Reading Youth Orchestra

A small, friendly community of young musicians based in Reading, Berkshire. One of the oldest youth orchestras in the UK, we're proud to be continuing a long history of providing local students with a place to play great music in a supportive environment every Friday night.

Image shows an orchestra on stage playing a piece

RYO playing the world premiere of Bob Good’s Sinfonietta No. 1 ‘Silver’ in October 2022

Considering joining?

Why our members love RYO

  • Supportive environment – we build each other up
  • Friendly and relaxed – we’re a mini community
  • Exciting repertoire – from Beethoven to James Bond
  • Musical development – improve your skills
  • Creative opportunities – play solos, compositions and arrangements
Find out more

Latest news

Front page of English Folk Songs Suite score, by Vaughan Williams, with a conductor's baton

Getting to know English Folk Songs

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September 19, 2021

One of the pieces we are learning this year is the English Folk Song Suite by Ralph Vaughan Williams, arranged by Gordon …

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2021-22 season starts Friday 17th September

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September 15, 2021

After rather unusual 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, we all have our fingers crossed that this year will be a bit more normal! …

Building our new website

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September 7, 2021

– By Abbey Hardy, Daniel Hobart and Pippa Moore Today we (along with the invaluable contribution of Bernie the dog) have been …

Mayer Faust Overture Workshops

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September 7, 2021

– By Abbey Hardy Over the summer holidays (August 2021) members of RYO participated in three online workshop sessions of Mayer’s Faust …

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What our members say about us

Of all the ensembles I have ever been a part of, RYO truly stands out from the pack and is a constant reminder to me of why I love music. The enthusiasm of its leaders, the quality of its music, and the friendliness of its members provides nothing short of an extraordinary setting for not just growth as a musician, but also growth as a person.
Daniel, French Horn
RYO is such an amazing community of like-minded musical people that is inclusive of everyone, and the end of term social, with activities ranging from quizzes to film nights to ice skating, really reflects this. My favourite part of RYO is the concerts because of all the hard work we put into it, and because you can see how far the orchestra has come when the piece comes together.
Pippa, Clarinet
Since joining RYO last year, Friday evenings have been the highlight of my week. Even on Zoom it was clear to tell how enthusiastic everyone was about their instrument, which means that as well as creating some amazing videos, I've made great friends too!
Jennifer, Clarinet

Photo Gallery

Photo of orchestra members lined up holding their instruments, pulling silly poses