New youth session orchestra for West Yorkshire
The North of England Centre for Music and Arts in Marsden is launching a new Youth Session Orchestra, an ensemble aimed at talented young players in the region. The orchestra will launch with a workshop day led by internationally acclaimed conductor Natalia Luis-Bassa.
Designed to offer an authentic session orchestra experience, the Youth Session Orchestra gives players up to age 25 the chance to immerse themselves in the professional world of film, television and pop music recording. Modelled on the orchestras that bring soundtracks to life at legendary studios, the ensemble will provide hands-on training in versatile styles and intense studio environments.
Throughout the initial meeting, participants will develop skills essential for professional session work – sight-reading under pressure, working to a click track and adapting to a wide variety of musical genres, from tangos to lush Hollywood scores. Young musicians will learn alongside top session professionals, experiencing the collaborative atmosphere of live recording sessions.
Sessions will be led by world-renowned artists including Natalia Luis-Bassa, who works with leading youth orchestras and conservatoires across the UK and internationally, and Andrew Cottee, an award-winning composer and orchestrator, whose work includes Disney, NBCUniversal, Paul McCartney, Universal Pictures and more.
The orchestra welcomes applications from all instrumentalists aged up to 25, with a minimum playing standard of Grade 6 ABRSM or equivalent (recommended Grade 8+). There is no bottom age limit – all musicians, including undergraduates and advanced younger students, are encouraged to apply if they meet the required standard.
The orchestra has been created from a very real need spotted by the organisers. “I found myself in my very first professional session thrown in at the deep end, never having experienced working in a studio,” says NECMA director Jenny Hanson, who is also a violin teacher and session musician.
“I hadn’t had the opportunity to work to a click track or sightread under pressure. This orchestra aims to teach young musicians those vital skills – how to adapt, swing, play everything from tangos to Irish reels, and capture the lush sounds you’d need for old Hollywood. It’s a unique chance to be mentored by professionals and discover what it truly means to be a session musician.”
Places in the orchestra are available on a first-come, first-served basis and musicians will have the opportunity to play and network with top session players, work through a diverse repertoire, including Studio Ghibli and classic film scores, and explore the technology behind modern soundtrack production.