NYJO

07/06/2026

Since graduating from NYJOs brass section in the very late 70s, Guy Barker's contributions to live music made him a household name.

From Mercury-nominated solo albums; an annual festive fixture at the Royal Albert Hall with the Guy Barker Big Band (GBBB) and frequent BBC appearances as an authoritative guide to Jazz, it is hard to summarise his musical achievements.

Read this month's Alumni Conversations on the NYJO blog. Link below!

https://nyjo.org.uk/guybarkerinterview/

26/05/2026

Today is another milestone date in the Jazz calendar.

The 26th May is Miles Davis’s birthday and 2026 marks 100 years since that very special date! To mark the occasion, we are debuting our Miles Davis tribute in collaboration with Emerging Professional trumpet player Tom Stringer.

Were? When?

Highworth Jazz Festival on Saturday 6th June.

Ahead of our performance at Love Supreme fest later this summer, Tom Stringer directs NYJO players in a musical homage to the great Miles Davis. The 9 piece ensemble our young musicians will be playing at this year's Highworth Jazz Festival.

Spread across 5 venues centred around the High Street, we will be bringing 19+ Artists from across the UK performing Live jazz across the spectrum from swing to modern and everything in between. It’s going to be awesome.

Highworth Festival will be a ticketed event, with stroller wristbands allowing access to all events. Link in our bio!

22/05/2026

What a fantastic evening!

Reposted The excellent smashing it again this year!

NYJO presented a musical tribute to the legacy of Abdullah Ibrahim and the sounds of South African township jazz. Township Jazz became a unique and powerful mix of traditional African rhythms, gospel harmonies, and the big-band energy of swing and bebop.

❤️ And a standing ovation 👏

presents
Part of

21/05/2026

It has been an entire month since the NYJO Blueprint Orchestra launched their weekly rehearsals this Spring 2026.

Every Thursday our talented group of young Emerging Professional jazz musicians meet at Woolwich Works to go over repertoire, build trust, musical cohesion and develop their technical skills together.

Led by MD Olivia Murphy, the NYJO Blueprint Orchestra represents our vision of what a high-quality, creatively ambitious, and relevant large ensemble is today. And we can't wait for you to hear them live...

Watch this space for more news! 👀🤩

19/05/2026

We’re Hiring! Ensembles and Learning Coordinator

NYJO is looking for an entry-level applicant with a love of music, ability to work well in a team and a proactive approach to join us in the role of Ensembles and Learning Coordinator.

NYJO is looking for an entry-level applicant with a love of music, ability to work well in a team and a proactive approach to join us in the role of Ensembles and Learning Coordinator.

15/05/2026

FIVE DAYS TO GO!

We perform our musical tribute to the master of South African Jazz: Abdullah Ibrahim. His compositions, like the iconic ‘Mannenberg’, became anthems of resilience, unity, and liberation during the anti-apartheid struggle.

His legacy continues to inspire generations of musicians worldwide, including many of the Emerging Professionals that form NYJO today.

Event date:
May 19, 2026

Event time:
8:00 pm

Full address: EPIC Studios, 112-114 Magdalen St, Norwich NR3 1JD

14/05/2026

Come and learn the saxophone with us in sessions led by the incredible and 💥🎷

13/05/2026

In February, we spent 3 days working with young people aged 13 - 18 in the youth academy at the fab .ouseburn 💥

With the support of NYJO Lead Educator .rose and NYJO Emerging Professional musicians .by_benji and @3.jai the young people created a performance piece that they then showcased as the support set for NYJO’s gig with 🎶 They even had the chance to perform with Theon himself!

Take a look at this glimpse into the brilliant work they created 🧡💚🧡

12/05/2026

Jazz meets....Cosmic Energy....

Sunshine the Afrooist, vocalist and artistic mentor, plays a set of original songs with a supporting band of NYJO young musicians. Experience their electrifying solos and dreamy walls of sound at the newest live music spot in Cambridge:

Arts Club Cambridge, in the heart of the historic city centre, is an intimate venue where audiences come together to welcome rising stars and ensembles like ours:

Dani Roade- Keys & Percussion

Jared Meade- Bari Sax

Senan McCullough- Drums

Hana Amaya- Backing vocals/ Trumpet

Carolina Lopez Del-Nero - Cello

Tahirah Myrie- Bass

Benjy Sandler- Tenor Sax

Be there on Saturday 30 May 2026!

Doors: 7pm

Tickets available in our bio.