The European Union Youth Orchestra is delighted to announce the continued support of the Leverhulme Trust for the EUYO’s Summer School, under the Leverhulme Arts Scholarships programme. The grant of £64,000 will enable the EUYO to invite up to ten promising young musicians from across the European Union to join the orchestra’s summer residencies and to learn from the EUYO’s world-class conductors, soloists and tutors.
Summer School Scholars are selected alongside the main orchestra during EU-wide auditions that run from October to March each year, and that attract thousands of candidates aged between 14 and 24. The chosen Scholars are those who are not quite ready to join the Orchestra for its demanding, five-week international tours, but whom the EUYO’s audition panel think demonstrate exceptional promise and, in their judgement, would therefore most benefit from exposure to the life of the EUYO.
For the duration of the EUYO’s summer residency, the Scholars are treated as an integral part of the Orchestra. They live alongside their peers, take part in all sectional and tutti rehearsals, rehearse and perform chamber music and also work on a one-to-one basis with the EUYO’s tutors. The culmination of the Summer School is the opening concert of the EUYO’s Summer Tour, in which they perform as full members of the EUYO. It is this full integration of the Summer School Scholars into the EUYO’s regular activities that allows them to get the most out of the experience and enables them to contribute their very best. Many former Scholars have not only successfully auditioned in subsequent years to join the main Orchestra, but have also risen through the ranks to play solo parts and lead the Orchestra’s sections. The Leverhulme Trust has supported the EUYO’s Summer School since 2006.
Andrei Mihailescu, the current leader of the EUYO’s double bass section, first joined the Orchestra as a Leverhulme Summer School Scholar in 2008, aged 17, at a time when he did not even own his own double bass: “I was so glad to be part of the EUYO family for those two weeks. During the Summer School I gained in confidence and learned to respect body and mind, to relax and work efficiently. Being fully part of the Orchestra made me a better musician and even a better person. Through the kindness, friendship and respect among the musicians, we became brothers in music, brothers in Europe.”
“We are delighted to have the support of the Leverhulme Trust to help provide opportunities for talented young European Union musicians to experience the work of the EUYO”, said the Orchestra’s newly appointed Chief Executive Officer, Marshall Marcus. “Through the Leverhulme Arts Scholarship Programme we are able to ensure that the work of the Orchestra is made available to a wider pool of musicians than would otherwise be the case, adding access to the excellence that we continually strive for.”
