The Palestine Youth Orchestra

Visit the website of the The Palestine Youth Orchestra

The Palestine Youth Orchestra is the flagship orchestra of the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music. It was created in 2004 with the vision of bringing together young Palestinian musicians from around the world. Today, the PYO membership consists of around eighty young Palestinian musicians of Palestinian origin, creating a quality national youth orchestra on a par with similar ensembles worldwide. Over the past eight years, the PYO has performed in Palestine, Germany, Jordan, Syria, Bahrain, Lebanon, Greece and Italy, where it recently completed a five-city tour, including performances at the Teatro Carlo Felice, Genoa, the Conservatorio Santa Cecilia in Rome, and the Festivals of Levanto, Florence and Ravello. In 2008, the orchestra realised its dream of performing in Palestine, when it held concerts in Ramallah and Haifa, performing songs that celebrate the city of Jerusalem.

PYO students meet once or twice a year for a one-week residential course followed by a concert tour. The young musicians are coached annually by musicians who perform and teach with leading ensembles and music conservatoires, including English National Opera, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (London), Valencia Community Orchestra, Qatar Philharmonic, Stockholm Philharmonic, Amman Symphony Orchestra, Paris Conservatoire, Royal Northern College of Music, Conservatorio Paganini (Genoa), London Symphony Orchestra, and the Oslo Philharmonic, with whom the orchestra have recently developed a partnership.

Conductors who have directed the PYO include Sian Edwards, Tom Hammond, Hilari Gárcia Gázquez, Roger Johansson, Walter Mik and Anna-Sophie Breuning. Soloists who have performed with the PYO include Dima Bawab, Maias Al Yamani, Mohamed Najem, Ahmad Al Khattib, Fadi Deeb, Marcel Khalife, Omeima Khalil, Basel Zayed, Karim Said, Reem Talhami, winners of the Palestine National Music Competition including students from Gaza City, Hebron and Ramallah, Rim Banna, Basel Theodory, Alexander Suleiman and Saleem Abboud Ashkar.

The PYO is dedicated to promoting the work of Palestinian and Arab composers, alongside well-known standards of the Western classical repertoire. Recent concerts have included music by Marcel Khalife, Issa Boulos, John Bisharat, Ahmed al-Khatib Salvador Arnita, Kinan Azmeh, Maias Al Yamani, the Rahbani Brothers, Suhail Khoury and Rima Tarazi. Other repertoire performed by the Orchestra has included Rimsky Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol, Beethoven Symphonies No. 3 and 8, Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3 and Triple Concerto, Dvořák Symphony No. 5, Kodaly’s Dances of Galanta, excerpts from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, Haydn Symphony No. 103, Brahms Symphony No. 1, Khatchaturian’s Gayane Suite, Shostakovich’s The Gadfly, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, Rossini’s Overture to La Gazza Ladra, and songs by Dvořák, Delibes and Stephen Adams.
 
The PYO’s unique approach to repertoire is reflected in what the Orchestra conveys to Palestinian society, and to the different communities and people abroad who have the opportunity to attend its performances; it caries with it a taste of Palestine signed by the fingers of the young musicians. The PYO in fact, is a reflection of young Palestine, and our PYO members are our ambassadors to the world.
 
The PYO is always keen to hear from young Palestinian musicians residing around the world. Applicants should be of Palestinian origin, between 13 – 26 years of age, and be able to perform to at least grade 7 (ABRSM), on an orchestral instrument. Auditions are usually held in February/March.
 
To join the orchestra, complete the online application. All enquiries regarding musical repertoire, performances, collaborations and exchanges with other musical institutions, or participation in the PYO either as a student or instructor, should be directed to the orchestra manager: Tim Pottier, tpottier@ncm.birzeit.edu, tel: (+970) 0595730244
 

RECENT CONCERTS

28th September 2012       Hussein Cultural Centre (Amman, Jordan)

2nd August 2012                  The Ravello Festival (Ravello, Italy)
1st August 2012                    Consrvatorio Santa Cecilia (Rome, Italy)
30th July 2012                      Piazza della Signoria (Florence, Italy)
29th July 2012                      Teatro Carlo Felice (Genoa, Italy)
28th July 2012                      Festival Amfitheatrof (Vernazza, Italy)
Music by: Kinan Azmeh, Maias Al Yamani, Beethoven, Rimsky Korsakov, Dvořák and Delibes.
Conductor: Sian Edwards.
Soloists: Dima Bawab (soprano), Maias Al Yamani (violin), and Mohamed Najem (clarinet)

16th August 2011              The Cultural Palace (Ramallah, Palestine)

28th November 2010        Megaron Concert Hall (Athens, Greece)

28th July 2010                   The Jordan Festival (Amman, Jordan)