Blaxland teenager Jonathan Baker will swap the cement assembly area of Penrith High School for the iconic ground of Beijing’s Tiananmen Square when he performs as part of an international youth orchestra in the lead-up to the Olympic Games next month.

The Year 11 student will march onto the world stage with 2007 other musicians from 40 countries who will make up the Beijing Olympic Orchestra — a special group that will perform over two weeks in a series of cultural events.

On August 3, the orchestra will be the first and only foreign group to ever gain permission to perform in Tiananmen Square in a tightly controlled two hour concert broadcast for Chinese breakfast television and the international media.

When the Gazette caught up with Jonathan, the trumpet player was unsure whether the orchestra would also perform at the Olympic Games opening ceremony — but unsurprisingly, hoped they would.

The Beijing experience will top a high achieving year for the talented musician who, along with his older brother Jarred, also performed at an Australia-wide school jazz competition at Mt Gambia in May.

Jonathan was part of the senior jazz orchestra that won the competition’s division one section while Jarred’s jazz stage band came 12th in division two.

Topping off the event, adjudicator and Australian jazz legend James Morrison handpicked Jonathan to perform in a ‘super band’ consisting of his choice of the best soloists from the weekend competition.

But even without special attention like this, Year 12 student Jarred said the event’s impact was undeniable for both he and his brother.

“One of the best benefits is seeing all these other students playing . . . Once you see someone your own age, or even younger, playing at such a high level, it inspires you to do much better,” said the tenor saxophone player.

Jonathan and Jarred also play in the Penrith Vallley Concert Band as well as their own rock band, The Credits — proving their musical diversity (Jonathan plays drums in the band while Jarred plays keyboards) and that there is little sibling rivalry between them.