Vadim Repin, James Judd & Asian Youth Orchestra
Young Euro Classic 2017
Young Euro Classic 2017
Conductor and artistic director of the orchestra, Richard Pontzious initially founded the Asian Youth Orchestra (AYO) with violinist and conductor Yehudi Menuhin, in 1987. Pontzious aimed to create a platform for young Asian musicians to unite musical talent within the continent and encourage a new generation of homegrown talented individuals. Today, the AYO is considered Asia’s premier pre-professional orchestra, having received awards such as the 2010 Praemium Imperiale Grant for Young Artists, in 2010. The AYO frequently joins international music festivals, including the Young Euro Classic festival of 2017. On said occasion, the 100-plus orchestra members representing nearly a dozen Asian countries performed Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in D major at the Konzerthaus Berlin. This concert is conducted by James Judd, former music director of the Florida Philharmonics, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and other renowned orchestras. The Asian Youth Orchestra has been praised as outstanding for its energetic and youthful performances as well as its rich and infectious sound.