21/10/2020 – The European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO) is holding a special residency during October 2020 at the Orchestra’s Summer Home and Principal Venue Partner Grafenegg, gathering 85 members, with international tutors and artists from across the European Union.
An intense 10-day rehearsal period will lead up to a concert with a live audience in Grafenegg on 24 October 2020, conducted by Marin Alsop with soloist Håkan Hardenberger. The programme includes fanfares by Aaron Copland (Fanfare for the Common Man) and Joan Tower (Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, dedicated to Marin Alsop). Håkan Hardenberger is the soloist in HK Gruber’s Aerial concerto for Trumpet, and the programme concludes with Stravinsky’s Firebird suite in the 1919 version. The concert will be streamed on November 12th by Takt1 in a production by Grafenegg, the EUYO and the European Commission Representation in Austria, which is co-organiser of this project. Martin Selmayr, Head of the Representation of the European Commission in Austria, said: “An orchestra is an ideal symbol for cooperation between individual countries: together we can achieve a much better outcome and a much higher impact than playing on our own.”
The EUYO also takes part on 22 October 2020 in the special online event by the EU Delegation to the UN, New York “The Future We Want” celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations, founded on 24 October 1945. This event will open with an EUYO recording of Aaron Copland’s Preamble for a Solemn Occasion, with conductor and narrator Marin Alsop. The event will be available live on the YouTube channel of the EU Delegation to the UN, New York (link here) and the website of the EU Delegation to the International Organisations in Vienna.
The Orchestra has been working with Grafenegg on an extensive health security plan for the personnel involved in the project to prevent the risk of contracting and spreading SARS-Covid-19, as well as enabling a comfortable working environment for all performers and staff. Marshall Marcus, EUYO Secretary General, said “I want to thank everyone in the EUYO, EU and Grafenegg teams for their determination to enable this wonderful series of events to take place, showing that when we work together, we can truly help contribute to Europe’s recovery”.