2023 AUDITION ANNOUCEMENT
Celebrating 33 Years of Commitment, Dedication & Excellence
Richard Pontzious, founder
Summer Festival in Bergamo, Italy
European & Asian Concert Tour
14 July ~ 1 September 2023
Joseph Bastian, principal conductor
Alban Gerhardt, cello soloist
Ning Feng, violin soloist
Lydia Teuscher, soprano
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, Macao, 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 32 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 La Fenice Teatro Venice, Teatro Carlo Felice Genoa, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Brussels’ Monnaie Opera, the Orchestra Della Radio Svizzera Italiana, Spain’s Real Orquestra Sinfonia de Sevilla, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and Conservatorio Gaetano Donizetti.
Repertoire on Tour
Rossini: William Tell Overture
Stravinsky: Firebird Suite (1919)
Mahler: Symphony No. 4
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4
Elgar: Cello Concerto in E minor
Brahms: Violin Concerto in D major
and more..........
Performance Tour
Performances in Italy, Germany, Hong Kong, Thailand, Taiwan and Japan.*
*Performance locations are subject to change.
All auditions will be done by videos. Please note the deadline to submit your audition video:
1. Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia & Indonesia -- 15 January
2. Hong Kong, Macao & Taiwan -- 10 February
3. Japan, Korea & China -- 20 February
4. Others -- 25 February
Invitation to audition
Musicians ages 17 to 27 are welcome to audition.*
Audition requirements
1. Please record your audition video in one take without editing. Please try to limit the length of the video to around 15 minutes (except for percussion). -- We understand some instruments have a quite a lot of orchestra excerpts to cover. Please don’t worry if your video is over 15 minutes.
2. Please include your name, age and region you are from at the beginning of your video.
3. Solo piece & Orchestra excerpts -- Click here to see the list.
4. We strongly recommend that you play the solo piece with a piano accompaniment.
5. Audition fees may apply. Please contact your Local Representative for details.
6. Please upload your video to YouTube and submit the link to AYO (ayo@asianyouthorchestra.com).
*In rare cases age requirement may be waived at the discretion of AYO.
Please send your Application Form to AYO by email. In the Subject, please include “Your name, Instrument and Country”. You can submit your application first and send your video link later.
Audition results
Results will be announced before 15 March. Applicants will receive notification by e-mail no later than 30 March. All musicians invited to join AYO will be required to pay a registration fee.
For enquiries, please contact your local representatives or AYO.