NYOS
The National Youth Orchestra of Scotland
| Spring Course | Saturday 4 - Thursday 9 April 2026 |
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| Spring Concerts |
Friday 10 April 2026, 7.30pm - Perth Concert Hall Saturday 11 April 2026, 7.30pm - City Halls, Glasgow |
| Summer Course | Saturday 4 - Thursday 9 July 2026 |
| Summer Concerts |
Friday 10 July 2026, 730pm - Perth Concert Hall Saturday 11 July 2026 - Dynamic Earth Pop-ups Sunday 12 July 2026, 3pm - Usher Hall, Edinburgh |
| Age Range | 14 - 22 |
| Grade Level | Grade 8+ or equivalent |
Each year, Scotland's national youth orchestra offers some of the most talented young musicians world-class training and prestigious concert opportunities, performing a range of outstanding classical music and collaborating with renowned conductors and soloists.
Upcoming NYOS Performances
In spring 2026, NYOS present a compelling programme of British orchestral voices which includes Vaughan Williams’ A London Symphony.
Summer takes a cosmic turn, with performances of Holst’s
The Planets and Schiphorst’s Gravitational Waves. Don’t miss their pop-up performance at Dynamic Earth on Saturday 11 July.
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NYOS NYOS Spring Concerts 2026: Perth
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NYOS NYOS Spring Concerts 2026: Glasgow
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NYOS NYOS Summer Concerts 2026: Perth
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NYOS NYOS Summer Concerts 2026: Edinburgh
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The concert was magnificent in all parts [...] We can be justly proud of the nearly 100 musicians filling the stage.
Ian Stuart Hunter
Perthshire Advertiser, August 2025
Applications & Auditions
Applications for the NYOS orchestras are now closed.
However, we are still considering late applications from viola and double bass players. To learn more, please email ensembles@nyos.co.uk
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Eligibility You are eligible to apply if you are an orchestral instrumentalist:
Ages: 11-22
Grade: 8+ or equivalent.NB: Qualification is a guide only and you do not need to have taken any exams to apply.
Have a Scottish connection:
- Born in Scotland
- Living in Scotland
- Studying in Scotland
- Have Scottish family
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Fees & Financial Support NYOS Fees 2026: £1,750
Fees cover the costs of:
- Tuition from outstanding professional musicians
- The opportunity to perform with world-class conductors and soloists at Scotland's top concert halls
- Leisure time and extra-musical activities, including health and wellbeing sessions, technical exercises and masterclasses
- All residential accommodation for both spring and summer courses
- All meals
- Travel to concert venues
- NYOS branded merchandise
Financial Support
No young person who is offered a place on a NYOS course will miss out due to financial circumstances.
Finance should never be a barrier to joining the NYOS community and we encourage applying for NYOS to visit our Financial Assistance page page to see what support you might be eligible for. Auditions are free and course bursaries of up to 100% are available. In 2025, 56% of our orchestral participants received bursary support, and nearly a third of our players attended their orchestra completely free of charge.
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The playing impressed with its energy, dynamic vibrancy and artistic maturity.
Mario-Felix Vogt
Morgenpost, August 2025
Gallery
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Ellie, Percussion | © Sally Jubb -
Euan, Cello (L) & Matthew, Double Bass (R) | © Fraser Band -
Nadia, Trumpet | © Fraser Band -
Ruaridh, Percussion | © Fraser Band -
Freya, Bassoon | © Sally Jubb -
Liam, Viola | © Sally Jubb
FAQs
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Is NYOS the right level for me? Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit...
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What are the course costs? Course costs vary depending on which orchestra you are a member of. You can find more information on membership fees here.
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Do I have to be available for all course dates? We expect participants to be available for all the course dates and commit to the orchestra and their fellow musicians. However if you do have any problems with the dates then please get in touch with us via email ensembles@nyos.co.uk to discuss this.
Participants may not be excused for one of the following reasons:
- They have chosen to attend another course or activity knowing that it will clash with a NYOS course with no mention to NYOS.
- Their family has booked a holiday.
- The related activity is of local or school level.
Participants may be excused from a course for specific reasons such as representing their country in another activity e.g. sport, or attending activities relating to further education studies e.g. university terms clash, graduations.
Participants should not book social activities or events that clash with NYOS courses.
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When will auditions take place? All solo auditions are via pre-recorded video. Please follow the instructions within our Recording Guidelines. Recordings must be of sufficient quality.
Everyone will also be invited to participate in a group in-person audtion. These will take place on the following days:
String auditions
Sunday 2 November 2025 - Glasgow
Saturday 29 November 2025 - EdinburghWind and brass auditions
Saturday 1 November 2025 - Glasgow
Sunday 30 November 2025 - EdinburghPercussion auditions
Saturday 1 November 2025 - Glasgow
Harp auditions
Sunday 2 November 2025 - Glasgow