Youth Orchestra

The Cardiff and Vale Youth Orchestra was founded in 1975. The orchestra rehearses weekly, during term time, at Whitchurch High School on the outskirts of Cardiff. We currently have 100 members aged 13 to 22. 

The Youth Orchestra is the senior of three CF Music Education orchestras which meet weekly. It is aimed at musicians who are Grade 6 standard or above. The orchestra rehearses on Friday evenings during the school term, holds termly residential/non-residential weekend courses and performs three concerts at prestigious venues in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan annually. The orchestra also undertakes a 10 day tour in Europe biennially, and has been on many highly successful concert tours including those to Stuttgart, Arhensburg, Vienna, Edinburgh, Italy and the Czech Republic.

The staff of the orchestra are often assisted by a team of leading professional musicians from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera, who take sectional rehearsals.

Please see below for the Youth Orchestra’s full timetable for 2024-25.

Rehearsal SessionsDayProposed DateTime  Rehearsal / Concert Venue Details
Rehearsal 1FridayFriday 13 September6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 2FridayFriday 20 September6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 3FridayFriday 27 September6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 4FridayFriday 4 October6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 5FridayFriday 11 October6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 6FridayFriday 18 October6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 7FridayFriday 25 October6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 8FridayFriday 8 November6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 9FridayFriday 15 November6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 10FridayFriday 22 November6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 11FridayFriday 29 November6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 12FridayFriday 6 December6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 13FridayFriday 13 December6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
CourseSaturdaySaturday 14 December6.30 to 9.30pmWeekend Course: Bishop of Llandaff
CourseSundaySunday 15 December6.30 to 9.30pmWeekend Course: Bishop of Llandaff
Rehearsal 14FridayFriday 17 January 20256.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 15FridayFriday 24 January6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 16FridayFriday 7 February6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 17FridayFriday 14 February6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 18FridayFriday 7 March6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 19FridayFriday 14 March6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 20FridayFriday 21 March6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 21FridayFriday 28 March6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 22FridayFriday 4 April6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
CourseSundaySunday 6 April9.30am to 6.30pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 23FridayFriday 2 May6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 24FridayFriday 9 May6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 25FridayFriday 16 May6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 26FridayFriday 23 May6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 27FridayFriday 6 June6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 28FridayFriday 13 June6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 29FridayFriday 20 June6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 30FridayFriday 27 June6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 31FridayFriday 4 July6.30 to 9pmWhitchurch High School
Rehearsal 32FridayFriday 11 July6.30pm to 9.30pmWhitchurch High School

Concert DateTimeLocation
Friday 20 December 2024Rehearsal: 2pm to 6pm
Concert: 7pm to 9.15pm		BBC Hoddinott Hall
Wednesday 16 July 2025Rehearsal: 2pm to 6pm
Concert: 7pm to 9.15pm		Summer Concert – TBC
Course: Saturday 12 July to Sunday 13 July 20259.30am to 6.30pm both daysWeekend Course: Bishop of Llandaff

Conductor Biography

Eric W. Phillips MBE (Music Director)

Born in Neath, Eric graduated from University College Cardiff with a BMus (Hons) degree and went on to complete his masters degree, before taking up his first teaching appointment at Whitchurch High School in 1980. He studied piano with Richard McMahon and Martin Jones at University, where he won the ‘Eric Harrison Memorial Prize for Pianists’.

His work with Whitchurch High School Orchestra has involved him conducting in the Royal Albert Hall and the Royal Festival Hall, London, St. David’s Hall, Cardiff and on concert tours abroad.

Eric joined the staff of the Youth Orchestra in 1980. Five years later, he became Associate Conductor and was appointed Principal Conductor of the Orchestra in 1993. Under his direction, the Orchestra has given outstanding performances of some of the most demanding works in the orchestral repertoire – Mahler’s 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th Symphonies, Rachmaninov’s Symphony No 2, Richard Strauss’ Alpine Symphony and Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra. Eric was awarded an MBE in the 2013 Queen’s Birthday Honours list.