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ORCHESTRA
GIOV ANILE ITALIANA: THE REASONS FOR ITS CREATION
In 1980, thanks to the Tuscan Regional
Administration, a pilot project for the training of orchestral
players began. The idea came to me after the angry scenes
involving my friend Riccardo Muti, the conductor of Florence's
Maggio Musicale Orchestra, every time he auditioned aspiring
new members of the orchestra and wanted me to be there
with him. How alarmed we were by the low level of so many
young Italian players. This explains the presence of so
many excellent, well trained American, Eastern European
and Japanese players in our orchestras. It was unfair
for so many local players to be left out. As a remedy
for this terrible state of affairs, way back in 1978,
I submitted a pilot project for the training of orchestral
players which was founded on chamber music as crucial
for the musical development of young people, who would
also have to devote themselves to studying orchestral
playing techniques. The project was submitted to the Board
of Governors of the Florence Opera House and quickly approved.
The Regional Administration subsequently passed it on
for European Union financing. In the meantime much has
changed in the musical life of Italy,
partly thanks to our efforts. Hundreds of young people,
after a strict training period in Fiesole (5-6 days per
week for 10 months a year plus an intensive summer course),
which, over the years, has developed to include individual
classes and the l unbeatable training ground of the orchestra,
have been able to do themselves proud in orchestras all
over Europe. The Italian Youth Orchestra is now a centre
of musical production under the batons of the best conductors
including Riccardo Muti himself; who has been kind enough
to go on tour with our youngsters, Carlo Maria Giulini,
Giuseppe Sinopoli (who has devoted so much of his time
to the Youth Orchestra recently), Eliahu Inbal, Luciano
Berio etc. The real purpose of the Italian Youth Orchestra
is to act as a highly specialised centre for the creation
of orchestral players. It is a training ground enabling
young people to compete on equal terms with their European
contemporaries. A further step forward into Europe was
taken in 1994 when, following the lead of the Dutch Youth
Orchestra, and with the
Dutch Government's approval, the European Federation of
National Youth Orchestras was set up. Since then European
musical environments have become better acquainted and
our young people have been able to work with their Spanish,
German, Dutch and Scottish counterparts in a crescendo
of contacts that recently led to a close relationship
with the related Gustav Mahler Jugend Orchester and the
Vienna Philharmonic in Attergau.
Piero Farulli
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