A new partnership between the BBC Singers and the National Youth Choir (NYC) has been announced.
The three-year partnership aims to ‘open the pathway for the next generation of young voices’. It will give young singers from across the UK the opportunity to gain experience of performing and recording together.
Those involved from the NYC will be its oldest singers, aged 18–25; its chamber ensemble, National Youth Voices; and singers, conductors and composers on its Emerging Professional Artists programme.
The partnership follows on from a joint performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony from memory with Aurora Orchestra at the BBC Proms 2024, and was formally launched at the BBC Singers’ Centenary Concert at the Barbican, London, where the organisations joined forces again to sing Numbers by former NYC Young Composer Shruthi Rajasekar; it was directed by Nicholas Chalmers, Principal Conductor of National Youth Choir (18-25 Years), and Associate Conductor, Learning at the BBC Singers.
Further details of the partnership will be announced early 2025.
BBC Singers Director Jonathan Manners said: ‘Many members of the BBC Singers are National Youth Choir alumni who have benefited first-hand from the formative musical experiences of being part of such an important organisation for young musicians … together we have the opportunity to build a significant development pathway, not just for the musicians we work with, but for young people encountering the joy of singing together for the first time.’
NYC Creative Director Lucy Hollins said: ‘Over the past year, we have been delighted to collaborate and perform with the BBC Singers on a number of projects, which have given National Youth Choir members incomparable opportunities to work at the very highest level, and learn from the best of the best … I am thrilled that we will be working even more closely with the BBC Singers over the coming years to develop a range of professional opportunities for the next generation of choral singers, and inspire all those who love to sing.’
Links
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