Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra is Youth Company’s flagship symphony orchestra. It offers valuable orchestral and performance experience to advanced young musicians. 

As part of the Youth Orchestra, you’ll work with a variety of guest conductors, including Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Chief Conductor Domingo Hindoyan, Principal Guest Conductor Andrew Manze, and a range of other local and international conductors too.

Youth Orchestra performs termly at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, where you will also get to play alongside world-class soloists. Previous guest soloists have included trumpeter Pacho Flores, violinist Elena Urioste and pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason.  

Youth Orchestra members regularly take part in informative and inspiring workshops with performance health specialists, conducting sessions and creative workshops with partner organisations such as the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain Musicians from Youth Orchestra take on a leadership role in supporting younger musicians in Youth Academy Orchestra through rehearsal support and mentoring. 

Youth Orchestra is the perfect fit for advanced young musicians who enjoy playing classical music in an orchestra, are passionate about music, committed to playing challenging and diverse  repertoire to a very high standard, and are aspiring to take their playing to the next level. 

Key Information:
Ages: 12-21 years old
Standard:  Grade 7+ (or equivalent)
Audition required? Yes
Instruments: Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Harp, Piano, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, French Horn, Trumpet, Trombone, Tuba, Percussion

Rehearsals: 
Where: Liverpool Philharmonic @ The Friary, Everton, Liverpool 
When: Sundays during term time 10am-4pm

Applications now closed

Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Academy Orchestra is a friendly, supportive, intermediate ensemble for young musicians looking to learn the essentials of playing in an orchestra – and have lots of fun at the same time!  

Established as a core ensemble of Youth Company in 2021, it’s the ideal ensemble for first time orchestra players, and young musicians aspiring to join Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.  

Youth Academy Orchestra plays an exciting and diverse range of music – everything from classical and folk music, to movie and show tunes – and is co-directed by Alex Dunn and Gethyn Jones. 

As a member of Youth Academy Orchestra, you will have the opportunity to perform at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall twice a year, playing alongside musicians from Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. and you will receive regular coaching from Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra musicians. You will frequently participate in fun workshop days that focus on teamwork, leadership and building confidence, and take part in performance health and wellbeing workshops with some of the country’s leading young musicians’ health specialists. Youth Academy Orchestra members also benefit from frequent concert visits and heavily discounted tickets to see the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra perform.  

Youth Academy Orchestra is ideal for young musicians looking to build confidence and experience in their ensemble skills. 

Key Information:
Age: 8-18
Standard:  Grade 4+ (or equivalent)
Instruments: Violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, percussion, piano, harp.  
Audition required? No

Rehearsals: 
Where: Liverpool Philharmonic @ The Friary, Everton, Liverpool
When: Sunday evenings during term time, 5.30-8.00pm

APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED

Delivered in partnership with Resonate Music Hub, Resonate Youth Philharmonic is the perfect ensemble for young string, woodwind, brass and percussion musicians who are Grade 2+ or equivalent. 

At Resonate Youth Philharmonic you will develop ensemble skills, perform fun and diverse music, and have the opportunity to play alongside professional musicians from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. You will also perform every year at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall as part of the Resonate iPlay event. 

Resonate Youth Philharmonic is the beginning of the orchestral progression route within Youth Company, with members of this orchestra progressing into Youth Academy Orchestra.

Requirements: 
Age: Approx 10+ 
Standard: Grade 2+ (or equivalent) 
Instrumentation: Violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, tenor horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, percussion, piano, harp. 
Audition required? No 

Rehearsals: 
Resonate Youth Philharmonic rehearses weekly in both North and South Liverpool:  . 

SOUTH LIVERPOOL 
Where? Bellerive FJC Catholic College Sixth Form, Aigburth  
When? Tuesday 4.15-6.30pm, during school term time 

NORTH LIVERPOOL 
Where? Notre Dame Catholic College, Everton 
When? Wednesday 4.15-6.30pm, during school term time 

Please register for either North or South Liverpool rehearsals, but students are welcome to attend both. 

APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED

As Youth Company’s freshest ensemble, the Youth Session Orchestra is quickly gaining a reputation for its high-quality live performances of jazz and pop music.

Youth Session Orchestra debuted in February 2022, performing pop and jazz originals and covers alongside artists from LIMF Academy, under the artistic direction of Katie Chatburn. In summer 2022, Youth Session Orchestra took to the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall stage in a collaboration with London jazz specialists, Tomorrow’s Warriors, having taken part in a series of inspiring workshops on the fundamentals of jazz, including improvisation. 

Youth Session Orchestra worked with Andy Stott (Head of Popular Music at the Royal Northern College of Music) to refine their skills in pop performance and presented an eclectic mix of pop classics to a packed-out Tung Auditorium in their final performance of 2022. 

The group works closely with leading music creators from Liverpool and the surrounding area, using performances to showcase their own work. This makes our Youth Session Orchestra the perfect fit for young musicians who compose their own original songs and music, have an interest in arranging pop, rock and R&B songs for a full band and orchestra, and are passionate about performing

This ensemble is ideal for advanced musicians looking to play in an exciting, dynamic and forward-thinking group. 

Key Information:
Age: 13-21 years old
Instrumentation: vocalists, keys, electric guitar, electric bass, double bass, drum kit, percussion, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, trumpet, trombone, violin, viola, cello. 
Standard: Grades not necessary, but a high level of experience and competency on your instrument/vocals is required. Instrumentalists must be able to read music. 
Audition required? Yes 

Rehearsals: 
Where: Liverpool Philharmonic @ The Friary, Everton, Liverpool 
When: Tuesday evenings during term time, 6.30-9.00pm 

APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSEd

As a member of the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Brass Band, you will collaborate with other like-minded, passionate brass and percussion musicians to bring a range of exciting, multi-genre brass band repertoire to the stage. 
 
Youth Brass Band became a permanent fixture in Youth Company’s collection of ensembles in 2021 and have since delivered outstanding performances not only at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, but around the city. 

Led by Simon Cowen, one of the region’s top brass band music directors and Section Leader Trombone in the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, members perform in thrilling concerts throughout the year, including performances on the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall stage, and in Liverpool Philharmonic Music Room.  

As part of weekly Brass Band rehearsals, you will participate in sectionals with members of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and leading Brass Band specialists from across the North West. You will take part in informative performance health and wellbeing workshops with leading young musician performance specialists from across the country.  

Youth Brass Band members also benefit from playing alongside, and performing for, leading visiting brass musicians. In the past, this has included trumpeter Pacho Flores.  
 
Youth Brass Band musicians will be part of a network of the most talented young creatives from across Liverpool and Merseyside, and their ideas will form an integral part of the ensemble’s artistic activity. 

Key Information:
Age: 8-21 years 
Standard: Grade 5 + (or equivalent) 
Instrumentation:  Soprano cornet, cornet, flugelhorn, baritone, tenor trombone, bass trombone, euphonium, E-flat bass, B-flat bass, percussion and drum kit players 
Audition required? Yes

Rehearsals:
Where: Liverpool Philharmonic @ The Friary, Everton, Liverpool 
When: Wednesday evenings during term time, 7.00-9.00pm 

APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED

Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Choir is Youth Company’s flagship choir for local young people aged 12-19. The choir performs throughout the year, not only at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, but across the region. 

A mixed choir of sopranos, altos, tenors and basses, the Youth Choir regularly performs with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir, including singing in the popular annual ‘Spirit of Christmas’ concerts at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.  

 Led by Artistic Director Simon Emery, the choir performs a wide variety of musical styles – everything from classical and jazz, to folk and roots music. The group regularly performs specially composed new works and collaborates with a variety of guest musicians, ensembles and choirs. 

Working within the Youth Choir is the Cambiata Choir – a choir for changing voices – led by Ian Stephens.  The Cambiata Choir made its Liverpool Philharmonic Hall debut as a stand-alone choir in 2022 and has continued to grow and strengthen since then. 

The Youth Choir was invited to sing at the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics, a performance which was broadcast live to a worldwide audience of over 900 million people. In 2008, Youth Choir performed for Queen Elizabeth II, who served as patron of Liverpool Philharmonic from 1958 until her death. 

As a member of Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Choir, you will benefit from performance health and wellbeing workshops and advice, including vocal health training. You will receive regular vocal assessment to support your individual musical development.  

Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Choir is the perfect ensemble for young singers aged 13-19, looking to perform exciting and diverse repertoire at incredible venues and high-profile events.  

Key Information: 
Age: 13-19 years 
Grade: Intermediate choral singing 
Audition required? Yes 

Rehearsals:
Where: Notre Dame Catholic College, Everton, Liverpool 
When: Mondays during term time (excluding Bank Holidays), 6.30-8.45pm 

Applications now closed 

Liverpool Philharmonic Children’s Choir is Youth Company’s non-auditioned mixed choir, bringing together 75 of the most enthusiastic young singers from Merseyside and beyond.

Children’s Choir offers young singers in school years 5 – 7 the opportunity to develop your choral skills through large choir rehearsals, led by choral specialist Alison White, as well as small group musicianship classes with expert choral mentors. Previous choral experience isn’t necessary, but it’s useful (though not essential) if young people interested in applying are able to read music.

Children’s Choir frequently perform at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall– alongside the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, in the annual Singalong with Santa family concerts, and as part of other special family performances. 

Children’s Choir sing a wide variety of music, from musical theatre and movie themes, to more traditional choral music and newly commissioned works. 

Children’s Choir also supports you  to make the move into Youth Choir, if you’d like to take your choral singing to the next level as you get older. Choral mentors work with you when you reach Year 7 to help you prepare the skills you’ll need to succeed in Youth Choir auditions.

Children’s Choir also take part in workshops on vocal health and wellbeing, teaching members the importance of protecting your voice to avoid future injury from a young age.

Key Information
Age: School years 5, 6 and 7
Standard:  No grades required, just a love of singing!
Audition required: No

Rehearsals:
Where: Notre Dame Catholic College, Everton, Liverpool
When: Mondays during term time (excluding Bank Holidays), 6.00-8.00pm

APPLications now closed

Liverpool Philharmonic Melody Makers is Youth Company’s fun, energetic entry-level choir for children in Years 3 and 4 who love to sing!

 No previous choral experience is required – Melody Makers is designed to be the perfect introduction to the joys of singing in a large group of 75 young singers.

 Melody Makers, led by local choral specialist Alison White, explores fun choral works from a wide range of genres – everything from popular songs from films and musicals to traditional choral music.

 You will regularly perform in family concerts, such as our annual Singalong with Santa Christmas concerts, with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. You will also perform at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall alongside Children’s Choir and Youth Choir as part of our annual Choral Celebration.

 With weekly rehearsals during term time, you will learn the basics of singing in a choir through fun games, activities and songs. The group rehearse in a welcoming and supportive environment that encourages members to build  confidence and make friends. 

Key Information
Age: School years 3 and 4
Standard:  No grades required, just a love of singing!
Audition required: No

Rehearsals:
Where: Notre Dame Catholic College, Everton, Liverpool
When: Mondays during term time (excluding Bank Holidays), 6.oo-7.00pm

APPLications now closed

Liverpool Philharmonic is the largest music employer in Liverpool City Region and as a member of Youth Company, you will have the opportunity to complete work experience within the organisation, if this is something you are interested in. Work experience placements are offered exclusively to Youth Company members. 

Now coming up to its ninth  year, Liverpool Philharmonic Music Industry Careers Fest is a highlight of the Youth Company calendar. Created exclusively for young people aged 14-21 who are considering a career in music, together with LIMF Academy we host some of the brightest musical professionals from Liverpool and around the UK. In a series of panel discussions, interactive workshops and demonstrations, they cover everything you want to know about working in the music industry. Previous speakers have included Spotify, Meta, Sentric, LIPA, RNCM, University of Liverpool, Help Musicians, local promoters and industry leaders, as well as a wide range of professional artists and musicians from all styles of performance.  

On the same day, the iconic Liverpool Philharmonic Hall hosts a Music Careers Marketplace giving you the opportunity to meet and talk to representatives from leading music organisations and higher education institutions from across the UK. Organisations involved in the past have included Royal Northern College of Music, AdLib, LIPA, University of Liverpool, The Ivors Academy, SAE, Jazz North City of Liverpool College and many more.  

Whether you are interested in performing, composing, song writing, sound engineering, technical and production, recording, management, music education or creative health, Careers Fest has something for you.  

Music Industry Careers Fest is perfect for any young person interested in a music career, but  Youth Company members are entitled to one free priority ticket as part of their membership. Sign up to our mailing list to be the first to hear about the 2024 Careers Fest

Join our mailing list

The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s annual season always features national and international soloists, and Youth Company members frequently receive masterclasses with visiting artists.  

Masterclasses are always inspiring and offer you the opportunity to perform in front of your peers and a professional artist, who will give expert musical advice on taking performances to the next level. 

Youth Company has been proud to host masterclasses with internationally renowned artists including Ray Chen, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Tasmin Little, Sheona Wade, Timothy Chooi and Jess Gillam, to name just a few.  

Liverpool Philharmonic partners with Resonate Music Hub to deliver a specialist A-Level music course for students wanting to study A-Level music outside of school.

Delivered by experienced A-Level music teachers who will work with Year 12/13 students to realise their potential as musicians, the course is designed to extend the GCSE music skills of performing, composing and listening and pave the way for further study at university or conservatoire. 

Students on the Resonate A-Level course are members of Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Company, providing them with access to the additional benefits listed above, joining the largest community of young musicians in the region.   

Requirements: 

Students must be Level 6 or above in GCSE music, or BTEC Level 2 Distinction, approximately Grade 5 or above on your chosen instrument, and Grade 5 theory. You must be able to read treble clef notation to access the course.  

To apply, please email dicksonj@notredame.liverpool.sch.uk