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

RYO distanced in masks, rehearsing at John Madejski Academy

The Return of Live Rehearsals

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September 7, 2021

– By Pippa Moore 14 months and many Zoom rehearsals later, RYO was finally able to welcome back its members in person …

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May sectionals 2021

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September 7, 2021

– By Daniel Hobart and Abbey Hardy This was our first rehearsal back after lockdown. After a while apart we were finally …

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Reflections of a year on Zoom

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September 7, 2021

– By Daniel Hobart Spanning from March 2020 to May 2021, the past year of RYO has been dominated by Zoom rehearsals. …

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Conductors and Leaders

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September 7, 2021

A brief history of RYO’s conductors and leaders. Robert Roscoe, 30 April 1994, St John’s Smith Square Conductors of the Reading Youth …

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Picture of a youth orchestra playing in a hall, dressed in bright colours, with fairy lights overhead

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 shows orchestra members lined up in a group holding their instruments, pulling fun poses
Image shows a group of young people jumping and pulling fun poses
Image shows a pair of cellists playing a duet
Photo shows a cellist and a bassist at a recital
Picture of a youth orchestra playing in a hall, dressed in bright colours, with fairy lights overhead
Image shows young musicians playing wind instruments
Photo shows the youth orchestra receiving applause in a large concert hall
Image shows a group attending a concert, sitting in their chairs in the audience
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