Young Euro Classic

The Young Euro Classic festival stays true to its mission to introduce new ideas, new works and new faces to Berlin audiences and to audiences worldwide. Everything is equally fit to arouse curiosity: a multitude of world and German premieres, large-format orchestral works by Richard Strauss, jazz, ballet – and of course the evergreen symphonies of Beethoven. This program features various highlights of the 2018 edition: Mozart's Symphony No. 31, the first movement of Nielsen's Symphony No. 3, the first movement of Brahms' Symphony No. 4, Kristjan Järvi's New York Songs for piano and chamber orchestra and an arrangement of Marvin Gaye's “Got to Give It Up.”

Celebrating over 40 years of the European Union Youth Orchestra: a European success story which the Young Euro Classic audience has followed closely since the festival’s founding. The EUYO is renowned for uniting some of the best young musicians from across all EU states, as well as welcoming a variety of brilliant conductors including Claudio Abbado, Bernard Haitink and Gianandrea Noseda. This programme from the 2018 Young Euro Classics festival features the premiere of Agata Zubel's "Fireworks", as well a performance of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5. Unter den Highlights des Young Euro Classic Festivals von 2018 sind Agata Zubels "Fireworks", der Marche hongroise aus Berlioz' La Damnation de Faust, so wie auch eine Interpretation von Tschaikowskis 5. Sinfonie.

Young Euro Classic is the world’s most important platform for international young orchestra musicians in the European classical music tradition, and for its development. For 17 days every summer, orchestras from all over the world perform at Berlin’s Konzerthaus, on Gendarmenmarkt. This performance features some highlights of the Young Euro Classic edition of 2016. On the program are well-known classical pieces, like the third movement of Vivaldi’s “Summer” from Four Seasons, Mussorgky’s “Night on Bald Mountain,” and “Habanera” from Bizet’s Carmen. Tenor Alan Pingarrón sings “Gratia plena,” by Mario Talavera, and “Dime Que Si,” by Alfonso Oteo. On the program are also famous orchestral works like the Adagietto from Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, and the third movement of Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 3.

Over the course of 19 days, the best youth orchestras in the world led by great conductors, and flanked by virtuoso soloists, guaranteed exciting and inspiring concert performances at the Young Euro Classical 2017. The festival is known to be the most important platform for international young orchestra musicians in the European classical music tradition, and for its development. This highlight version is a collection of infectiously energizing and outstanding performances by musicians from across the globe. Their repertoire includes renowned classical works as well as local composers. On the program: Verdi - La forza del destino, Beethoven - Meeresstille und glückliche Fahrt, Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto No. 1, Tchaikovsky - Six Romances, Kohji - Georgian, Mingrelian Songs, Weinberg - Rhapsody on Moldavian Themes Op. 47 and Wong - As the Heart Soars.

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.