Our history

Able Orchestra (AO) was built on the idea of combining music, technology, and creativity, enabling every participant to play live and shape their own sound. The group used GarageBand, ThumbJam, and Ableton Live on iPads, along with Leap Motion sensors and Launchpad controllers, allowing members to explore a wide range of keys, notes, and scales to create unique compositions.

The name "Able Orchestra" came from the use of Ableton Live, a key tool in the music-making process. As the project evolved, Inspire Youth Arts and the Able Orchestra (AO) team recognised its growth and development, gradually transitioning to using "AO" to better reflect its identity.

This short film from 2018 captures the origins of Able Orchestra and some of its key early projects:

The AO timeline: 

• 2013: Inspire Youth Arts invited to work with young people making music with iPads at Fountaindale School

• 2016: BBC Ten Pieces inspired composition performed at Royal Concert Hall Nottingham in February and the Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms series. Collaboration with The Petebox happens as part of Hockley Hustle Festival at Nottingham Contemporary in October.

• 2019: Performance at Metronome of ‘Fantastical Worlds’ as part of Nottingham’s Soundstage Festival in March.

• 2022: Immersion project in collaboration with Sinfonia Viva at Papplewick Pumping Station, in conjunction with the Miner2Major Landscape Partnership Scheme.

• 2024: AO Pioneers release ‘Between Worlds’ produced by Dyskinetic for presentation at Hockley Hustle in October and a live performance at Music Mark in November.

• 2025: Able Orchestra North Ensemble is launched on Wednesday evenings at Portland College.