Young Euro Classic celebrates its 25th anniversary! Young musicians from all over the world who have dedicated themselves to the European orchestral tradition, a shared passion for music and concerts at the highest level are the core of the festival's brand. Since its first season in 2000, Young Euro Classic has developed into the most important platform for the next generation of international orchestras in the European classical music tradition. Always with an open ear for sonorous high cultures outside Europe, the festival has dedicated itself to the unbiased exchange of cultures, traditions and countries in the spirit of its democratic basic idea.

While the youth orchestra scene in the early years was still characterized by varying levels of performance, today the orchestras consistently offer an impressive standard and musical enjoyment. Just how far-reaching the remarkable orchestra network is, in whose continuous development Young Euro Classic has been and continues to be significantly involved, is also reflected in the figures: 178 orchestras from 59 nations have attended the festival in Berlin since 2000, 26,544 young musicians have provided the unforgettable highlights, the European Composition Prize has inspired promising composers to create 172 new, constantly surprising works. The high quality of the concerts and the extraordinary talent of the up-and-coming musicians are rewarded: with incomparable enthusiasm and standing ovations from the audience, promising success stories of the musicians and careers in the world's top-class orchestras following their performance at Young Euro Classic.

With this year's “re:play - Freiheit der Töne” festival, Young Euro Classic is once again looking beyond its own borders and dedicating itself to classical music traditions outside of European orchestral culture. The Brazilian youth orchestra Orquestra Sinfônica Jovem de Goiás will kick off the festival on 23 August with an all-South American program, followed by an orchestra from Kazakhstan, which will present a local Dombra ensemble between the romantic sounds of Schumann and Dvořák. The MIAGI Orchestra from South Africa will bring the entire festival to a spectacular close on August 25 with a fully equipped jazz band and a large percussion ensemble on a “search for African footprints”. 

After the opening on 9 August with the Portuguese National Youth Orchestra, there will be plenty of new, exciting and unusual things to discover over the 17 days of the festival: the extraordinary Galilee Chamber Orchestra from Israel will be returning to the Konzerthaus after 2019, with its Arab-Jewish line-up setting an audible example of international understanding even in times of war. The same applies to the Western Balkans Youth Orchestra, which not only builds a bridge between the region's unequal neighboring states, but also between classical music and rock and pop songs from the Balkan region. Hugo Ticciati and his Scandinavian-influenced O/Modernt New Generation Orchestra are always good for surprising program combinations, while the Filarmónica Appassionato Juvenil Orchestra from the Dominican Republic has reserved the second part of its concert entirely for the melodies and rhythms of its homeland.

It goes without saying that Europe will also be well represented at Young Euro Classic 2024: In addition to the National Portuguese Youth Orchestra, the outstanding Nationaal Jeugd Orkest from the Netherlands will be coming to Berlin; after a long break, the Deutsche Streicherphilharmonie, an ensemble of highly talented young people, will also be back at the Konzerthaus with a diverse program. In the Year of Czech Music 2024, the Ševčík Academy Orchestra will be traveling from the Czech Republic; the National Youth Philharmonic Orchestra - always a welcome guest - will be coming from Turkey under the direction of its founder Cem Mansur. The brilliant European Union Youth Orchestra, which has accompanied the festival for many years and in which all 27 EU member states are represented, is thoroughly European. The Angelika Prokopp Summer Academy of the Vienna Philharmonic, which is coached by members of the world-class orchestra, is characterized by a special respect for tradition.

The pillars of the great Romantic orchestral repertoire will not be neglected in 2024: Mendelssohn and Schumann can be heard as well as Dvořák and Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev and Rachmaninov. The prominent soloists range from violinist Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider and cellists Jan Vogler and Nicolas Altstaedt to pianist Boris Giltburg; the performance by the 26-year-old English saxophonist Jess Gillam with the Deutsche Streicherphilharmonie promises to be a very special experience. Contemporary music also has a firm place in the program: composers of the younger generation, not only from Portugal and Turkey, Israel or the Netherlands, will contribute works that promise unusual impressions - an audience jury will once again decide on the winner of the European Composition Prize at the end.

A multitude of other musical facets will be added: “British Standard Time” is the title of the British National Youth Jazz Orchestra's Young Euro Classic debut program; the German National Youth Ballet, always eagerly awaited by dance fans, will be performing for the twelfth time. Young people interested in music will be the focus of the various activities of the “Next Generation” program. All this offers the very best guarantee to be infected by the enthusiasm of musicians from all over the world at the 25th festival, to hear great and popular masterpieces again and at the same time to broaden your own horizons with many unknown and unexpected things! 

Organizer: Deutscher Freundeskreis 
europäischer Jugendorchester e.V. 
Berlin.