The National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO), established as the London Schools' Jazz Orchestra in 1965, is a British jazz orchestra.
The National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO), established as the London Schools' Jazz Orchestra in 1965, is a British jazz orchestra.
The National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO) was founded in 1965 by Bill Ashton. [1] Based in the Royal Arsenal, London, England, NYJO started life as the London Schools' Jazz Orchestra, and evolved into the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. [1]
In 2010, Mark Armstrong took over as music director of the flagship performing band, and artistic director of the organisation; Bill Ashton became life president, and Nigel Tully became executive chair. [2]
In April 2015, NYJO became an National Portfolio Organisation of the Arts Council England in recognition of its role as an excellent youth arts institution and its ability to inspire young people to like and enjoy jazz. At the same time, NYJO acquired jazz's first ever royal patron, the Earl of Wessex. [3]
In July 2021, Susie York Skinner became the chief executive. [4] York Skinner announced her resignment in May 2024, leaving the organisation along with former artistic director Mark Armstrong. [5]
Yvette Griffith OBE was named as new Chief Executive in August 2024. [6]
The band's aims are to provide an opportunity for gifted young musicians from around the UK to perform big band jazz in major concert halls, theatres, and on radio and television, and to make recordings, commission new works from British composers and arrangers, and to introduce a love of jazz to as wide an audience as possible, but especially to schoolchildren. [1]
The performing band, NYJO, is selected by audition and invitation, and has a maximum age of 25. It performs around 40 gigs a year across the UK, the vast majority involving additional inspirational educational workshops for local schoolchildren, in partnership with the local Music Hub. It rehearses every Saturday at Woolwich Works, part of Woolwich's Royal Arsenal Riverside complex. [7]
As of March 2024 [update] , there is no music or artistic director and both chair and deputy chair are interim appointees. [8] Susie York Skinner, the organisation's CEO announced her departure in May 2024. [5]
The Duke of Edinburgh is the royal patron. The honorary vice presidents are Valerie Amos, Baroness Amos, Guy Barker, Lord Coe, Lord Colwyn, Dame Cleo Laine, Kelvin Hopkins, Chi Onwurah, and Martin Taylor. [8]
NYJO's members have included many of the major names in British jazz over the last three decades, including Julian Argüelles, Guy Barker, Chris Biscoe, Richard James Burgess, Paul Edmonds, Teresa Gallagher, Steve Hill, David Wood, Nigel Hitchcock, Carol Kenyon, Dave O'Higgins, Simon Phillips, Gerard Presencer, Brian Priestley, Frank Ricotti, Jamie Talbot, Dave Watts, Tom Cawley, Gareth Lockrane, Rob Luft, Louis Dowdeswell, Callum Au, Chris White,[ citation needed ] Amy Winehouse, [9] Bobby Worth [10] and Neil Yates.
NYJO has an extensive discography of over 40 recordings. A new double CD album entitled NYJO FIFTY was released in late 2015 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of NYJO's formation, with guest appearances by alumnus Mark Nightingale and by Zoe Rahman and Julian Siegel, both of whom were commissioned to write new works for the album. [11]
In 2022, NYJO released an album entitled She Said, showcasing works by female jazz composers. It features music from Nikki Iles, Yazz Ahmed and Norma Winstone among others. [12]
Sir John Phillip William Dankworth, CBE, also known as Johnny Dankworth, was an English jazz composer, saxophonist, clarinettist and writer of film scores. With his wife, jazz singer Dame Cleo Laine, he was a music educator and also her music director.
Gerard Presencer is an English jazz trumpeter.
The Nottingham Youth Orchestra is a youth orchestra that was founded in 1985 by Derek Williams and the late Stephen Fairlie. The main aim of the orchestra is to promote the musical development of young local musicians in full time education. The orchestra has gained a reputation for its high standards of performance and has received praise and acclaim both in the UK and on tours abroad.
Wollongong Conservatorium of Music is a centre for music education, community music-making and performance, serving the city of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.
Alan Wakeman is an English saxophonist who was a member of Soft Machine during 1976, appearing on the album Softs. He is a cousin of the keyboard player Rick Wakeman.
William Michael Allingham Ashton OBE is a British band leader, saxophonist and composer. He is best known for co-founding NYJO - the British National Youth Jazz Orchestra, of which he was Musical Director from 1965 until his retirement in 2009 when he became Life President.
John Scott, also known as Johnny Scott and Patrick John Scott, is an English film composer and music conductor. Scott has collaborated with well-known directors and producers, including Mark Damon, Richard Donner, Charlton Heston, Mike Hodges, Hugh Hudson, Norman Jewison, Irvin Kershner, Ilaiyaraaja, Daniel Petrie, Roger Spottiswoode, and Norman J. Warren.
Neil Yates is a British jazz and folk musician.
The Bull's Head, also known as The Bull, is a pub in Barnes in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England. It hosts live music in an attached music room that has a seated capacity of 70 people.
Stanley Ernest Sulzmann is an English jazz saxophonist.
Mark Daryl Nightingale is an English jazz trombonist, composer, and arranger.
Frank E. Ricotti is an English jazz vibraphonist and percussionist.
Malcolm Edmonstone is a British jazz pianist and pop arranger. He studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he became Head of Jazz. Edmonstone provided orchestral arrangements for Gary Barlow’s 2020 album Music Played by Humans. He has conducted and arranged for the BBC Concert Orchestra numerous times for BBC Radio 2, featuring vocalists Rick Astley, Katie Melua, Mark King, Ruby Turner, Tommy Blaize, Tony Momrelle and Heather Small. In 2020 he was Music Director at the National Theatre for Tony Kushner’s adaptation of The Visit (play). In 2016 he made his BBC Proms debut, arranging and conducting for Iain Ballamy and Liane Carroll.
Laurence Holloway was an English pianist, musical director and composer from Oldham, Lancashire. In the 1970s, he was the Musical Director for the singer Engelbert Humperdinck, and on the television talk show Parkinson. From 2004 to 2006, he was the original Musical Director for the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing.
The Oxford University Jazz Orchestra (OUJO) is a jazz orchestra based in the University of Oxford, England. It was founded in 1991.
Atila Huseyin is a Turkish - British jazz singer.
Derek Gleeson is an Irish/American musician. Born in Dublin, Ireland. He is currently the music director and conductor of the Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra and has been the conductor at the Anna Livia Dublin International Opera Festival. Since 2012 Gleeson is also music director & conductor of the Rachmaninov Festival Orchestra. Since January 2016 Gleeson is Principal Guest Conductor or The Harbin Symphony Orchestra, Harbin, China. He also composes musical scores for film and television and of symphonic music for the concert hall.
Frank Holder was a Guyanese jazz singer and percussionist. He was a member of bands led by Jiver Hutchinson, Johnny Dankworth and Joe Harriott.
Jazz Refreshed is a contemporary jazz record label in London whose roster includes Shabaka Hutchings, SEED Ensemble, Nubya Garcia, and Rosie Turton.
| Africa | |
|---|---|
| Asia | |
| Oceania | |
| Europe | |
| Americas | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
