Your daughter has just been awarded a place in the incredibly competitive National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain (NYO). Which in reality means she is one of the best six young oboe players in the whole country!!! However in expressive arts nothing comes cheap and the cost of the year course is over £2000! We can afford to give an individual that level of support however we have funded the first step!!This is an amazing achievement for a young Scot and we asked Esther’s mum what her journey was?
Esther had to pass her grade 8 oboe (or be that standard). She got a distinction for that in June 2023. She then had to send a video to see if they would invite her for audition. Esther worked hard over the summer with her teacher doing extra lessons in person and on zoom in readiness for a potential invitation to audition in Manchester in September — that invitation duly arrived.
It was a whole day where she had to play her pieces and orchestral excerpts on Oboe and Cor Anglais, play in small groups, some improvisation and discussions.
Then the confirmation arrived and laid out the program:
- an inspire day at the end of October where the NYO musicians act as ambassadors to less experienced musicians and under represented students.
- a whole year of residential courses and concerts, workshops and activities promoting music to other young people.
- go into a local primary schools to inspire/encourage them next Spring.
Esther we know is very thankful to her Oboe teacher at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland junior department, which she attends on Saturdays and the support of the music department at Larbert High School.
Of course inspiration is usually cascades closer to home at first and Esther’s young sister is following in her footsteps!!
If you’d like to help Esther and her family financially please let us know