

2020 AUDITION ANNOUCEMENT
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.
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
Tokyo
Osaka
Shanghai
Beijing
Tianjin
Seoul
Audition
Date
By Video
By Video
Thur, 20 Feb
Sat, 22 Feb
Sun, 23 Feb
By Video
By Video
By Video
By Video
By Video
By Video
By Video
By Video
Application
Deadline
10 Jan
03 Feb
12 Feb
14 Feb
15 Feb
21 Feb
27 Feb
10 Mar
10 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.
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.