National Youth Orchestra Launches Bracing New Year with Style
The National Youth Orchestra kicked off its 2026 concert season in earnest just a week after its members first came together, a daunting task indeed. The ensemble's Shimmer programme is an urban heat-haze of vibrant rhythms and scintillating melodies, transporting the audience to sun-kissed Spanish streetscapes via Debussy and Ravel.
Conductor Alexandre Bloch expertly guided his large orchestra through the intricate passages of Debussy's Ibéria, a delicate pointillist affair that conjures images of muted colours and scents. While some works benefited from the doubled forces, others felt slightly overdetermined, with rhythms juddering and scales smudged. Nevertheless, Bloch maintained control, imbuing the performance with Gallic flair.
The evening's highlight came in Ravel's Rapsodie Espagnole, where the orchestra finally found its footing, unleashing a maelstrom of swirling rhythms and triumphant brass. The closing movement was a joyous explosion of sound, brass snarling and rasping like fireworks as the woodwinds shot skywards.
The real showstopper, however, came with the ensemble's energetic performance of Karim Al-Zand's City Scenes. This 2006 piece introduced a much-needed swagger to the orchestra, its neon-lit brass and woodwind phrases careening around the ensemble like a sonic Artful Dodger. The contrast with Anna Clyne's radiant DANCE was thrilling, the cello concerto mirroring Inbal Segev's expressive playing.
The evening also featured an opening group riff on Autumn Leaves and a spirited encore of Rossini's William Tell Overture. By August, when the Shimmer tour reaches its climax, these teenagers will undoubtedly be flying – already showing promise, the National Youth Orchestra has set a high bar for the coming year.
The National Youth Orchestra kicked off its 2026 concert season in earnest just a week after its members first came together, a daunting task indeed. The ensemble's Shimmer programme is an urban heat-haze of vibrant rhythms and scintillating melodies, transporting the audience to sun-kissed Spanish streetscapes via Debussy and Ravel.
Conductor Alexandre Bloch expertly guided his large orchestra through the intricate passages of Debussy's Ibéria, a delicate pointillist affair that conjures images of muted colours and scents. While some works benefited from the doubled forces, others felt slightly overdetermined, with rhythms juddering and scales smudged. Nevertheless, Bloch maintained control, imbuing the performance with Gallic flair.
The evening's highlight came in Ravel's Rapsodie Espagnole, where the orchestra finally found its footing, unleashing a maelstrom of swirling rhythms and triumphant brass. The closing movement was a joyous explosion of sound, brass snarling and rasping like fireworks as the woodwinds shot skywards.
The real showstopper, however, came with the ensemble's energetic performance of Karim Al-Zand's City Scenes. This 2006 piece introduced a much-needed swagger to the orchestra, its neon-lit brass and woodwind phrases careening around the ensemble like a sonic Artful Dodger. The contrast with Anna Clyne's radiant DANCE was thrilling, the cello concerto mirroring Inbal Segev's expressive playing.
The evening also featured an opening group riff on Autumn Leaves and a spirited encore of Rossini's William Tell Overture. By August, when the Shimmer tour reaches its climax, these teenagers will undoubtedly be flying – already showing promise, the National Youth Orchestra has set a high bar for the coming year.
! I mean, who wouldn't want to experience that Spanish heat-haze vibe through Debussy and Ravel's music? The way conductor Alexandre Bloch guided his orchestra was on point 
, especially in Rapsodie Espagnole - that brass section was ON FIRE 
. And Karim Al-Zand's City Scenes is like the ultimate showstopper – it's infectious! 
Anna Clyne's DANCE is gorgeous too, by the way... I'm excited to see what these talented teens do next 
and it was insane! 
The energy of that crowd was infectious 
- I swear some of those kids are going to blow the roof off when they perform in 2026 
anyway, what really stood out for me was how diverse the setlist was 
from Debussy to Ravel and Anna Clyne's beautiful cello concerto. it was like a rollercoaster ride of emotions all over again 
but what I loved most about the whole thing was that there were so many unknown names 
- Karim Al-Zand, for example. who knew? 
can't wait to see what they do next! 
just saw a video of a major storm hitting europe and it's not looking good 
flood warning issued in several countries ... bad news all around 
and to make matters worse, another major fire broke out at a fossil fuel plant 
. But what really caught my attention was when they played that Karim Al-Zand piece City Scenes - it was like a whole new level of sass and swagger came into play 
! And can we talk about how great Inbal Segev is on the cello? she's got skills, folks 
their conductor Alexandre Bloch is straight fire 
it's like they're bringing the whole city to life on stage with all that neon-lit brass and woodwind phrases 
I'm so hyped for their tour this year can't wait to see them perform live 
. But what really got me excited was how diverse their repertoire is - from Debussy to Ravel, Anna Clyne, and even some cool contemporary pieces like Karim Al-Zand's City Scenes 
!
i loved how the brass just snarled and rasped like fireworks in the closing movement 
. can't wait to see what they do with karim al-zand's city scenes... it sounds soooo cool!