The National Youth Orchestra of Canada (NYO Canada, or NYOC, french: Orchestre national des jeunes du Canada) is a Canadian
youth orchestra
A youth orchestra is an orchestra made of Youth, young musicians, typically ranging from pre-teens or teenagers to those of Music school, conservatory age. Depending on the age range and selectiveness, they may serve different purposes. Orchest ...
headquartered in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
. The orchestra has given concert tours in every major Canadian city as well as trips to other countries, including the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
and countries in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
.
History
Several musicians, including
Walter Susskind
Jan Walter Susskind (1 May 1913 – 25 March 1980) was a Czech-born British conductor, teacher and pianist. He began his career in his native Prague, and fled to Britain when Germany invaded the city in 1939. He worked for substantial periods in ...
, then the music director of the
Toronto Symphony Orchestra
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1906, the TSO gave regular concerts at Massey Hall until 1982, and since then has performed at Roy Thomson Hall. The TSO also manages the Toronto ...
, and Ezra Schabas helped to found NYO Canada in 1960, for the purpose of allowing young musicians to gain experience needed to play in professional orchestras. In 1996, the delegates to the World Youth Orchestra Conference in Tokyo, who represented 39 countries, voted to award NYO Canada the “Best Youth Orchestra in the World”. More than 40% of the professional musicians in Canadian orchestras have previously played in NYO Canada.
Resident conductors of NYO Canada have included
Victor Feldbrill
Victor Feldbrill, (April 4, 1924 – June 17, 2020) was a Canadian conductor and violinist.
Early life and education
Feldbrill was born in Toronto,
In 2009, NYO Canada performed its first-ever concert which was streamed in its entirety over the internet. In 2017, NYO Canada commissioned a large art installation titled ''Four Seasons of the Canadian Flag'', to be displayed as part of their tour in the year of Canada's 150th birthday. In 2018, the orchestra performed at
Young Euro Classic
Young Euro Classic is an international music festival for youth orchestras. Established in Berlin, Germany in 2000, it is one of the world's most important international platforms for young musicians in the Western classical music tradition. Eve ...
in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
and at the Edinburgh International Festival.
In December 2021, NYO Canada announced the appointment of Sascha Goetzel as its next music director, for 2022 and 2023. Goetzel had first guest-conducted NYO Canada in November 2019.
See also
*
List of youth orchestras
This is a list of active youth orchestras. National youth orchestras are highlighted in bold.
Asia
* Arab Youth Philharmonic Orchestra
* Asian Youth Orchestra
Afghanistan
* Afghan Youth Orchestra
Cambodia
* Angkor National Youth Orch ...
*
Ezra Schabas
Ezra Schabas, (April 24, 1924 – October 12, 2020) was a Canadian musician, educator and author. He was active in Canada's musical life beginning in 1952, when he emigrated from Cleveland with his family. During his time in Canada, he was a lead ...