Meet the National Open Youth Orchestra: Cass

The National Open Youth Orchestra (NOYO) is a pioneering inclusive orchestra where brilliant 11-25 year-old disabled and non-disabled musicians rehearse and perform together. 

All members of NOYO come through the ranks of five Regional NOYO Ensembles run in London, Bristol, Bournemouth, Birmingham and Cardiff in partnership with leading arts organisations. The London NOYO Ensemble is run in partnership with Guildhall School of Music & Drama. 

The 2025 NOYO concert series kicks off in Milton Court Concert Hall on Sunday 27 April, as sixteen brilliant young musicians come together to present a broad programme of music commissioned for a mix of acoustic and electronic instruments.

We caught up with Cass, who plays with both the National Open Youth Orchestra and the Bournemouth NOYO Ensemble, to hear more about his experiences playing with NOYO, and what he's most looking forward to about the concert.

Can you introduce yourself and tell us what instrument/s you play?

My name is Cass, and I play viola and violin.

Where did your musical journey begin?

My musical journey began on a Tuesday in spring when I was nine – my twin stopped me being first in the queue to get a snack at break to tell me that our music teacher wanted to know if we wanted to play violin. From there, it was lessons after dinner on sporadic Mondays with a teacher who didn't actually play the violin (although he was very good at the oboe), and then after I took my first violin grade, I started having formal lessons. I only started viola when I was in sixth form – my disability had started to affect my hands, and I found that the viola's bigger size caused me less spasms – it ended up being one of the best decisions I've ever made!

Can you tell us more about being a part of NOYO, and what you have gained from this experience?

Being a part of NOYO is quite different to most orchestras – you have your Regional Ensemble which meets every month or so, and then the National Ensemble which meets online once a month and in person a few times a year. You end up being a part of two different friend groups, although there is a lot of overlap in the ensembles.

Being in NOYO has given me so much. I've been given access to different programmes run by Contemporary Music for All (CoMA) and the Royal Ballet and Opera, and I've also been able to make new friends and play new music written or arranged specifically for the orchestra. I think everyone you ask will have different answers, though – that's the joy of NOYO!

How does playing music as a member of NOYO make you feel?

I think the first thing I feel while playing is relief. When I first started losing my mobility, I was really scared that I wouldn't be able to be a part of my orchestras and choirs, but NOYO has proved to me that if an ensemble wants to make accessibility happen, they can. 

There's also a really lovely sense of connection between the players – there's a moment in Falling by Kate Whitley where the Clarion passes a melody across the orchestra, and it's that passing over that really helps the ensemble feel like one body instead of lots of players.

What is your favourite thing about being a member of NOYO?

This might sound strange, so you'll have to hear me out – feeling normal. Because the orchestra is so rooted in accessibility, and over 70% of the orchestra identifies as disabled, I don't feel ousted for having different needs than the other people – I can use the same entrances and access the same spaces as my peers. 

There's something really indescribable about going from feeling like you're falling behind your group because you can't get to places as quickly, or because you can't handle being in the same loud spaces, to then being at the NOYO residential, where almost every requirement can be met, and everyone is not just allowed, but encouraged to exercise their needs.

What are your musical goals for the future?

As much as I love NOYO (and I do intend to stay for as long as they'll have me!), I am also a very big believer in the idea that the existence of disabled-led organisations does not mean that other orchestras get to forget about their accessibility. I want to join lots of musical ensembles and get them to think more about who they're excluding. I want to do as much as I can to make the world of music as open as it can be, especially because music has such a unique possibility to be completely universal.

The theme of this year's NOYO concert at Milton Court is ‘Ring out! No more barriers, just great music’. 

What does ‘no more barriers, just great music’ mean to you?

I think there is a bit of a belief that disabled people can't be good at music – if you look at Arts Council England-funded and BBC orchestras, just 2% declare a disability, and I think NOYO works to prove that the number is so low not because disabled musicians are less talented, but because of historic inaccessibility. To me, "no more barriers, just great music" is both a call to other organisations to change, but also a declaration that we are just as talented and proficient as other musicians.

What three reasons would you give people to come along to the concert on 27 April?

One – We're playing some absolutely wonderful music, with some existing pieces, and some new music.

Two – Our audience members have commented on the "surprises, emotions and wonder" and the "precision, joy and energy" of our performances - we're a tried-and-true source of joy and wonder.

Three – No matter who you are, there is someone in your life (friends, children or family members) who would benefit from knowing that orchestras like NOYO exist; if you see us, you will see other people in us - other people that could join our orchestra and community!