Tour 2026

Dear Parents/Carers and Students, 

We are delighted to offer you the opportunity to join:

TEES VALLEY YOUTH ORCHESTRA TOUR 2026

Verona, Cremona - Lake Garda, Italy

Tuesday 7th – Tuesday 14th July 2026

🇮🇹TVYO Tour 2026 - Verona, Cremona, Lake Garda🇮🇹

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THE TOUR

With a great deal of excitement, we are delighted to relaunch our tour for 2026, offering new members and those who were unable to sign up last time round, the chance to join our wonderful tour. Following the tremendous success of the last tour, we delighted to be returning to Italy to a destination that will replicate the same excitement as we had last time. The performance opportunities on offer and the chance to visit some of the most beautiful places in Italy was an offer not to refuse.

It really is a most beautiful part of the world, and incredibly well set up to support unforgettable concerts. Audiences in all locations are very large and will provide a lifetime of memories for everyone involved. We will be staying near Lake Garda, with excursions possible to the cities of Verona, Cremona (with a visit to the Stradivarius museum), Garda, Bardolino and Mantua, as well as a possible trip to the Gardaland theme park. A night at the opera at the Arena di Verona is also a possibility.

We will be staying in a 4* hotel, with outdoor pool. Like the previous tour, we will be travelling by coach from Teesside. Coach tours allow the social elements of the tour to develop straight from departure, and are very much a part of the tour itself. Although a long journey, the sense of excitement is captured straight away, without having to worry about flights and airports. 

Please see below for pictures of possible venues and the hotel. Whilst the location is stunning and guaranteed to be a hit, the performance opportunities on offer are fantastic and include potential concerts in the Cremona Summer Festival, and Verona Piano festival and a potential opportunity to perform in the Sala filarmonica, which is inside Verona’s opera house near the Arena. There’s also a possibility of a concert in Mantua cathedral. 

The organisers pay great attention to the promotion of each concert, working closely with the local tourist boards and advertising in 'What's On' guides and events listings produced by local tourist offices. They produce posters and flyers that are widely distributed on the days leading up to each concert, hold press conferences and submit press reviews and adverts in the arts and culture section of local and national newspapers, radios and TV. The timing and location of concerts are carefully planned to maximise audience potential and they guarantee that they will do their utmost to maximise our audience potential. Like all our international tours, this is a high profile opportunity for the orchestra and a chance to be cultural ambassadors for the UK.

This is a fantastic chance for TVYO members to experience taking part in highly prestigious concerts whilst enjoying the sightseeing opportunities and local culture offered by this culturally and historically rich area of Italy and we are very excited to be offering this tour to you. We really hope that you are excited and interested too. Ideally, I’d love to be able to take as many as we can, so that we can tackle some ambitious and fulfilling repertoire and showcase an orchestra that represents the great performances that TVYO produces. (Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet is definitely on the shortlist).

Tour preparation weekend will be 27th - 28th June 2026, so that we can ensure the highest standards. 

All current members of TVYO are eligible and positively invited to come on this tour. Since we only tour every other year, we very much view leavers as an integral part of the tour. Recent former members and members who have taken part on recent tours are also eligible, and we would love to include as many new members as possible - there is nothing quite like a TVYO tour, and you will have great fun. We feel that TVYO does tours very well, and whether it’s your first tour or your fifth, you can expect a fantastic time and a family atmosphere. Our tours have always been a wonderful way for young people to forge deeper friendships and explore different cultures, whilst making music in unforgettable concerts.

COST

There is no getting away from the fact that prices have risen considerably in the last couple of years. I was informed that the exact same tour as last year would have been slightly more expensive than this one. By organising next year’s tour now, we are able to spread the payments over a longer time period in support of TVYO families.

The cost is £1085, based on having a viable orchestra of a minimum number that reflects what TVYO is all about. We have worked really hard to find a tour that ticks all our boxes and is a worthwhile experience. We believe that, particularly in these times, this offers incredible value for money given the opportunities on offer. 

HOW TO BOOK A PLACE

Places on the tour are on a first-come-first-served basis. The deadline for registering for the tour is Saturday 15th October, 12pm. In order to sign-up, the process is as follows:

·       Log in to your SpeedAdmin account and click on the word ‘registration’ at the top of the screen. Or visit tvms.org.uk/register and select TVYO Tour 2026.

·       Follow all the prompts for the TVYO Tour 2026 registration.

·       If you already pay fees by Direct Debit, select pay by Direct Debit.  If not, select pay by card.

Further instructions will be sent out via your SpeedAdmin account to your registered email address after the closing date of 15th October.

The initial deposit of £85 will necessary to secure a place on the tour. This is a non-returnable deposit (unless the tour is unable to go ahead) and will be taken from 1st June either via your direct debit, or via your SpeedAdmin account.

Ten further instalments of £100.00 each will be taken by Direct Debit each month from July ‘25 until May ’26.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

There can be a whole range of reasons that families may be struggling financially. Support is available to ensure that all young musicians have the opportunity to take part in this TVYO tour. We are keen that everyone gets the opportunity to go no matter the financial circumstances, and so to that end it is also possible to apply for a subsidy in cases of hardship by emailing tvsrobertson@tvms.org.uk. This will then be considered in complete confidence by TVMS, and you will be informed as soon as possible whether or not a subsidy can be granted, subject to funds available. The subsidy is provided kindly by Friends of TVYO.

FTVYO have also agreed to fund up to a 10% discount available (upon application to tvsrobertson@tvms.org.uk) for second or third siblings, making the subsidised cost for the second/third sibling £976.50 per person.

Applications for both funds need to be received at TVMS by Monday 10th October. Please contact tvsrobertson@tvms.org.uk.

FURTHER FUNDING

* The Wrightson Trust

The Wrightson Trust aims to benefit those of secondary school age to 18 years. Reviews are conducted twice a year, with deadlines on 1st February and 1st September. Disbursements include payment for lessons, choir/orchestra tour fees, music college fees.

* Sydney Dean Whitehead Charitable Trust

This trust provides grants towards school fees and other educational costs for children under the age of 18 who have special skills in music and dance. 

There may be opportunities for funding, local to you, via the Funding Wizard on the Help Musicians’ website.

* Christine Brown Trust

The Christine Brown Trust for Young Musicians offers financial support to exceptionally talented young musicians under 19 years of age who are in financial hardship and unable to meet the expenses involved in learning a musical instrument. This may mean contributing towards the cost of lessons, helping to pay for a new instrument, perhaps paying for summer school or orchestra fees - in fact, anything connected with the costs of an instrumental education.

We would highly encourage personal fundraising, and involvement with FTVYO fundraising events, which may be able to fund excursions, or lower the price of the trip. 

*NB You must already be a registered member of TVYO or TVYO Alumni. If you are an alumnus not currently registered, then please add the alumni option to your basket along with the Italy tour. Any questions, please ask.

The tour is arranged by OneStage, and the price includes coach travel throughout the visit, half-board hotel accommodation, three  fully promoted concerts, plus personal insurance cover arranged through Stockton Borough Council.

Students who will miss school to attend the tour must have permission from their headteacher before they can come on the tour.

Due to the nature of this special tour and the prospect of performing in renowned venues, we do need to take a full orchestra and an orchestra that represents the great performances that TVYO produces. It is hoped that we are able to take a full orchestra so that all may gain from the musical and social benefits of this tour. We hope that you share our excitement – there’s nothing quite like a TVYO tour, so we hope you can join us.

Yours sincerely,

Nicholas Nowicki                                                         

Musical Director – Tees Valley Youth Orchestra     

🇮🇹NOTES and FAQ ON TOUR 2026 🇮🇹

·        Many months of research have gone into planning the best possible tour available to us at reasonable and competitive cost levels. We are very excited by this opportunity and believe that it provides extremely good value for money and an unforgettable experience. We believe it will stretch, challenge and excite our great young musicians.

·        It is my hope that this opportunity interests you all, no matter what year you are in, and whether you will have technically left by that point. In fact, the UK (specifically England!) is one of the only countries in the world to limit its youth orchestras to such a young age. If you would like to be involved, and I hope you would, then you are welcome. I’m aware that we have many new members that have not been on a TVYO tour before - and I know you’ll love it.

·        I am keen that if we go, we all go, as I want to be able to take an orchestra that reflects what we are all about. In other words, I really would like you ALL to go. Aside from the massive musical benefits, there are also huge benefits from the social aspect of tour, both individual and collective. 

·        Q. Can I organise my own transport and join you in Italy? Yes, you can. However, you won’t be getting the whole tour experience, as the trip is part of the fun and we are unable to adjust the price to reflect this, as it is a package cost. You would have to make arrangements to meet us at the hotel, on Lake Garda. You would still have to sign up for the whole tour in the first instance, then inform us of your travel arrangements.

·        Q. What will we be playing? Depends on the size and instrumentation of the orchestra. Something big, something great - I hope. Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet in firmly on the shortlist, but I’m hoping for something great as a full feature. Very probably the Glazunov symphony will feature.

·        Q. I know someone not currently in the orchestra and not an alumnus that might like to come along too. Can they? Yes! Please ask them to contact me directly, ASAP.

·        Q. I’m a leaver this year/a recent leaver. Can I still come on the tour? Yes, absolutely! This tour is for you. We actively encourage and welcome alumni back for our big summer projects, including tours and you will be a huge part of making the tour special.

·        It’s a full-length tour, and we will be staying in Italy for 5 nights.

·        Touring is incredibly important for TVYO. We have a terrific history of fantastic tours, that inspire and motivate our young people, and engender a new passion for playing and travel. It’s usual to be nervous before embarking on a tour, or signing up - and as someone who felt exactly those feelings, trust me, you’ll have a great time! We are one of the few youth orchestras of this standard left in the country, and even fewer of those do international tours.

·        Please know that this is a tour that will cater for all, regardless of age. We have always been able to cater for a large variation in age range, and this tour will be no exception. We are confident that our highly experienced and dedicated staff team will cater for the pastoral as well as the musical needs of everyone. Everything that we will do on the tour will be appropriate for the whole age range. The safety, security, safeguarding and wellbeing of those on the tour is the primary concern of staff at all times of the day and night.

·        This trip is during term-time for those still at school during this time, though it would not be possible to make this trip at any other time due to the dates available to us. Schools are sympathetic towards this. You are asking for support for a major educational, musical and cultural project under the auspices of one the best and longest running youth orchestras in the country. This is standard practice. You will need to get permission before going on the tour. It should go down as an authorised absence, as it is an approved education activity. We are happy to provide bespoke letters in support of your application should the need arise.

·        We have been in touch with other youth orchestras who have been to this region in the recent past, and they all say they “cannot recommend it highly enough.”

·        An outline itinerary will be published around April/May 2026, with a further full itinerary published in late June made available to students. At this point, we’ll be able to confirm the concert venues and dates, and the hotel.

· The tour follows the standards set in our Child Protection Policy, which can be found on the TVMS website.

·        There will be a meeting for parents prior to departure and a meeting for students. The parents meeting will take place on Friday 5th June, 6.30pm at Teesside High school, whilst the meeting for students will take place prior to the preparation weekend, on Friday 26th June, 6pm at Teesside High School.

·        If anyone, orchestra member or parent/guardian has any questions, or would like to chat things through prior to signing up, then please do get in touch with me and I’ll do my best to respond informatively. TVNNowicki@tvms.org.uk.

Nick Nowicki 

Musical Director, Tees Valley Youth Orchestra, TVMS 

 www.tvms.org.uk    tvnnowicki@tvms.org.uk