INTRODUCTION

The ITALIAN YOUTH ORCHESTRA was formed by the European funded Courses in Professional Orchestra Qualification, set up by the Region of Tuscany at Fiesole in 1980. These courses are under the tutelage of the Fiesole Music School and aim to help young musicians achieve the professional level that is needed for their future as orchestra musicians. Each teacher’s specialisation has created an authentic osmosis between Chamber music, Solo Performance and Section Studies: the ideal setting for a real and in-depth preparation of orchestra musicians.
The orchestra has been invited to some of the most prestigious European music centres from Montpellier to Edinburgh, Lubiana, Frankfurt, Prague and Budapest where they received unanimous critical acclaim. After its initial success in Berlin in 2000, the Youth Orchestra is now a regular participant in the Young Euro Classics Festival. In June 2000, the orchestra was invited to perform a concert at the Quirinale on the occasion of the Republic’s celebrations, as always under the baton of Maestro Gatti.
Among others, the orchestra has been conducted by: Claudio Abbado, Salvatore Accardo, Yuri Ahronovitch, Piero Bellugi, Luciano Berio, Gabriele Ferro, Daniele Gatti, Gianluigi Gelmetti, Carlo Maria Giulini, Angelo Faia, Emmanuele Krivine, Eliahu Inbal, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Gianandrea Noseda, Kryzstof Penderecki, Gyorgy Gyorivanyi Rath, Alessandro Pinzauti and Giuseppe Sinopoli. It has also made recordings for Nuova Era, Aulos, Fonit Cetra and Stradivarius as well as the RAI, Radio France and the European Union Radio. Recently it cut its first DVD for the SAL.V.A.T.I under the baton of Gianluigi Gelmetti with the soloist Andrea Lucchesini.
Since 1998, the Compagnia di San Paolo di Torino has established scholarships for the lead parts of the orchestra, which has contributed decisively to the encouragement of the young musicians’ competitiveness.
Nicola Paszkowski has conducted the orchestra since 2000.
The summer training period is held in collaboration with the Local Aosta Administration and “Opere Buffe”.
The Italian Youth Orchestra is a member of the EFNYO (The European Federation of National Youth Orchestras).