Halifax/K’jipuktuk, NS – Symphony Nova Scotia is pleased to announce the launch of the new Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra (NSYO) Wellness Program, a first of its kind in Atlantic Canada.

With an exceptional gift of $90,000 over three years from the J&W Murphy Foundation, Symphony Nova Scotia will be able to offer the young musicians of the NSYO an integrated approach to healthy music making.

“Athletes and musicians are a lot alike,” says NSYO General Manager Jack Chen, who also plays flute with Symphony Nova Scotia. “Playing an instrument can take a toll on your body, and performance anxiety for musicians isn’t unusual. By helping our young musicians learn wellness techniques early, we hope they’ll master lifelong tools and strategies for managing stress and maintaining their health in any high-performance environment.”

Symphony Nova Scotia is indebted to the J&W Murphy Foundation, whose financial support will provide tools and resources to support our young musicians’ mental, physical, and musical wellbeing. “It is so important for us to be supporting mental wellness among our gifted young musicians,” says the Foundation. “We are thrilled to see this program take root here in Nova Scotia.”

A team of experts, notably a clinical psychologist, audiologist, dietitian, and mental performance consultant will act as a Wellness Team. Performance psychology sessions and regular workshops will provide comprehensive training for musicians on a weekly basis.

“The NSYO is a key education program for the Symphony,” says Symphony Nova Scotia CEO Christopher Wilkinson. “With careful and deliberate programming, we hope to truly integrate the resources of mental, physical, and musical health into our delivery of a successful NSYO season, where each one of our young musicians has access to tools that will help give them a tremendous musical learning experience.”

For more information about the NSYO, please visit symphonynovascotia.ca/NSYO.

About Symphony Nova Scotia
Symphony Nova Scotia (Music Director: Holly Mathieson) is one of Canada’s most versatile and dynamic orchestras. Founded in 1983, the 37-member orchestra proudly performs music that reflects Nova Scotia’s diverse musical interests and history, combining classical masterworks, historically informed baroque, new compositions, and groundbreaking collaborations featuring artists from Nova Scotia’s rich pop, indie, and Celtic music scene. With a home base in Halifax/K’jipuktuk and performances across the province, Symphony Nova Scotia reaches more than 80,000 Nova Scotians of all ages each year with its inclusive mix of concerts, free community programs, and educational outreach.

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For more information, please contact:

Carol Kehoe
Director of Marketing and Communications, Symphony Nova Scotia
902.421.5264
[email protected]
symphonynovascotia.ca