NOFA is a unique, mixed ability orchestra made up of 100 musicians aged 11-18 from across all four countries of the UK. NOFA is the only non-auditioned national orchestra in the world. Young musicians are nominated by their music teachers for their dedication and commitment to music in the face of challenging circumstances. Regardless of their background, NOFA sets high artistic standards for the orchestra and programme a season of innovative and exciting repertoire in partnership with leading artistic organisations from a range of genres, including the BBC Philharmonic, Royal Academy of Music, National Youth Jazz Collective and One Dance UK.

What does membership involve? 

The NOFA season begins each July and lasts for nine months. The 2018-2019 season, called Wordplay, will see the young musicians explore the relationship between music and language through a series of new commissions, arrangements created especially for NOFA and creative composition workshops leading to a brand new youth-created piece.

Across the 2018-2019 season, members must participate in three residential courses:

Summer Course 2018 – four-day residential course held at the University of Leeds from 25-28 July, culminating in a spectacular concert in Leeds on Saturday 28 July 2018

Winter Sessions 2018 – one of two regional weekends on the weekends of 17-18 November 2018 (Manchester) or 1-2 December 2018 (London)

Spring Course 2019 – two-day residential course held in Birmingham on 13-14 April 2019, with a performance on Sunday 14 April 2019

All travel, accommodation and subsistence is covered, and young people are supported at all events by a experienced team of professional musicians and pastoral staff. There will also be the opportunity to take part in other workshops, side-by-side events with professional orchestras and opportunities to attend concert performances throughout the year.

For those members in Year 11 and 12 NOFA offers further opportunities through the Young Leaders Programme, which include the possibility of gaining an Arts Award qualification during the programme.

See further details at the link below.