BACKGROUND "The creation of Sweden National Youth Orchestra of something unique will leave an indelible mark on the artistic life of the young talented musicians in Sweden." (Ashkenazy) In 2009, the specialist music school Lilla Akademien, now recognized as one of the most significant institutions in the education of young musicians in Scandinavia, took the initiative to start a new and exciting project: The Sweden National Youth Orchestra. The Orchestra had its inaugural concert at Bewarldhallen as the opening concert of the Baltic Sea Festival, August 2010, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen. The orchestra is honored to name the renowned conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen as its patron, and the pianist and conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy as an artistic advisor. The Swedish National Youth Orchestra aims to reach out to all the corners of the country to discover and celebrate the best musical talents of Sweden, giving them the opportunity to share together an unprecedented creative experience. The majority of the orchestral members are aged between 16 and 21 and are selected through a two-stage audition process. The Swedish National Youth Orchestra will instill in young aspiring musicians a striving for excellence as they not only meet like-minded contemporaries from an enormous variety of backgrounds and cultures but also the best professional instrumentalists in Sweden and abroad, and world-renowned conductors. The orchestra will not only create bridges to foster interactive relationships between the many music institutions across the country but will also provide a vital link to encourage more international relationships in the world of music. The orchestral will naturally place a special emphasis on Swedish music and will, in particular, support and encourage the involvement of Swedish composers and young Swedish conductors. By introducing young musicians to a professional working ethic, unique practical experience and a varied repertoire of symphonic music, the Swedish National Youth Orchestra hopes to provide a superb base for the development of professional orchestral playing in Sweden. ORCHESTRAL COURSE Selected musicians partake in a two twelve-days courses during the year, comprising intensive sectional rehearsals run by sectional leaders of Sweden’s top orchestras and full rehearsals taken by well-known Swedish conductors. Each course culminates with concerts with world-renowned conductors in Sweden’s leading concert halls. In addition to the orchestral playing, all instrumentalists will have the opportunity to participate in masterclasses with world-class teachers from, for example, the Julliard School of Music, partake in improvisation and chamber music workshops. Extra-curricular activity includes dance lessons, massage, Alexander Technique, guest lectures on all variety of subjects and much more. |