Accent on Youth 2025 with Head of Sheffield Music Service Ian Naylor

Our guest conductor for our Accent on Youth 2025 concert on 10th May 2025 is Ian Naylor, a musician and an educator who is Head of Music Education for Sheffield.

“I'm really delighted to be working with the Chamber Orchestra”, Ian explained, “in particular on this this gig with children and young people because the heart of what I believe in, and what we do at Sheffield Music Hub, is create opportunities for young musicians to absolutely thrive. What we really, really believe in is that young musicians from all backgrounds deserve the opportunity to be the very best version of themselves as performers and musicians”.

We're proud with the range of performers and music we have this evening. When Ian started planning this concert with the orchestra’s programming committee, he was eager to profile a number of young musicians and also a talented young educator who is working with young musicians in the city.

“We've come up with a bit of a smorgasbord concert”, Ian continued, “and there are some real favourites in there from some really talented musicians”. The programme features Méditation from Thaïs, some of the iconic Songs from the Auvergne by Canteloube, Fauré’s Élégie, and a seldom heard flute piece by Reinecke.

Because Ian wanted young people to be right at the heart of the concert, we're also performing Mendelssohn's first symphony, which he wrote when he was a teenager.

Although Ian conducts SCO for the first time in this concert, he has a long connection with the orchestra. “My old piano teacher was a chap called Harry Malpass and he used to teach music with my mum at Brinsworth Comprehensive School in Rotherham years ago”, Ian recalls. “Harry really inspired me as an educator and the fact that the orchestra that he used to conduct is still doing its bit to inspire young musicians is really important. Thank you very much!”