NYJO is turning 60! Join us for an all-day celebration of young jazz talent as our musicians

Formerly known as the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, NYJO has grown from a single jazz orchestra into a vibrant, varied organisation delivering engaging participation projects and impactful live performances for everyone. We are a registered charity dedicated to making jazz and improvised music more accessible to young people and audiences around the UK.

This year, NYJO turns 60 and will be hosting an all-day celebration at Woolwich Works as part of EFG London Jazz Festival.

In the evening, a NYJO large ensemble takes the stage to perform a special programme, curated and directed by NYJO Emerging Professional musician and Trumpeter Olivia Cuttill and featuring exciting guests! This big band project celebrates Nina Simone’s 1982 album “Fodder On My Wings” – one of her less acknowledged works, this album is an intimate account of Simone’s personal struggles, and in true Nina fashion, promises to take the audience on a journey through the range of emotions that jazz can invoke.

To join them on this celebratory evening, NYJO has invited a lineup of star guests – acclaimed pianist and composer Nikki Yeoh, British jazz pioneer Cleveland Watkiss MBE, leading jazz drummer Winston Clifford, award-winning composer Callum Au, and rising star of contemporary big band music Fergus Quill – all of whom have played a part in NYJO’s history and hopefully its future.

Join NYJO in this celebration of 60 years of history nurturing young jazz talent and helping create a vibrant and inclusive jazz community.

In the afternoon you can also see NYJO’s under 18s musicians of all levels perform, under the mentorship of Winston Clifford, Olivia Murphy, and some of the NYJO Emerging Professional musicians who have been leading the entry level group.