Hallé Youth Orchestra

Established in 2002, the Hallé Youth Orchestra offers outstanding young instrumentalists, aged 13-19 years, the chance to experience playing in a full symphony orchestra supported by professional musicians. It is for young musicians who love experiencing orchestral music and the buzz of contributing to a large ensemble. Usually meeting to rehearse on Sunday afternoons during the autumn and spring terms, each summer, members also enjoy a residential course and tour, with visits recently to Germany, Italy, Spain and Scotland.

The Youth Orchestra played a key role in the Siemens Hallé International Conductors Competition 2023, helping to find its next Music Director, Euan Shields, who started in post in September 2023. As Euan’s post is now in its final season, the Youth Orchestra will, once again, be helping to find his successor in 2026. Appearances this season will include the annual Youth Ensembles Celebration in March as well as the much-anticipated side-by-side performance with the Hallé in February.

As well as familiar repertoire, the Hallé Youth Orchestra also enjoys tackling more challenging works, with recent highlights including Respighi’s Fountains of Rome, Shostakovich’s Symphony No.6, Panufnik’s Sinfonia Sacra, Britten’s Four Sea Interludes and Takashi Yoshimatsu’s Sinfonia in Birds ‘To the Birds of Youth’. New commissions specially written for the orchestra have included Monomyth by Oliver Vibrans and Swarm Fanfares by the former Artist-in-Residence, Dobrinka Tabakova: with the latter winning the 2023 Ivor Novello award for Best Community and Participation Composition.

During the 24-25 season, the Youth Orchestra performed works by Berlioz, Sibelius, Richard Strauss and Thomas Adès, the Hallé’s Artist-in-Residence, before joining the Youth Choir on a week-long Italian tour to Lake Garda, with concerts in Verona, Cremona and Garda.

Parent of Hallé Youth Orchestra member

“Thank you to Delyana, the Hallé players and the amazing young people of HYO for a quite wonderful concert last night. As a parent it was both exciting and deeply moving. HYO has taken [my daughter’s] music to a new level in just a few months and I know that parents of other new players feel the same. The love and pride throughout the audience was palpable.”

Join us

Apply now to be part of Hallé Youth Orchestra

Hallé Youth Orchestra membership is for outstanding young musicians aged 13 to 19 years and of Associated Board grade 8 standard or equivalent, who love orchestral music and the buzz of contributing to a large orchestra. Preference is given to those not benefiting from full-time music education. Members take part in rehearsals and concerts during term-time and in other training activities including residential courses and tours. Members are expected to commit to rehearsals on Sunday afternoons in Manchester during the autumn and spring terms from September. There are no activities during the study leave period of May and June. Youth Orchestra members are also expected to attend a residential course and/or tour during the summer holidays.

Membership is free, however all members will be requested to make a voluntary donation to the Hallé as a contribution towards the core costs of maintaining the orchestra. Members are also expected to contribute towards the cost of residential courses and tours where appropriate.

Limited bursaries are available through an application process to help cover the costs of residential courses, tours and travel to rehearsals and concerts. The Hallé is grateful to the Oglesby Charitable Trust for the bursary fund.

Applications for the 2025-26 Youth Ensembles are now OPEN.

Apply

The Hallé
The Hallé
David Hughes, The Hallé
David Hughes, The Hallé

Thank you

Generous support

The Hallé Youth Orchestra is very grateful to the Oglesby Charitable Trust, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Esprit Group, The Radcliffe Trust, The Zochonis Charitable Trust, Pilkington General Charity and many individual benefactors for their continued support of the Youth Orchestra.