Ellon musician reaches goal to perform in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain
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A young musician from the Ellon area has achieved her ambition to obtain a place in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.
Charlotte Slater (15) from Auchleuchries near the town has been playing the violin for eight years.
She has successfully auditioned for the orchestra and the opportunity will include performances at the Barbican in London, Warwick Arts Centre, as well as at schools and youth groups across the country.
Charlotte said: "The orchestra is made up of hundreds of brilliant young people, who all have something unique to bring as soloists, ensemble players or as part of a larger group.
"I am delighted to be the representing Aberdeen city and shire in 2022. For me as a young musician getting into the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain has been my ultimate goal. It has involved lots of hard work but there is still lots more work and practising to come.
"I'm passionate about playing thrilling orchestral repertoire, creating new musical experiences for audiences, sharing musicianship skills and acting as a role model to other young people. I cannot wait to meet and perform with other the young musicians.
"As part of my role I will be working alongside hundreds of other teenage musicians to open up orchestral music and share it with young people across the UK."
Charlotte is a S4 student who studies at the Aberdeen City Music School at Dyce Academy.
She added: "2022 will see the exciting start of our relationship-building and performance-sharing activities, with performances at the Barbican in London and Warwick Arts Centre in January, as well as taking our performances directly to schools and youth groups around the country.
"Every performance is free for teenagers, and we will be working to create physical and digital opportunities to break down barriers for young people who have less access to the music we know and love."
Established in 1948 the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain was founded on the belief in the power of young people and the knowledge that they are capable of achieving their full potential through the highest standards of music-making. This ethos continues in the modern iteration of the organisation today.
It is driven by the belief that sharing a love of music is fun, powerful, and has the potential to make a positive contribution to society.
Its mission is to open up orchestral music to other young musicians, regardless of their background or access to music education.
In 2022 every single musician in the orchestra will act as a role model to other young people through NYO Inspire.
It ensures there is an open door for musical participation for the musicians who have traditionally been underrepresented in the sector.
