For more than half a century, EYO has had a tradition of ambitious music-making, including the performance of works by its Honorary Patron Mark-Anthony Turnage, collaborations with local schools and singers in semi-staged operas, and concertos with young soloists often drawn from within its own ranks. EYO was founded in 1959 by John Railton, the Director of Music at Ealing Grammar School for Boys. His vision was to provide opportunities and experience for gifted musicians from all the schools of the area. He remained the orchestra's conductor for 21 years. Subsequent conductors included Hilary Davan Whetton, Stephen Block, Mark Gooding, Mark Forkgen and now Leon Gee, who took over in 2006. EYO has stayed true to its original vision by supporting young musicians, even during cutbacks in arts funding and music education. Many members have gone on to careers in music and have graduated to play with leading national and European orchestras. One feature of eyo that sets it apart from many other youth orchestras, is that it is completely independent and self-financed. Until the early 1990s it was substantially funded by the London Borough of Ealing, but this support eventually was withdrawn. The orchestra finances itself through subscriptions and ticket sales and is administered by volunteers.

Gamal Khamis is a British pianist, educated at Westminster School, Imperial College London and the Royal College of Music. He first performed at the Wigmore Hall at the age of ten, and has since appeared at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room, Cadogan Hall, Sage Gateshead, Oxford Lieder Festival, Buxton Festival and Chipping Campden Festival, among many others, as well as on BBC Radio 3 and Dutch radio. He has participated in festivals in Canada, France, Greece, Italy, The Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA. Gamal has won major prizes at the Norah Sande, ESO Young Soloist and Christopher Duke piano competitions, and has performed concertos by Mozart, Beethoven, Grieg, Fauré, Saint-Saëns, Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky and Finzi, with orchestras including the University of London Symphony Orchestra, the Richmond Orchestra and Guildford Symphony Orchestra. He has been a Concordia Foundation Artist since 2010, a Park Lane Group Artist since 2013, and is a member of the Lipatti Piano Quartet, recent winners of the Elias Fawcett Trust Award at the Royal Over Seas League Music Competition.

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