Opinion: A teenage cellist on spreading the love for classical music

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The more I connect with audiences as a young musician, the more I recognise the need to redefine classical music. I am a 16-year-old cellist and member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, and the idea of breaking down the traditional barriers surrounding classical music is frequently at the forefront of my mind. As artists, we hold the power to show the world the beauty of music, and how playing together can truly change lives and perspectives.

I have often observed divisive attitudes towards classical music from my peers – classical music can be perceived as serious, polite and unrelatable to society at large. Our NYO concerts have free tickets for teenagers, so this presented me with the perfect opportunity to invite some friends to hear the orchestra in action. I was excited about them coming, but also unsure as to how they would react to such a diverse and avant-garde programme, including Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, Gabriela Ortiz’s Téenek and Dinuk Wijeratne’s Tabla Concerto. After the concert, my friends could not contain themselves – they loved some parts, they were confused about others and they also had a lot of questions. Their reaction excited me: it made me realise that there really is something for everyone in classical music. I feel so strongly about NYO’s mission because we are setting a precedent, and with that we are shaping people’s lives…