Grafenegg

The EUYO's relationship with Grafenegg goes back more than a decade, during which time the distinguished Austrian campus became the Orchestra's summer home. Supported by the governments of Lower Austria and the Federal Republic of Austria, these already strong ties are now intensified through the 2023 relocation of the EUYO's administrative seat to Grafenegg, and the launch of the joint Music Hub Austria education project. The move allows the Orchestra to conduct its residential work in Grafenegg for a substantial portion of the year: rehearsing, performing, and acting as a shared laboratory for new ways of making music and reaching audiences.

Reflecting on the past, Ambassador Dr. Martin Eichtinger stressed the symbolic importance of these developments: "We are bringing a piece of history to Lower Austria. In 1976, Joy and Lionel Bryer and Claudio Abbado put the visionary idea of a pan-European youth orchestra into practice. The Orchestra is a standard-bearer for the European idea to this day. It is not only a unique cultural project, but will also be the first EU institution based in Austria." Looking ahead, Grafenegg Managing Director Dr. Philipp Stein identified how "with their energy, curiosity and willingness to experiment, the young musicians are the ideal ambassadors for positive European integration; for listening, commitment and cooperation - qualities that will carry Europe into the future."