Grand Union Youth Orchestra Workshops and Performances Spring/Summer 2017

GUYO TENTH ANNIVERSARY YEAR

2017 is the 10th anniversary year of the Grand Union Youth Orchestra, and we are planning a series of events and a fund-raising campaign based around this. See our 2017 schedule for the latest details, or look at our upcoming workshops and performances.

GUYO masterclasses or workshops, sometimes complemented by an evening performance, take place at Rich Mix on the first Sunday in each month.

What is unique about GUYO?

Led by top professional jazz and world-musicians from the renowned Grand Union Orchestra, GUYO offers free monthly masterclasses and workshops that explore musical styles from all over the world. Each session takes place at East London's vibrant Arts Centre, Rich Mix.

GUYO members’ (or their families’) countries of origin include Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, Portugal, Italy, India, Bangladesh, the Caribbean, South Africa, East Africa and China as well as London born and bred. Therefore, the range of instruments they play is equally wide, so in a typical Grand Union Youth Orchestra performance you are likely to hear:

saz, ney, oud, sitar, sarangi, Indian violin, tabla, dholak, dhol, panpipes, steel pans, marimba. vibraphone, concert harp, violin, cello, double bass flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, French horn, trombone, harmonium guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, congas, djembe, Latin percussion, kit drums

Join GUYO, no auditions, FREE OF CHARGE, and:

• Take part in regular high-profile performances
• Work alongside leading professional musicians
• Learn about world music, first hand, from experts
• Discover new instruments and develop improvisation skills
• Meet and create with like-minded young musicians

The GUYO repertoire, created and rehearsed in over 60 workshop sessions so far, is continually developing and expanding. It includes a arrangements of world music ‘standards’, original music, material adapted from Tony Haynes’s music for the Grand Union Orchestra, and contributions and compositions by the Orchestra members themselves.

Members get to perform in a varied annual programme: from open air festivals and summer carnival processions to large-scale participatory shows playing alongside the Grand Union Orchestra. Past performances have taken place in prestigious venues such as the Hackney Empire, Wiltons Music Hall, and Stratford Circus.

For upcoming performances,  click her