2024 AUDITION ANNOUCEMENT
34 Years of Excellence
Richard Pontzious, founder
Summer Festival in Hong Kong
Asian Concert Tour
13 July ~ 1 September 2024
Joseph Bastian, principal conductor
Jader Bignamini, principal guest conductor
Alban Gerhardt & Jian Wang, cello soloists
Introduction
Chosen through highly competitive auditions held throughout the region, the 100 members of the Asian Youth Orchestra represent the finest young musicians in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Macao, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
They are together for six weeks each summer, initially for a three-week Summer Festival, and then to perform on tour for three weeks with major international solo artists and conductors.
In 33 years, they have performed with cellists Yo-Yo Ma, Mischa Maisky, Steven Isserlis, Wang Jian, Alban Gerhardt and Alisa Weilerstein, violinists Gidon Kremer, Gil Shaham, Sarah Chang, Vadim Repin and Ning Feng, soprano Elly Ameling, pianists Alicia de Larrocha, Cecile Licad and Leon Fleisher, the Beaux Arts Trio and trumpet virtuoso Hakan Hardenberger. Among those who have conducted AYO are Sergiu Comissiona, Alexander Schneider, Eri Klas, Tan Dun, Okko Kamu, Matthias Bamert, James Judd, Joesph Bastian and the orchestra's co-founders, Yehudi Menuhin and Richard Pontzious.
AYO International Artist-Faculty
Those selected for the full scholarship program study with an exceptional artist-faculty of principals from the La Fenice Teatro Venice, Teatro Carlo Felice Genoa, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Brussels’ Monnaie Opera, the Orchestra Della Radio Svizzera Italiana, Spain’s Real Orquestra Sinfonia de Sevilla, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and Conservatorio Gaetano Donizetti.
Repertoire on Tour
Ravel: Boléro
Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2
Debussy: La Mer
Gershwin: Porgy and Bess Suite, A symphonic picture
Bernstein: Westside Story Symphonic Dances
Respighi: Pines of Rome
Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition
Lalo: Cello concerto
Performance Tour
*Performances in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Shanghai, Beijing, Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Chiayi City, Yokohama and Tokyo.
*Performance locations are subject to change.
Live auditions will be held in the following cities. Please note the deadline to submit your application form:
Manila, Saturday, 2 March (Application deadline: 23 February)
Hong Kong, Sunday, 3 March (Application deadline: 24 February)
Singapore, Monday, 4 March (Application deadline: 25 February)
Kuala Lumpur, Tuesday, 5 March (Application deadline: 27 February)
Bangkok, Thursday, 7 March (Application deadline: 28 February)
Taipei, Saturday & Sunday, 9 & 10 March (Application deadline: 28 February)
Seoul, Wednesday, 13 March (Application deadline: 6 March)
Tokyo, Saturday, 16 March (Application deadline: 10 March)
Osaka, Sunday, 17 March (Application deadline: 10 March)
Shanghai, Tuesday, 19 March (Application deadline: 11 March)
Audition fees may apply in some cities.
If you are unable to attend the live auditions, you can submit your video. Please email your application form and video link to ayo@asianyouthorchestra before 10 March. Video Audition fee is HK$250.
Invitation to audition
Musicians ages 17 to 29 are welcome to audition.*
Audition requirements (Live)
1. Solo piece & Orchestra excerpts
2. We strongly recommend that you play the solo piece with a piano accompaniment.
3. Audition fees may apply. Please contact your Local Representative for details.
Audition requirements (Video)
1. Please record your audition video in one take without editing. Please try to limit the length of the video to around 15 minutes (except for percussion). -- We understand some instruments have quite a lot of orchestra excerpts to cover. Please don’t worry if your video is over 15 minutes.
2. Please include your name, age and region you are from at the beginning of your video.
3. Solo piece & Orchestra excerpts -- Click here to check.
4. We strongly recommend that you play the solo piece with a piano accompaniment.
5. Video Audition fee is HK$250.
6. Please upload your video to YouTube and submit the link to AYO (ayo@asianyouthorchestra.com).
*In rare cases age requirement may be waived at the discretion of AYO.
Please send your Application Form to AYO by email. In the Subject, please include “Your name, Instrument and Country”. For video audition, you can submit your application first and send your video link later.
Audition results
Results will be announced before 31 March. Applicants will receive notification by e-mail no later than 10 April. All musicians invited to join AYO will be required to pay a registration fee.
For enquiries, please contact your local representatives or AYO.