European Union Youth Orchestra
Encyclopedia
The European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO) is a training orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...

 for young people in the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...

. It is funded centrally by the European Union and by a number of EU member states. It brings together young musicians from the EU and professional instrumental coaches to form an orchestra composed of players from all 25 EU member states.

History

The European Community Youth Orchestra (later to become the European Union Youth Orchestra) was founded in 1978 by Lionel and Joy Bryer, Chairman and Secretary General of the International Youth Foundation of Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

, with a view to creating an Orchestra which would represent the European ideal of a community working together to achieve peace and social understanding. At the same time it was also designed to provide a professional development experience for young orchestral musicians. The proposal for the creation of the Orchestra was first put to the Committee on Cultural Affairs and Youth of the European Parliament in 1974. As a result of an all-party effort, a resolution was adopted by the European Parliament by an overwhelming majority on 8 March 1976 during its plenary session. The European Commission officially confirmed the Patronage of the Orchestra in April 1976. The EUYO's Honorary President is the President of the European Parliament and its Honorary Patrons the Prime Ministers of each of the EU member states, headed by the President of the European Commission.

Members

The Orchestra is made up of up to 140 players, representing all 27 member countries of the European Union. The players are selected each year from over 4,000 candidates aged between 14 and 24, who take part in auditions throughout the EU. Incumbent members of the Orchestra are required to re-audition along with new applicants each year in order to keep their places.

Once the members have been selected for the year, they are invited to rehearse and perform major orchestral works by composers including Mahler, Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Beethoven, and Strauss, as well as contemporary repertoire which has included works by Ligeti (who joined the Orchestra as composer in residence on tour), John Adams, Erkki-Sven Tuur, and Arturs Maskats, in venues all over the world.

The experience that the EUYO provides is intended to be of social and cultural value to its members, whilst also as training for a future career in the professional music world. Over 90% of EUYO players go on to become professional musicians, and many have found jobs with Europe’s leading orchestras.

‘Ravel’s Rapsodie Espagnole and Shéhérazade showed, under Gardiner’s sympathetic direction, the incredible refinement and tonal subtlety of which these players are capable.’
Evening Standard review of the BBC Proms concert, 25 August 2005

The current musical director is Vladimir Ashkenazy
Vladimir Ashkenazy
Vladimir Davidovich Ashkenazy is a Russian-Icelandic conductor and pianist. Since 1972 he has been a citizen of Iceland, his wife Þórunn's country of birth. Since 1978, because of his many obligations in Europe, he and his family have resided in Meggen, near Lucerne in Switzerland...

.

Concerts and tours

Since the EUYO’s inaugural tour, which took the players to Amsterdam, Bonn, Paris, Luxembourg, Brussels, Milan and Rome, the EUYO has undertaken at least two tours each year as well as a number of other engagements. The Orchestra regularly plays alongside professional symphony orchestras in music festivals including the Salzburg Festival
Salzburg Festival
The Salzburg Festival is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer within the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...

, the Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...

, the BBC Proms and the Concertgebouw
Concertgebouw
The Concertgebouw is a concert hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch term "concertgebouw" literally translates into English as "concert building"...

's Robeco Summer Concert Series. In addition to performing in major cities, concert halls and festivals in Europe, the EUYO’s concert schedule has taken them to China, Hong Kong, Japan, India, North and South America, Russia, Kazakhstan and Korea as Ambassadors of Goodwill.

See also

  • European Union Baroque Orchestra
    European Union Baroque Orchestra
    The European Union Baroque Orchestra is a training initiative of the European Union which allows young performers of baroque music from all over the EU to gain orchestral experience as part of their career development from conservatoire study into a professional career...

  • European Union Chamber Orchestra
  • European Union Orchestra and Chorus
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