Celebrating 30 Years of Excellence


Summer Festival & 
European & Asian Concert Tour
17 ~ 30 August 2020

Richard Pontzious, artistic director & conductor
Joseph Bastian, guest conductor

 

Narek Hakhnazaryan, cello soloist

2011 Tchaikovsky Competition Gold Medal & First Prize Winner



Introduction
Chosen through highly competitive auditions held throughout the region, the 100 members of the Asian Youth Orchestra represent the finest young musicians in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. 

They are together for six weeks each summer, initially for a three-week Summer Festival, and then to perform on tour for three weeks with major international solo artists and conductors.

In 29 years, they have performed with cellists Yo-Yo Ma, Mischa Maisky, Steven Isserlis, Wang Jian and Alisa Weilerstein, violinists Gidon Kremer, Gil Shaham, Sarah Chang, Vadim Repin and Cho-Liang Lin, soprano Elly Ameling, pianists Alicia de Larrocha, Cecile Licad and Leon Fleisher, the Beaux Arts Trio and trumpet virtuoso Hakan Hardenberger. Among those who have conducted AYO are Sergiu Comissiona, Alexander Schneider, Eri Klas, Tan Dun, Okko Kamu, Matthias Bamert, James Judd, Joesph Bastian and the orchestra's co-founders, Yehudi Menuhin and Richard Pontzious. 


AYO International Artist-Faculty
Those selected for the full scholarship program study with an exceptional artist-faculty of principals from the Bergamo Festival Orchestra (Italy), Milan's La Scala Opera, La Fenice Teatro Venice, Teatro Carlo Felice Genoa, Brussels’ Monnaie Opera, the Orchestra Della Radio Svizzera Italiana, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. 

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Repertoire on Tour

Rossini: William Tell Overture

Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme

Bernstein: Westside Story Symphonic Dances
John Williams: Star Wars Suite

 

and more..........

Performance Tour
Performances in Bergamo, Berlin, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Taipei, Chiayi City and Tokyo.*

*Performance locations are subject to change. 

Audition
City
Manila
Ho Chi Minh City
Bangkok

Singapore

Kuala Lumpur
Hong Kong
Taipei

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Tokyo

Osaka

Shanghai

Beijing

Tianjin

Seoul

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Audition
Date
Sat, 18 Jan

Fri, 14 Feb
Thur, 20 Feb

Sat, 22 Feb

Sun, 23 Feb
Sun, 1 Mar
Sat, 7 Mar
Sun, 8 Mar

Sat, 14 Mar

Sun, 15 Mar

Thur, 19 Mar

Sat, 21 Mar
Mon, 23 Mar
Sat, 28 Mar

Application
Deadline

10 Jan
03 Feb

12 Feb

14 Feb

15 Feb
21 Feb

27 Feb


07 Mar

07 Mar
09 Mar

11 Mar

13 Mar

21 Mar

Invitation to audition

Musicians ages 17 to 29 are welcome to audition.* Please submit your online Application Form. 

If you are not able to attend the auditions, you may upload your video on YouTube/Youku, but we will not listen to the it until we have heard all live auditions and your taped audition may only be considered in very rare circumstances. Please submit the link to your video audition before 10 March 2020. An audition fee of US$50 is required for video auditions. Please contact AYO for payment details. 

*In rare cases age requirement may be waived at the discretion of AYO. Applicants should have permanent residency in Asia. 

Contact your Local Representatives for specific audition venues information. 

 

Audition requirements

1. Orchestra excerpts -- Click here to see the list. (COMING SOON)

2. One fast & one slow movement from compositions of your choice. The two movements can be from different composers.

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Percussion Auditions:
Please note that live auditions are only available in Manila, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei and Seoul. Candidates from other cities can submit their Youtube audition video.  

 

Audition results

Results will be announced before 31 March. Applicants will receive notification by e-mail no later than 10 April. All musicians invited to join AYO will be required to pay a registration fee.

 

For enquiries, please contact your local representatives or AYO. 

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