Cornwall Youth Orchestra
Cornwall Youth Orchestra is looking for string, wind, brass & percussion players!
Do YOU want to join the team of motivated young musicians for the 2025-26 season?
Being in Cornwall Youth Orchestra (CYO) provides exciting opportunities for young musicians across Cornwall to experience the rewards of symphony orchestra repertoire. Playing in the orchestra is a fantastic opportunity to share your passion for music, make new friends, discover & play some great music, and enjoy being part of an enthusiastic team.
CYO is all about being part of the buzz of orchestral life, whether it’s big symphonies, film scores, music by contemporary composers or other inspiring works from across the last two centuries. You’ll be supported on the courses by a team of experienced & friendly coaches, and past CYO members have enjoyed the support of many visiting top professional musicians.
When is it? The CYO season involves rehearsals across the autumn & spring terms, leading up to two concerts around Easter time with other performances during the year too.
What’s it like? CYO musicians start their orchestral journey each autumn, growing together as musicians and building the skills & techniques to be able to perform seven months later at well above the level they may have thought possible. An interesting range of music features well-loved favourites mixed with lesser-known & contemporary works, with each of the concerts becoming absolute highlights in players’ memories. The coaching team creates a supportive and encouraging environment so that CYO members develop the skills and confidence to perform with determination and musical conviction. Players say they are able to excel themselves, feel uplifted by the common experience and reach their personal best.
Recent highlights include spending a day rehearsing side-by-side with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Frank Zielhorst and performing Ginastera’s Dances from ‘Estancia’ at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, during the Music For Youth National Festival 2024. MFY mentor Ali Walker was full of praise for the CYO’s energetic performance:
“For a small orchestra you certainly pack a big punch…What do I say? This was a masterclass in chamber music on an orchestral scale, and you brought the house down.”
Click on the button below for full details including dates, costs and an application form for the 2025-26 season.
Ensembles and String Orchestras
MusicAbility provides a network of ensembles and string orchestras across Cornwall, offering young musicians an inspiring opportunity for sharing their joy of making music with others, supported by encouraging staff who share many years professional experience. The ensembles and orchestras provide an fun and engaging opportunity for young people to broaden their musical horizons by exploring a wide range of music, from the well known to the unfamiliar, from very old music to completely new music in a broad range of genres. Well graded technical and musical challenges lead to confidence building and personal growth – learning and skill building grow hand in hand with enjoyment in a supportive social environment.
Concerts given by the youth orchestras have been frequently recognised for the professionalism of the performers combined with uplifting musical communication and highly focussed youthful energy. As well as giving many concerts in Cornwall each year, the orchestras have become recognised nationally with frequent performances at the Music For Youth National Festival and MFY Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. Membersof the orchestras are proud to demonstrate some of the great qualities young people can offer our society and to represent Cornwall at major festivals and events.
“I can’t begin to thank you enough..I’ve become a much better musician than I ever thought I could be thanks to you” Penzance player
“The orchestra is a great opportunity for string players with some experience to take their playing to the next level and grow as musicians. Tim is full of a contagious enthusiasm and that in turn enthuses all the members of the orchestra. I would definitely recommend it” mum of member from East Cornwall
“A masterclass in ensemble communication” MFY Mentor feedback
MusicAbility string orchestras are funded by a combination of membership fees, a grant from ASONE Hub, concert fees and donations.
Ensemble & String Orchestra Membership Fees:
TYSO, ECYSO & KERcophony: £40/term or £110 yearly in advance
PJs & BOWS: Free
Subsidies may be available for children who receive free school meals, children in care and children of Service personnel.
Truro Youth String Orchestra
The energetic and committed members of Truro Youth String Orchestra come from a wide area of Central Cornwall, from Falmouth to St. Agnes and Helston to St Austell as well as from Truro itself. Formed by the group’s director Tim Boulton in 2008, highlights have included performing Andrew Wilson’s ‘Omphra’s Laugh’ at the Music for Youth Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in London, performing alongside the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Plymouth Pavilions, supporting the Philharmonia Orchestra in an iOrchestra series concert on Lemon Quay, performing in the world premiere of Russell Pascoe’s work ‘A Different Child’ with St. Mary’s Singers and soloists at Truro Cathedral, and a programme of works by Sally Beamish, Diana Burrell and Dobrinka Tabikova for the Cornwall Contemporary festival in 2018.
Repertoire covers a broad range of styles and ages, including in recent times a Handel Concerto Grosso, Mozart Sinfonia Concertante, Elgar Serenade, Hindemith Trauermusik, and works by Benjamin Britten, John Maxwell Geddes and Graham Fitkin.
TYSO forms part of a pathway from first access to the highest levels of youth music making. TYSO players frequently join having first been member of Truro Junior String Ensemble. More experienced TYSO members are also members of Cornwall Youth Orchestra and some go on to study music at university or are enjoying active musical lives while studying a variety of subjects at university – their TYSO experiences have had a significant impact on their musical ability, confidence and enjoyment.
“We are constantly in awe of your ability to enthuse and motivate so many young people to dedicate such time and effort to rehearse and perform, it is a truly wonderful gift” TYSO parent
Rehearsals: Tuesdays 5.15 – 7.00pm, Truro High School, Falmouth Road, Truro
Penzance Junior Strings
Penzance Junior Strings rehearsals are fun and informative – a sharing time for young musicians who want to develop their string playing skills amongst friends. The group gives regular concerts in Penzance with regular concerts at Christmas, for Golowan Festival in June and for the last three years, with a quartet from IMS (Prussia Cove) in September. Past highlights have included performing alongside the BBC Concert Orchestra at Plymouth Pavilions and two invitations to perform at the Music for Youth National Festival in Birmingham’s Town Hall.
Rehearsals are run by Emma Stansfield and Tim Boulton. Musical games and physical movement are blended with ensemble playing to provide engaging musical experiences which are fun and informative in equal measure.
Rehearsals: Mondays 4 – 5.15pm, 10 Parade Street, Penzance
BOWS
Band Of West Strings. Now in its 3rd year and growing – an intermediate level string orchestra for violin, viola, cello and bass players of secondary school age, providing a pathway for young musicians to further expand their ensemble skills and enjoyment of music. BOWS players have felt themselves growing in musical confidence and playing ability across the year and a highlights have included performing Greek folk dance Kozanis and the traditional Sailor’s Hornpipe at the opening of the 2024 & 2025 Golowan Festivals.
Rehearsals: Mondays 5.30- 6.45pm, MusicAbility Centre, 10 Parade Street, Penzance
Penzance Youth String Orchestra
Formed in 2007, Penzance Youth String Orchestra became nationally recognised ambassadors for the best of music making in Cornwall, with the players making an outstanding reputation through many popular concerts across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and regular appearances in London and Birmingham. The orchestra have performed at the MFY National Festival of Music for Youth for 9 years and PYSO have been invited to perform at the Schools Proms at the Royal Albert Hall on 4 occasions.
PYSO has a wide repertoire covering more than 3 centuries and has attracted a reputation for expanding the boundaries of music for strings. PYSO have partnered with a wide range of musicians including string quartets and classical soloists, rock musicians, rap groups and a bluegrass band. They have worked with members of the BBC Concert Orchestra and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. PYSO have enjoyed working closely with composers Andrew Wilson, Stephen Montague, Graham Lynch and Graham Fitkin. Truronian composer Ben Comeau has written many new works for PYSO, including original compositions and fresh and unusual remixes of familiar works including Bartok’s ‘Romanian Dances’ and Monti’s ‘Czardas’. PYSO’s many performances across Cornwall and beyond have made a significant impression on the cultural wealth of the area.
In the summer of 2021 PYSO stepped back from active service for a while so that MusicAbility can concentrate on building up the mixed-instrument group KERcophony and focus on the younger players of Penzance Junior Strings. We hope PYSO will be back soon.
Cornwall Youth String Orchestra
From time to time three or four string orchestras meet and perform together, creating an impressive Cornwall Youth String Orchestra of up to 100 young people. Projects have included performing Soundposts by John Maxwell Geddes at the Music For Youth National Festival in Birmingham Town Hall in July 2017 and a performance of Graham Fitkin’s Small Quartet and Watching at the MFY Regional Festival in Truro Methodist Church in March 2020.
“Fabulous large ensemble. Such virtuosic conductorless ensemble. Concentration was wonderful, you played with such maturity, never reaching for the beat but having the confidence and maturity to let it come to you – each change of harmony had weight and deliberation. What atmosphere” MFY Mentor
“I thought the pieces extremely well chosen, arranged and performed. The balance of sound where I was sitting in the gallery was gorgeous. It really is thrilling to hear contemporary works being performed by young people and I applaud you for having the courage to take on these often complex and challenging works and inspiring the young players to explore them” parent
Music For Youth Cornwall Regional Festival
A major celebration of youth music making, with participating youth music grops from across Cornwall and West Devon, the MFY Cornwall Regional Festival is masterminded by MusicAbility, supported by ASONE Hub, and engages with music leaders in schools and community settings across the region.
In 2024 over sixty music groups signed up for the festival – our largest yet – with a staggering 800 young people performing over two days. Although not quite so large in 2025 the festival was an exciting testament to the breadth and diversity of young people’s music making in Cornwall. MFY mentors and professional musicians gave feedback to each group, offering perceptive and helpful encouragement to all the performers. As an added bonus, each year groups from the Regional Festival were invited to perform at the MFY National Festival in Birmingham in July, giving young musicians from the SW peninsular a rare opportunity to perform on a national stage and hear the amazing music of other young people from across the country.
The MFY Regional Festival is open to any group of 2 or more players up to 21 years old, in any style or genre of music. The 2026 festival will take place on a Friday and Saturday in early March – watch this space for more details when they become available.
Courses
From time to time MusicAbility runs courses which focus on specific aspects of music or string playing.
The next Inspiring Young Musicians course in partnership with IMS Prussia Cove will take place in summer 2026.
Reports from some recent courses are available here:
UpBow Kernow!
UpBow Kernow! is the working name for a group of projects which combine to form a major initiative to regenerate string playing in West Cornwall.
Our first trainee cello teacher has recently completed their two-year programme and at the time of writing MusicAbiltiy is seeking a 2nd teacher for this programme.
MusicAbility is delighted to welcome The Elmore Quartet as quartet in residency in West Cornwall. In the year to July 2025 the Elmores performed to approx. 3000 young people in Cornwall, and have worked with Cornwall Youth Orchestra, PJs, BOWS and TYSO. They have also given several public performances. A MusicAbility initiative, the residence inspires and grows interest in music across the community, We are grateful to the Frost Music Trust for generous funding to support the teacher training programme and string quartet residency
Public education
For more than a decade the people of West Cornwall have enjoyed a feast of concerts run by Tim Boulton for MusicAbility, Concerts Penzance and Penzance’s annual Golowan Festival. All concerts and events are presented with an ethos that music is much more than an entertainment – it can be the best medium for helping us connect with, appreciate and evaluate aspects of life that can be difficult to describe in words. Our concerts value communication above formality, making music of many ages and styles accessible to those less familiar with concert going as well as music lovers.
Concerts Penzance, in partnership with MusicAbility, has also been presenting a series of popular and informative Humphry Davy Science and Music Lecture Recitals delivered by some of the most eminent scientists in Britain today including Marcus du Sautoy, Brian Foster, David Spiegelhalter and Mervyn Miles.
String instrument tuition
Are you looking for an instrument teacher? MusicAbility works with string teachers in West Cornwall and Truro who can provide individual music lessons for both children and adults. Please contact us using the details below and we can offer advice, or suggest teachers in your area.
We are also able to mentor young musicians who would like signposting to further opportunities.
Contact
