EUYO Frontrunners is our online learning programme to help create Europe’s musical leaders of tomorrow. Using the latest participatory online learning methodologies and complementing the Orchestra’s well-established traditional orchestral training programme, EUYO Frontrunners helps EUYO members, recent alumni and guests explore and develop the skills needed to future-proof their careers. The aim is to help young musicians develop rewarding and sustainable careers for themselves, which also contribute to the good of society as a whole.

Workshops and sessions take place throughout February, September and November of each year, and are accessible through the dedicated Frontrunners online learning platform.

In 2022 the EUYO developed its firstEU Member State programme, which took place in Finland. A four-day residency in Helsinki brought together the latest community music education approaches from across Europe, and worked with Finnish music, Finnish partners and Finnish musicians of all ages and stages.

Hosting Young Europe Speaks

Young musicians and dancers from across Helsinki came together with EUYO musicians to take a radical look at the importance of culture. They considered how culture would develop their careers, aid the cause of peace, and help Europe’s recovery from the pandemic. Young Europe Speaks was part of the European Year of Youth and the Conference on the Future of Europe.

Sharing Music in Tampere

The last day in Finland saw EUYO musicians rehearse with conservatoire musicians in the Tampere Tempo Orchestra. These rehearsals were conducted in the spirit of sharing experiences and learning from each other, and in preparation for the final concert of the 2022 spring tour.

An orchestra is one of the great metaphors for society. It is a complex place where people come together to learn, play, perform, work, express and communicate with others, both with and for communities. Orchestras are also expensive and time consuming to run. At EUYO we believe that given the cost, time and value of what we all do, we should share not only our music – the ‘what’ we do – but also ‘how’ we do it. We have been sharing the EUYO ‘how’ informally for many decades, but we are now designing this sharing in more depth as part of our Creative Europe programme Towards 2030.

More than 40 years’ experience of working with young musician programmes world-wide has helped us develop our Model Sharing methodology. Teaching and youth orchestra creation and development projects between 2014 and 2020 have included initiatives in Brazil, Canada, China, Cuba, Finland, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Myanmar, Romania, Slovakia, the UAE, UK, USA, and with our Partner Sistema Europe.

Recently (since 2022), we have been developing new ways of working together in our Music Hub Austria programme, together with the 60.000 students of the Lower Austria Music Schools scheme, and our colleagues in Grafenegg. Current work is also ongoing with several other organisations including the West Balkans Youth Orchestra, and the Youth Symphony of Ukraine.

As part of our work with peer organisations, we are holding a hybrid model sharing symposium on 13 October 2023 which is intended for EU and non-EU Creative Europe-eligible countries. Expressions of interest have so far been received from over 15 youth orchestra and social action youth music education programmes programmes across Europe. Details of this one day symposium, and more information about our Model Sharing programme in general, are available by e-mailing info@euyo.eu.

Going forward, the EUYO plans to expand this work to other sectors. Orchestral models are not only relevant to the training of orchestras, but to any organisation that aims achieve a high level of excellence.