European Union Youth Orchestra

The Youth Orchestra of the European Union ( engl. European Union Youth Orchestra, EUYO ) is a training orchestra for young musicians from the European Union with headquarters in London, which is funded by the EU and some Member States. It consists of members from all 28 Member States and allows them to musical development under the guidance of professional instructors.

History

The EUYO was founded in 1976 by ​​Lionel and Joy Bryer of the British International Youth Foundation's Youth Orchestra of the European Community ( European Community Youth Orchestra ) and should represent the European ideal of a community that works together and achieves peace and social understanding. At the same time it should also offer a professional advancement opportunity for young orchestral musicians. The proposal for the creation of the orchestra was founded in 1974 initially presented to the Committee on Culture and Education of the European Parliament and approved at the plenary session of the European Parliament by effort of all parties on March 8, 1976, a large majority. The European Commission adopted in April 1976 officially patron of the orchestra.

Members

The orchestra consists of up to 140 musicians representing all 28 EU Member States. These are annually chosen from over 4,000 candidates 14 to 24 years of age who attend the EU -wide auditions. Previously taken members must participate in the auditions a year with the new applicants again to keep their position.

Musicians who have been accepted for the respective year, rehearse with the orchestra large orchestral works by composers such as Mahler, Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky and Beethoven, as well as contemporary repertoire with works by György Ligeti ( who accompanied the orchestra for a time as a resident composer ) Erkki -Sven Tuur and Arturs Muscat and lead then at venues around the world.

Experience from the EUYO is considered good training for a future career in the professional music world. More than 90 % of the members of the EUYO later be professional musicians, many of them have gotten points in Europe's leading orchestras.

Musical director is currently Vladimir Ashkenazy.

Concerts and tours

Since the inaugural tour, which led the orchestra, among other things to Amsterdam, Bonn, Paris, Luxembourg, Brussels, Milan and Rome, the EUYO per year has taken at least 2 tours in addition to other concerts. It regularly plays alongside professional symphony orchestras to music festivals like the Salzburg Festival, the Edinburgh Festival and the BBC Proms. In addition to these appearances in Europe led trips to the orchestra already in the People's Republic of China (including Hong Kong), Japan, India, North and South America, Russia, Kazakhstan and Korea.