Carl Ashworth awarded National Youth Orchestra of GB place

BRGS student Carl Ashworth has been awarded a place in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain 2017.  This is widely seen as the world's greatest orchestra of teenagers and Carl will be joining 163 other brilliant performers, aged 13 to 19 from across the UK to take part in this exciting orchestra which will provide an excellent opportunity for Carl to play at a high level at a number of different venues.

During the year NYO Musicians participate in three residencies with inspirational music directors, give eight major concerts, play live on BBC Radio 3, appear on Classic FM, and celebrate the release of a new recording of The Planets by the orchestra. NYO Musicians are all playing their instruments at the very highest level, at Grade VIII equivalent and above, and gaining a place is a huge achievement. This year 764 musicians applied from across the width and breadth of the UK.

Elodie Chousmer-Howells, now in her third year as an NYO violinist, will lead the orchestra. The seventeen-year-old from Chelmsford credits Classic FM for introducing her to popular orchestral repertoire and, in her year as leader, hopes to encourage the orchestra to think about how orchestral music connects to the modern world. Elodie says: ‘NYO is an orchestra of teenagers that wants to connect, through classical music, to other teenagers. I can’t imagine a greater privilege or better use of such an amazing pool of talent.’

Music is in Carl's family as his younger brother, Ian in Year 7 was awarded a place in December in the Under 13s Orchestra of the National Children's Orchestra of Great Britain.  Well done to Ian too!