Every year, 170 talented teenagers from all across the UK are selected to join the prestigious National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain (NYO) – and this year, three young musicians from Watford are among its numbers.

Pippa Hampton, 17, from Rickmansworth is one of the orchestra’s French horn players, returning for her second year in the NYO.

She will be joined by Owen Nicolaou, 17, a pupil at Watford Grammar School for Boys, and Jess Pryce, 16, who attends The Purcell School, who are both double bass players.

The orchestra comes together three times a year for residencies, and Pippa has just enjoyed her first one of this year, which culminated in concerts at Leeds Town Hall and the Barbican Hall in London last weekend.

“It went really well, I’m really enjoying it,“ says the Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Girls sixth former. “I got in last year and when I heard I’d made it this year as well, I was really thrilled.“

Pippa hopes to go to university next year to study music, and is finding the NYO gives her invaluable experience.

“It’s absolutely fantastic, getting the opportunity to learn from professionals, they’re really inspirational,“ says Pippa, who has been performing with the Watford School of Music Youth Orchestra for a few years.

“Being around other young musicians who are also so enthusiastic is such an amazing experience.“

This season, Pippa has been delighted to have had as one of tutors one of her favourite French horn soloists, David Pyatt.

“It was amazing,“ she says. “It was great to get to learn from him and hear what he had to say. He had a different perspective on certain aspects of music, which was really nice.“

Pippa started playing the French horn when she was ten, after selecting it during a school open day in which she got to try out a whole range of musical instruments. She chose it because she liked the sound it made.

She lives in Rickmansworth with her parents, Ali and Nick, and sisters Alex, 18, and Emily, ten.

“They’re all really excited for me,“ Pippa says. “They come to most of my concerts. I always get really nervous when I perform so it’s nice knowing they’re there.“