European Union Youth Orchestra

European Union Youth Orchestra
Orchestra
The EUYO performs at Young Euro Classic music festival in Berlin, August 2015.
Founded	1976
Location	London
Principal conductor	Vasily Petrenko
Website	www.euyo.eu

The European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO) is a symphony orchestra with members drawn from each of the European Union's 28 Member States. Described by the Guardian as having “gripping, exhilaratingly good orchestral playing, surging with energy, laser-sharp focus and collective daring... [and] a technical prowess that is downright terrifying”, it has provided an exceptional bridge between music colleges and the professional music world for generations of Europe's finest musicians since its foundation in 1976.

Founded by Joy and Lionel Bryer in 1976, the EUYO has been a Cultural Ambassador for the European Union for forty years. The EUYO’s Honorary Patrons include the Heads of Government of all of the EU’s Member States, and the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Parliament. Parliament President Martin Schulz is the EUYO’s Honorary President.

The Orchestra has worked with many of the world’s greatest musicians including Daniel Barenboim, Leonard Bernstein, Sir Colin Davis, Herbert von Karajan, Mstislav Rostropovich and particularly its three Music Directors and current Chief Conductor: Founding Music Director Claudio Abbado, former Music Director Vladimir Ashkenazy, former Music Director and current Conductor Laureate Bernard Haitink and Chief Conductor Vasily Petrenko.

A truly global brand, the EUYO has performed in most of the world’s major concert halls, notably at the Royal Albert Hall, the Musikverein, Carnegie Hall and the Boston Symphony Hall. From Amsterdam to Abu Dhabi, Moscow to Mumbai, Seoul to São Paulo - 4 Continents, 43 countries, 177 cities and 224 venues thus far.

The EUYO’s 3,000 alumni have all come through the Orchestra's rigorous, annual audition process conducted in all (currently 28) EU Member States, and many are now notable conductors, soloists, teachers, and instrumentalists working with major orchestras in the world, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. The EUYO’s Summer Home and Principal Venue Partner is Grafenegg, where in 2014 both organisations launched the European Music Campus.