Haywards Heath teen flautist represents Mid Sussex in National Youth Orchestra

Isaac Skey, who attends BHASVIC in Brighton, is one of only 158 musicians across the country to have been chosen.

Isaac told the Middy: “It’s amazing to have been given such a good opportunity to perform some great repertoire and work with other young musicians of the same standard.”

He said he has been playing the flute for eight years and attends Royal College of Music Junior Department on Saturdays.

“I also play the piano,” he said. “I actually started learning it first but flute eventually took over as my main instrument.”

Isaac, whose goal is to become a professional orchestral musician, said he would like to study at either the Royal College of Music or the Royal Academy of Music. He said his first concert with the NYO is at the Barbican in London on January 4, and he his looking forward to performing at the iconic venue.

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In 2024 the orchestra is set to perform three concert tours across the country with every musician aiming to encourage, support and champion their peers. Throughout the year they will work with more than 1,000 musicians through NYO Inspire and reach many other young people through NYO open projects with partners across the music education sector.

Isaac’s recent achievement follows his 2022 appearance in the final of the televised Woodwind category of the BBC Young Musician of the year competition.

Isaac said he started to learn the flute because an orchestral instrument would provide him with more musical opportunities.

He said: “I really like the sound of the flute. There’s a really wide range of tones you can produce and it's fun to experiment with them.”

He added: “I’d really encourage any young musicians to either audition for the NYO or apply for the NYO Inspire programme. They’re both amazing musical experiences that are beneficial for your music making.”

The National Youth Orchestra was founded in 1948 and has become the UK’s leading organisation that champions orchestral music as a means of teenage development.