Meet the National Open Youth Orchestra: Georgina

The National Open Youth Orchestra (NOYO) is a pioneering inclusive orchestra where brilliant 11-25 year-old disabled and non-disabled musicians rehearse and perform together. 

All members of NOYO come through the ranks of five Regional NOYO Ensembles run in London, Bristol, Bournemouth, Birmingham and Cardiff in partnership with leading arts organisations. The London NOYO Ensemble is run in partnership with Guildhall School of Music & Drama. 

The 2025 NOYO concert series kicks off in Milton Court Concert Hall on Sunday 27 April, as sixteen brilliant young musicians come together to present a broad programme of music commissioned for a mix of acoustic and electronic instruments.

We caught up with Georgina, who plays with the National Open Youth Orchestra and works as an Assistant Music Leader with the Birmingham NOYO Ensemble, to hear more about her experiences playing with NOYO.

Can you introduce yourself and tell us what instrument/s you play?

My name is Georgina. I’m a 25-year-old disabled musician and I play the French horn.

Where did your musical journey begin?

After a brass quintet came into my primary school I fell in love with the trumpet. Following a year of nagging my parents, I started playing the cornet in the beginner section of a brass band aged seven, before quickly moving onto the tenor horn. When I started secondary school I began to have music lessons through my local music hub and wanted to try the French horn so I could play in an orchestra. I fell in love and it’s now my primary instrument.

Can you tell us more about being a part of NOYO, and what you have gained from this experience?

I joined the London NOYO Ensemble when it was first developed in September 2018. I enjoyed meeting other disabled musicians and hearing their stories. Before I joined NOYO I had only ever played notated music, NOYO helped me to experience completely different ways of learning and performing music. 

When the Birmingham NOYO Ensemble opened I joined their ensemble as a volunteer before progressing to my current role which is Assistant Music Leader for the NOYO Birmingham Ensemble, while still maintaining my role as a musician in the National Open Youth Orchestra.

How does playing music as a member of NOYO make you feel?

It makes me feel proud. A lot of NOYO musicians, myself included, have overcome some massive barriers to get to this stage in our musical journeys. So being able to perform together in numerous venues to a paying audience is really special.

What is your favourite thing about being a member of NOYO?

I like spending time with like-minded people who have a passion for music but also understand the reality of living with a disability.

What are your musical goals for the future?

This is my final year in NOYO and most other development schemes end at age 25 as well. So I’d like to move onto a disabled-led professional orchestra like Paraorchestra or a disabled-led chamber ensemble like the Royal Northern Sinfonia’s RNS Moves or the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s BSO Resound. I’d also like to continue my role as Assistant Music Leader for the Birmingham NOYO Ensemble and help more young people access this incredible orchestra.

The theme of this year's NOYO concert at Milton Court is ‘Ring out! No more barriers, just great music’. 

What does ‘no more barriers, just great music’ mean to you?

To me ‘no more barriers, just great music’ is a powerful message that everyone should have access to high-quality musical opportunities without experiencing barriers.

What three reasons would you give people to come along to the concert on 27 April?

1. Our London concert is our first of the 2025 NOYO concert season so the audience can enjoy two world premieres – Ring Out! by Liam Taylor-West and Fragile by Yfat Soul Zisso.
2. The audience can enjoy a British Sign Language-interpreted relaxed atmosphere with bean bag seating available.
3. There is a mix of acoustic and electronic instruments, including the Clarion which Evie plays on her iPad.