About the North Shore Junior Orchestra

The North Shore Junior Orchestra is an orchestra made up of young musicians from around Auckland's North Shore. Every year we prepare 3 concerts for parents and the community in hope of improving the musical talent on the North Shore. Players of all orchestral instruments are invited to audition for a place in the orchestra at the beginning of the year, with a few auditions throughout the year for late starters.

In 2005 the orchestra performed 3 concerts. In March we performed at the Pumphouse Amphitheatre in Takapuna in blazing sunshine. This concert had all sorts of music including Star Wars, Titanic and even Suite No.1 from Handel's Water Music.

In Term 2 2005 the orchestra began preparing for its main concert of the year, the combined concert with the North Shore Children's Choir at Westlake Girls' High School. This concert was now in its 3rd year and each year it attracts more students and audience alike. We prepared music such as Tchaikovsky's Waltz of the Flowers, Down a country lane by Aaron Copland and Dance of the Tumblers by Rimsky-Korsakov. Together with the choir we performed 3 pieces Beauty and the Beast, Lion King, and Food Glorious Food.

In Term 4 2005 the orchestra performed a set of Christmas Carols at the Browns Bay Christmas Parade to a lovely crowd of Christmas shoppers. This was a wonderful chance for the members of the orchestra to get out into the community and perform in front of complete strangers! We also had our final concert and prizegiving at Rangitoto College. This year as well as 2004 Shauno Isomura was awarded the Player of the Year, and Chloe Bunce the most improved player.

2006 was another exciting year with just the second performance of a New Zealand Work called Aotearoa. Written by Douglas Mews in 1990, the work is in 10 movements for orchestra and choir. This was performed at the 5th annual combined concert in Term 3.

2007 saw the Musical Director David Kay leave for London to study at the Guildhall School of Music half way through the year, which brought a new face to the orchestra Ryan Youens. Ryan took the orchestra to the annual Browns Bay Christmas Parade as well as there end of year prizegiving and concert. In 2008 he prepared the orchestra for their annual combined concert with the North Shore Children's Choir. At the concert they performed works by Mozart, Beethoven, Verdi, Mussorgsky and many others.

Fees for the year for the NSJO are as follows:

Cheques can be made payable to North Shore Junior Orchestra.

For any more information about the North Shore Junior Orchestra please Contact Us.