The Palestine Youth Orchestra was established by the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music (ESNCM), with the vision of bringing together young Palestinian musicians from around the world, to form a quality ensemble on a par with similar groups internationally. To date, the PYO has performed in Italy, Jordan, Greece, Lebanon, Syria, Germany, Bahrain and Palestine.
In July 2012, the PYO completed its most ambitious project to date. Following a week of intensive rehearsals at the Conservatorio Pagnini in Genoa, the PYO performed at five leading concert venues and music festivals, travelling from the North to the South of Italy. The orchestra performed at venues including the Teatro Carlo Felice, Genoa and the Conservatorio Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, as well as the festivals of Florenece, Levanto and Ravello. Alongside Beethoven’s Symphony no. 8 and Rimsky Korsakov’s Spanish Capriccio Espagnol, the PYO accompanied the young Palestinian soprano Dima Bawab in two beautiful orchestral songs by Delibes and Dvorak. In keeping with their promise to promote the best of new Arabic music, the programme also featured music from two emerging Syrian composers: Kinan Azmeh’s contemplative and inspiring November 22nd was excellently performed by the young Palestinian clarinetist Mohamed Najem, and the orchestra was delighted to welcome the brilliant violinist Maias Al Yamani, to perform as soloist in his own piece, Sea Waves, for Arabic violin and orchestra. In recognition of Palestine being it's most recent member, and in respect of Palestine's recent cultural landmark achievements, the PYO received patronage from the Italian National Commission of UNESCO in 2012 for it's tour of Italy.
In 2013 the PYO is bringing it's talent home to Palestine, having successfully received funding from the European Union. The orchestra will perform in Palestinian towns and cities, before repeating the programme in Jordan,Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Busan (South Korea).
MEMBERS OF THE PYOEvery year, approximately 75 young musicians take part in the PYO. Performers are between 13-26 years of age, with roughly equal numbers of female and male participants. Participants range from young music students studying at Palestinian music schools, advanced students studying outside Palestine, young people studying or working in other fields who have continued to play and study music as a hobby, and young professional musicians who have continued to benefit from participating in the PYO in the early years of their professional music careers. Students living inside Palestine, are joined by students from the Palestinian refugee diaspora, including those living inJordan, Lebanon, Syria, Algeria and Egypt, as well as further afield. The ESNCM often works with partner organisations in other countries, to organise exchange programmes for students who gain a unique insight into Palestinian culture, and get to know young musicians from Palestine, often forming lasting and valuable friendships. In 2012 exchanges were completed with the conservatoires of Rome and Genoa.
EXPERT COACHING
Students in each section of the orchestra spend time away from full rehearsals, to be guided by expert coaches, including leading symphony orchestra musicians and soloists. In 2012, the PYO launched a new partnership with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, who will sent three of their musicians to guide the young musicians towards their final performances. The Norwegian professionals were joined by professors from the conservatoires of Rome and Genoa, and were led by the English conductor Sian Edwards, a former music director of English National Opera, who has appeared with the orchestra in four separate years.
UNIQUE PROGRAMMING
Still only in its first decade, the PYO has a reputation as a leading promoter of Palestinian and Arabic orchestral music. The orchestra has commissioned new music by leading Arab composers and regularly delivers acclaimed performances of music already familiar to Arabic audiences, widening the popularity of this music from their home region and out to the wider world. The PYO has recently worked with composers such as Marcel Khalife, Kinan Azmeh, Ahmad al-Khattib, Maias Al Yamani, Issa Boulos, Roger Johansson, Rima Tarazi and John Bisharat, and performed revivals of popular music by the Rahbani brothers, Samih Shkeir and others. Alongside Arabic music, the PYO has performed some of the most beautiful and advanced orchestral works in treh Western repertoire, having recently programmed music by Beethoven, Dvorak, Rimsky-Korsakov, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Haydn, Shostakovich, Katchaturian and Gershwin.
