Press Release, April 09, 2024
Tickets for the 25th Edition of Young Euro Classic go on Sale on April 11, 2024
For the 25th time, Young Euro Classic provides a stage for young international orchestra players in the summer of 2024. From August 9 to 25, 2024, youth orchestras from all over the world will bring musical highlights to the Konzerthaus Berlin. As the world’s leading festival for young orchestral musicians, Young Euro Classic has devoted itself since its first season in 2000 to the European classical music tradition, but has always integrated resounding cultures from beyond Europe within its festival programme. The festival-within-the-festival during the anniversary edition, “re:play – Freedom of Sound”, focuses on classical musical traditions of other cultures, including Brazil, Kazakhstan and South Africa. Another popular highlight is NEXT GENERATION, the programme for the festival’s youngest listeners: workshops and the Children’s Day on Aug. 18 offer children and teenagers a multitude of insights and inroads into the world of classical music.
Over 17 festival days, the Young Euro Classic audience may look forward to intriguing, fascinating and extraordinary concert experiences: the festival launches with an appearance by the Jovem Orquestra Portuguesa (Aug. 9), which brings a world premiere by Eva Aguilar to Berlin, among other works. An audible example of practical understanding among peoples, even in times of war, is offered by the Galilee Chamber Orchestra and its Arabic and Jewish musicians from Israel (Aug. 12). The Western Balkans Youth Orchestra is another musical bridge-builder, not only between the neighbouring states of its region, but also stylistically, with classical works alongside rock and pop songs from the Balkans (Aug. 16). Hugo Ticciati brings his Scandinavian-Baltic O/Modernt New Generation Orchestra to Young Euro Classic, once again demonstrating his flair for artful combinations of different musical styles (Aug. 19). Caribbean sounds fill the Konzerthaus when the Filarmónica Appassionato Juvenil from the Dominican Republic begins the second half of its concert (Aug. 11).
The anniversary edition features several orchestras’ Young Euro Classic debuts: during the “Year of Czech Music 2024”, the Ševčík Academy Orchestra will perform a world premiere by Jiří Teml, among other works from its homeland (Aug. 17); the British National Youth Jazz Orchestra presents a plethora of influences which have given British jazz its very own colour (Aug. 13); and the Orquestra Sinfônica Jovem de Goiás from Brazil performs an all-South American programme (Aug. 23).
The Young Euro Classic debut of the Brazilian orchestra is also the launch of the festival-within-the-festival, “re:play – Freedom of Sound” (Aug. 23-25). In daytime and evening concerts, ensembles from places as diverse as Scotland, India and Mongolia will present the great diversity of classical music traditions outside the European orchestral culture. The Eurasian Student Symphony Orchestra of the Kazakh National University of the Arts will feature a native dombra ensemble between romantic sounds by Schumann and Dvořák (Aug. 24), and the South African MIAGI Orchestra is joined by a full jazz band and a large percussion ensemble as they go “In Search of the African Footprint” (Aug. 25). Together, they round out the three-day programme of “re:play – Freedom of Sound”. Further information and tickets to this festival-within-the-festival will be available from May onwards at yecl.de/replay.
The festival, however, remains dedicated to the European orchestral tradition, and thus its 25th edition has no shortage of the pillars of the great romantic orchestral repertoire: Rachmaninov will be heard on the programme of the National Youth Philharmonic of Turkey (Aug. 10) and the Nationaal Jeugdorkest from the Netherlands (Aug. 15), both of which also perform German premieres of new works. A regular guest and guarantor of audience enthusiasm, the European Union Youth Orchestra (Aug. 21), plays works by Richard Strauss, as does the Moritzburg Festival Orchestra (Aug. 18). During its second appearance at Young Euro Classic, the Angelika Prokopp Summer Academy of the Vienna Philharmonic performs both Mendelssohn and Schumann as well as Prokofiev (Aug. 20), while the Deutsche Streicherphilharmonie (German String Philharmonic) plays Tchaikovsky, among other works (Aug. 14). The National Youth Ballet of Germany takes its place among the youth orchestras for its 12th guest appearance at the festival, promising an extraordinary evening under the artistic directorship of Kevin Haigen (Aug. 22).
As every year, Young Euro Classic offers high-carat soloists, enhancing the youth orchestras’ performances with their own breath-taking contributions. This year, prominent soloists include violinist Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider, cellists Jan Vogler, Nicolas Altstaedt and Julia Hagen and pianist Boris Giltburg; the appearance of the only 25-year-old saxophone virtuoso Jess Gillam with the Deutsche Streicherphilharmonie promises another special highlight.
Once again, the European Composition Award will be presented to the composer of the best world or German premiere performed during the festival. Carrying a cash value of 5.000 Euros, the prize is presented by the Mayor of Berlin and its winner chosen by an audience jury during the festival.
NEXT GENERATION has established itself since its launch in 2019 as a series of events for the youngest listeners and musicians at Young Euro Classic. Children and teenagers aged 3 to 18 can participate in specially designed workshops and attend concerts tailored to them on the Children’s Day (Aug. 18), which also features opportunities to try out instruments, among other highlights.
25 Years of Young Euro Classic: Facts and Figures
While the youth orchestra scene was still characterized by very different levels of accomplishment during the early years of the festival, today youth orchestras offer impressive levels of achievement and musical delectation throughout. The breadth of the remarkable orchestra network that Young Euro Classic has helped develop is also reflected in facts and figures: 178 orchestras from 59 nations have appeared at the Festival in Berlin since 2000; 26,544 young musicians have offered unforgettable highlights; and the European Composition Award has inspired promising composers to write 172 new and ever-surprising works.
Tomorrow’s Musicians Today!
Young Euro Classic. The Festival of the World’s Best Youth Orchestras
August 9 to 25, 2024 at the Konzerthaus Berlin
The detailed festival programme is available here:
www.young-euro-classic.de
Ticket Price Categories 35 € / 26 € / 15 € (plus advance sales fees).
Tickets are available via the Young Euro Classic website, the Ticket Hotline
(+49 / (0)30 / 8410 8909, reachable Monday–Sunday: 10 am –6 pm) and at all the familiar ticket sales points.