National Children's Orchestras of Great Britain

21/06/2026

Happy Make Music Day! 🎻⭐

At NCO, we love making music together all year round.

Today we are in Lincoln for one of our Orchestral Days, and yesterday we were in the Humber region for another brilliant day of music making.

Days like this are all about young musicians coming together, trying new things, building confidence and making friends through music. And of course, having fun while doing it.

We are also excited to be expanding Orchestral Days into more new areas in Autumn 2026 and beyond into 2027, creating even more opportunities for young musicians across the UK.

📩 Sign up to our e-newsletter to stay up to date with upcoming opportunities.

https://nco.us1.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=160c1502cdd30f3f04c9dd3a3&id=9581b533dd

19/06/2026

We’re recruiting! ⭐

We are looking for a Fixed Term Music Librarian to cover a period of maternity leave.

Working as part of our Programme and Orchestras team across the full range of NCO activities, the Music Librarian will manage and maintain our owned and hired materials. They will also work with music tutors, conductors, composers and arrangers to ensure music and practice documents are suitable for our brilliant young musicians!

🔔 Deadline: Monday 6th July, 9am

🔗 Visit our website to apply and view the job pack: https://nco.org.uk/about-us/join-our-team/

14/06/2026

It’s nearly the end of our summer Orchestral Weekends, and what a weekend it’s been! ✨

Yesterday, we spent the morning with NCO Midlands, who came back together with lots of energy and focus.

Today, we are at our final stop, NCO North. We’ve had an exciting morning of full rehearsals and sectionals, and we’ve been joined by our fantastic guest artist, Thomas Fountain.

While we prepare for our concert here at NCO North, we’re also wishing NCO Midlands the very best of luck for their sharing concert this afternoon, where they’ll be joined by guest artist Elspeth Dutch. 📯

29/05/2026

There’s nothing quite like making music together! 🎻

At NCO, we believe in the life-changing power of music. Each year, young musicians aged 8–13 from across the UK join us through auditioned Orchestral Weeks and Orchestral Weekends.

These are supportive spaces where children come together to make music, build confidence, and develop as part of an orchestra.

Auditions for NCO 2027 are open and we would love to hear from young musicians, whether new to NCO or returning.

🔔 Deadline: Friday 31st July 2026, 9am
🔗For everything you need to know, visit our Auditions pages via the link below.

Children aged 8-14 who play an orchestral instrument can audition for free to take part in Orchestral weeks or weekends at NCO.

28/05/2026

It’s time to get your tickets for There’s No Planet B! 🌱

Join us this summer to see our 12-13 year old musicians performing, presented by Naomi Wilkinson and conducted by Matthew Quinn, in a powerful programme inspired by our planet and its future.

📍 Bristol Beacon
📅 Sunday 2nd August
⏰ 4:30pm

The concert includes Sibelius’ Finlandia, Holst’s Jupiter, Debbie Wiseman’s Carnival of the Endangered Animals, and Rachel Portman’s Endangered.

NCO’s young musicians will also introduce each piece, sharing their own reflections on our planet.

🎟 Grab your tickets via the venue’s website or the link below

https://bristolbeacon.org/whats-on/nco-theres-no-planet-b/

27/05/2026

Music making in 2025! ✨

Our 2025 Impact Report is now live, celebrating a year of creativity and community across all our orchestras.

From first-time ensemble playing to presenting at concerts, every moment reflects the connections built through music at NCO.

🔗 Read the full report via the link below

https://nco.org.uk/about-us/impact/

22/05/2026

The government consultation on digital wellbeing for children ends next Tuesday - take a look and have your say! They're particularly keen to hear from fathers and from children and young people themselves.

More info on their website through the link.

We are consulting on further measures to prepare children for the future in an age of rapid technological change. This includes potential age restrictions on social media and other services such as gaming sites and AI chatbots, restrictions on addictive design features and risky functionalities, and...

20/05/2026

Thinking of auditioning for NCO 2027? 🎻

Join our Auditions Webinar to hear directly from the NCO team, find out more about the audition process and ask any questions you might have.

📅 Sunday 31st May, 3pm

🔗Register in advance via the link below

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pfd5W1f3TpKvy4McYJKjWg