Young musicians from across the UK gathered at the Liverpool Guild of Students’ Mountford Hall for the National Youth Orchestra (NYO) Inspire Ensembles residency. The residency took place over nine days and was the university’s largest NYO Inspire project to date, welcoming near 400 teenage musicians.
The residency offers young musicians the opportunity to come together for musical discovery and dynamic team-building activities. Participants took part in sectionals, mini-orchestras, chamber groups, technique and Creative Leadership sessions led by University tutors and NYO Musicians. The residency is a totally immersive musical experience, and gives teenage musicians the chance to exchange musical ideas, compose and improvise, develop their musicianship and push all aspects of their playing to the next level.
Dr Helen Thomas, Artistic Coordinator & Public Engagement Officer at the University of Liverpool, said: ‘The National Youth Orchestra’s Inspire Ensembles project shares the University’s ambitions for young people to fulfill their potential and contribute to the enrichment of society. Not only are the students engaged in an amazing programme of musical learning, they are also discovering new skills such as leadership and self-confidence. The progress that the young people make from individual arrivals to polished ensembles is astonishing.’
The residency received students from diverse backgrounds, in line with the university initiative to widen access for those students under-represented in higher education. The residency aimed to inspire, engage and enable participants. At this year’s residency 95 % of participating students were educated by state, or non-fee-paying, schools and student’s travelled to Liverpool from every region across the UK.