On 14th Feburary, 2003, comprising around 30 members with ages from ~13 to ~23 years (high school age and up), the United Youth Orchestra (UYO) was formed. Why united?

• we are united in our enjoyment and appreciation of classical and other orchestral and chamber music;  

• we are united in our aim of helping young musicians of the Waikato to achieve their highest potential in music (as orchestral players, ensemble players, or as soloists); 

• we are united in bringing together young people of many different nationalities and cultures (we have more than ten countries represented in our ranks); 

• we are united in our desire to enjoy our music making and social time together. 

Since its formation, the orchestra has become the premier youth orchestra of the Waikato region, performing three or four concerts each year. Our major concerts, performed in the WEL Energy Trust Academy of Performing Arts at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, are usually in mid-June and mid-October. We travelled to New Plymouth 19-20th September 2009 to take part in a joint concert with the Taranaki Youth Orchestra (TYO). We went to Te Puke (Bay of Plenty) in 2006, 2010 and in 2012 and to New Plymouth in 2005, 2009 and in 2013 where we put on a joint concert with the TYO. TYO came to Hamilton to take part in concerts with us in 2003, 2007 and in 2011. In 2019, United Youth Orchestras and other three Orchestras had been together for their first ever combined camp at the Cambridge Avantidrome