Bristol Grammar School Music Department presents:

The National Youth Jazz Orchestra

The UK's premier cutting-edge youth jazz orchestra live in concert.

The 24-piece NYJO Jazz Orchestra is the gateway to the profession for many future stars of the UK jazz scene, and countless musical theatre and session musicians. NYJO’s alumni include Guy Barker, Laura Jurd, Mark Nightingale and Amy Winehouse, plus the leader of the Strictly Come Dancing band Dave Arch (and most of his band members) and music supervisor for the London 2012 Olympics Martin Koch.

The orchestra performs around 35 gigs each year, including recently the BBC Proms, the EFG London Jazz Festival, European tours with our German and Dutch counterparts BuJazzO and NJJO, and annual residencies at Ronnie Scott’s jazz club.

Mark Armstrong, Artistic and Music Director

Mark studied at Oxford University and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, London. Re-appointed as the Artistic and Music Director for NYJO in 2012, Mark had taken the rehearsals and written for the band for many years – before that Mark was a member of the NYJO’s trumpet section.

As a composer and arranger he has written extensively for big band and is a former winner of the BBC Big Band Competition arranging prize. Additionally, he composes and arranges for a variety of forces from small jazz ensemble to full orchestra and many of his works have been recorded by NYJO.

As a performer, he was nominated in the best trumpet category of the 2007 Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Awards and he performs regularly with the Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra and in small groups. Mark is Jazz Professor at the Royal College of Music in London and works as a moderator, trainer and examiner for the ABRSM.

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