National Youth Orchestra of Canada Presents 2021 Season 'Metamorphosis'

As Canada begins to slowly emerge from an unprecedented shutdown of live music performance - and life as we knew it - the National Youth Orchestra of Canada (NYO Canada) is at the ready to guide and inspire the new generation of musicians to thrive in a world forever changed. While a second season - the orchestra's 61st - will be exclusively online, instead of the usual intensive rehearsal and touring schedule, NYO Canada is introducing a varied, flexible, and innovative online training institute. The exceptional program makes this season a true Metamorphosis, as today's best young instrumentalists prepare to meet the future.

Launched this past Saturday, NYO 2021 includes a robust schedule of individual lessons, a remarkable series of marquee masterclasses from top musicians and teachers from around the world, and workshops covering essentials for today's performer - from audio capture and production to digital marketing, and performance and audition skills. NYO Canada continues to be a world leader in providing exceptional mental health support and personal skills-building for its musicians, aiding top performance as well as life balance.

"I never could have imagined that we would see such extraordinary digital reach and collaboration with partners from across the country and around the world," comments Kevin Latimer, Q.C., Board Chair of NYO Canada. "We are taking a whole new approach to ensuring our next generation of gifted orchestral musicians continue their training journey and will be ready in person when the time is right."

NYO Canada 2021 has expanded to 132 musicians (40 more than usual) from across the country, making the array of offerings available to more qualified musicians than ever. In addition to free tuition, each receives a $1,000 scholarship and can compete for ten new Awards of Excellence of $5,000 each. This is in addition to the annual Michael Measures Prizes ($25,000 and $15,000 for First and Second Prizes), in partnership with the Canada Council for the Arts (announcement date TBA).

With online instruction opening unlimited geographical possibilities, NYO 2021's extraordinary international faculty includes Atar Arad, viola faculty at the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University; Elaine Douvas, principal oboe of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and instructor at The Juilliard School; Sarah Willis, the first-ever female horn player with the Berlin Philharmonic; and Anneleen Lenearts, solo harpist of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, among many others. See a complete list here.

NYO Canada's unique J & W Murphy Initiative in Mental Health has expanded to include custom-designed one-on-one high-performance focus training, mindfulness and meditation support. NYO faculty for these initiatives include Matt Eldridge, social worker and Cirque de Soleil performer; Dr. Sommer Christie, a consultant to Olympic athletes, surgeons, and performers in mental skills training; and Dr. Thomas Minde, a Montreal-based expert in mental health.

In the years ahead, NYO Canada looks to develop a hybrid program, blending the benefits of online learning with in-person performance and touring, and expanding its schedule throughout the year. Harnessing this season of Metamorphosis as an opportunity for renewal and profound change, NYO Canada aims to be a key player in building the foundation of a more vibrant, renewed arts ecosystem in Canada and beyond.

The National Youth Orchestra of Canada (NYO Canada), has enjoyed an iconic reputation as Canada's orchestral finishing school, providing the most comprehensive and in-depth training program available to the country's best young classical musicians. With its alumni representing more than 40% of Canadian professional orchestral musicians and numbering over 3,000 worldwide, NYO Canada has performed in every major Canadian city and has travelled to 12 countries across Europe and Asia. The orchestra is the subject of "That Higher Level" (2018), feature-length documentary from the National Film Board of Canada.

See full 2021 program details at:

nyoc.org

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