Founded in 1960, the NYOC was established primarily as an educational body with the objective of preparing young Canadian musicians for careers as professional orchestral players. Its success has been proven by the fact that approximately one-third of Canada's professional orchestral musicians are alumni of the NYOC.

Every year, the NYOC receives an average of 500 applications from across Canada for a coveted 100 positions in the orchestra. Based on nationally held auditions, successful candidates will be given the opportunity to participate in the NYOC regardless of economic or geographic circumstance. All musicians are awarded scholarships to help cover the costs of the NYOC training session.

The session, held on the campus of a Canadian university, offers more hours of training in orchestral playing in one summer than most universities offer in a year. Faculty members of the NYOC come from prominent orchestras throughout Europe and North America.

Following the NYOC’s 1996 Tokyo performance, delegates of the World Youth Orchestra Conference Festival declared the NYOC as being “the best youth orchestra in the world.” In 2002, the NYOC returned to Asia to perform at the same festival as well as tour parts of Japan and China.

Since 1960, the NYOC has become an internationally renowned and respected training ground for young orchestral musicians. Its alumni form the core of major Canadian orchestras while others are members of prominent international orchestras. More than 2,600 of Canada's finest young musicians have received invaluable orchestral training from this nationally treasured institution which remains unique from its inception to the present day.