Welcome to iayo.ie
The Irish Association of Youth Orchestras is the all-Ireland resource organisation for youth orchestras in Ireland.
IAYO Orchestral Conducting Workshops 2025
The Irish Association of Youth Orchestras’ annual Orchestral Conducting Workshops will take place in MTU Cork School of Music from Monday, 30 June to Friday, 4 July 2025. Please apply here.
IAYO 2026 Festival Applications
We are delighted to announce that applications are now open for the 30th Festival of Youth Orchestras in 2026. The 2026 Festival will take place on Saturday, 7 February 2026 in the National Concert Hall, Dublin. Closing date for applications is Friday, 11 April 2025.
IAYO Youth Forum
IAYO, supported by funding from the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe, are proud to announce that the ‘Hear Us Play, Have Our Say’ forum for young orchestral musicians, aged 16 to 25 years of age, will be taking place across Saturday, 15 February and Sunday, 16 February.
IAYO Youth Orchestra Collaboration Grant 2025
In 2025, IAYO is once again running our Youth Orchestra Collaboration Grant scheme to stimulate collaboration among youth orchestras in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Closing date for applications is Friday, 28 February 2025.
Arts Council Funding
Applications are now open for the The Arts Council’s Young People, Children and Education Bursary Award. Applications for the Young Ensembles Scheme are also now open.
NYCI SPARK Youth Arts Festival 2025
The National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) are delighted to announce that the SPARK Youth Arts Festival 2025 will take place from February 24 until March 1 2025.
IAYO Festival of Youth Orchestras Programe 2025
The 2025 Festival of Youth Orchestras took place on Saturday, 8 February 2025 in the National Concert Hall, Dublin. You can view the 2025 Festival programme online via Dropbox here.
Be a Friend of IAYO!
Celebrate Ireland’s youth orchestras and help to give young musicians from all over Ireland the opportunity of a lifetime to perform at the Festival of Youth Orchestras at the National Concert Hall.
To mark the 25th anniversary of the Festival of Youth Orchestras, IAYO launched a Friends scheme – an opportunity for everyone who is passionate about Ireland’s youth orchestras and the Festival to support us and the amazing work of our members.
