A Crowland teen has landed a prestigious spot in a national orchestra.
Rachel Weston (18) has been accepted as a violinist with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.
The pupil at King’s School, Peterborough, took part in a very competitive audition process which began in June.
Rachel and will now play violin in the 2026 orchestra performing in some of the greatest classical music venues in the country, including the Barbican and South Bank Centres in London, and the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham.
The orchestra regularly plays at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, and some of its concerts are broadcast on BBC TV and radio.
In addition to the many performances throughout the year, Rachel will also be working in schools across the region to bring live music to children who may not normally be able to experience this.
Since 2021 Rachel has travelled to London every Saturday to attend the Junior Department of Trinity Laban Conservatoire where she receives tuition from some of the best teachers and performers in the country.
She began her education at South View Primary School in Crowland, and attended Spalding Music Centre before becoming a member of Lincolnshire Youth Orchestra.
She later went on to lead this orchestra in its recent tour to Spain in Summer 2025.
Dad Paul Weston said: “Rachel is very much looking forward to playing in some of the country’s most iconic music venues, along with supporting younger musicians and enabling children to experience orchestral music for the first time.”
Tickets for the winter tour are now available (Barbican Centre, Warwick Arts Centre and Nottingham Royal Concert Hall), and all NYO concerts are free to attend for teenagers.
