
Open to applications from 11- to 25-year-old disabled and non-disabled musicians from 1 March 2023, the Cardiff NOYO Centre is a partnership between the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama (RWCMD), BBC National Orchestra of Wales (BBCNOW), and the National Open Youth Orchestra.
NOYO aims to lay the foundations for a more diverse orchestral sector, combining acoustic instruments and electronic instruments, such as the LinnStrument, Seaboard RISE, and Clarion.
It is free to join NOYO, and participants will take part in monthly rehearsals and one-to-one tuition. Young people in Cardiff will also collaborate with musicians in other NOYO Centres in London, Bristol, Birmingham and Bournemouth for yearly residentials and whole ensemble concerts from spring 2024.
NOYO harpist Holli Pandit said: ‘There aren’t other youth orchestras who are as passionate about showing disabled people can play on the same stages as non-disabled people.
‘We believe that it's best if disabled and non-disabled musicians can integrate together, and then we can come up with fresh new ideas and be more creative, explore different parts of music.’
Kevin Price, deputy director of music at RWCMD, said: ‘I felt so privileged to be there for the National Open Youth Orchestra’s first ever concert in Milton Court this year. The musicality, sincerity and expressive power bowled me over. It's a fantastic opportunity for young musicians in Wales to be part of, showing us how diversity can inspire exciting new musical possibilities.’
‘Our partnership aims to address and challenge the systemic barriers that so many young disabled people face and to offer the musical opportunities available to their non-disabled peers through instrumental tuition and ensemble training.’
Applications to audition for the Cardiff NOYO Centre will be open online for all of March 2023. See MT's upcoming August issue for a feature on NOYO’s first performance season.
