View by department or faculty
A young man and woman holding RCM acceptance letters smiling at the camera. The boy is holding a bassoon and the girl is holding a bass trombone.

New Brunswick Youth Orchestra musicians to join the Royal College of Music

Thursday 5 February 2026

Two young musicians from the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra (NBYO) in Canada have gained places at the Royal College of Music from September 2026.  

Amy Robichaud and Alexander Urbina submitted video auditions to the RCM in November and were invited for live auditions on 2 February in Toronto. The RCM welcomes a number of Canadian students each year, but this is the first time that musicians from the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra have secured places.  

Bass trombonist Amy Robichaud started performing with Sistema New Brunswick in 2015, a free after-school orchestral programme led by NBYO. Through the programme, she advanced to the Moncton Youth Orchestra and later to the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra. Amy said: ‘It’s an incredible honour to be offered a position at the College. My family is really excited for me, and I want to thank Sistema NB and NBYO for making this journey possible.’ 

Kevin Porter, Deputy Director of the Royal College of Music said: ‘We are looking for the most talented students we can find anywhere in the world. We are very impressed with the scale of Sistema NB. It’s clear they are generating very talented musicians. It’s fantastic to partner with them and have a chance to help these students continue their education.’ 

Alexander Urbina began his musical studies in Venezuela before joining the NBYO this year as principal bassoon. He shared: ‘I’m very excited. It’s an incredible opportunity for me. I have no words to describe how happy I am.’ 

New Brunswick Youth Orchestra began as a provincial youth orchestra in 1965. For more than four decades, it engaged with 70 – 80 young people annually and reached the top talent in the province. Today, NYBO and Sistema NB is the largest youth music programme in Canada, engaging with 1,450 children and young people through a network of local children’s orchestras, regional youth orchestras and a provincial youth orchestra. Its alumni are now entering Canada’s leading music schools with top scholarships. 

Kenn Mainville, NBYO President and CEO said: ‘The Royal College of Music is the number one ranked music school in the world. The competition is incredibly intense. This is where big careers are developed in music and the arts... For our students in Sistema NB and the NBYO it shows any dream is possible, there is no ceiling on your potential.’ 

Tony Delgado, NBYO Music Director believes the successes will inspire fellow orchestra members and that the orchestra’s policy for all musicians to perform annual auditions helps their students to compete at elite levels. Tony commented: ‘When students like Amy and Alexander succeed, it confirms what we strive for in Sistema NB and NBYO. We know the talent is there, we provide the opportunity, support and the scaffolding needed to raise up to the highest level possible.’ 

Find out more about studying at the Royal College of Music, the Global No. 1 institution for Performing Arts, where gifted musicians from all over the world receive training for international careers as performers, conductors and composers.