2025 AUDITION ANNOUCEMENT
Celebrating 35th Anniversary Season
Richard Pontzious, founder
Rehearsal Camp/Summer Festival @ Tianjin Juilliard
Asian Concert Tour
16 July ~ 31 August 2025
Joseph Bastian, principal conductor
Jader Bignamini, conductor
Soloists -- To be announced
Introduction
Chosen through highly competitive auditions held throughout the region, the 100 members of the Asian Youth Orchestra (AYO) represent the finest young musicians in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, 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 34 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, Tseng Yu-Chien, Giuseppe Gibboni and Ning Feng, soprano Elly Ameling and Lydia Teuscher, pianists Alicia de Larrocha, Cecile Licad, Leon Fleisher and Rachel Cheung, the Beaux Arts Trio, and trumpet virtuoso Hakan Hardenberger. Among those who have conducted AYO are Yehudi Menuhin, Sergiu Comissiona, Alexander Schneider, Eri Klas, Tan Dun, Okko Kamu, Matthias Bamert, James Judd, Joesph Bastian, Jader Bignamini and the orchestra's founders 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 Tianjin Juilliard School and Conservatorio Gaetano Donizetti.
Repertoire on Tour
Mahler: Symphony No.5
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No.3
Shostakovich: Festive Overture
And many more.....
Performance Tour
*Performances in Tianjin, Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, Zhongshan, Guangzhou, Foshan, Taipei, Chiayi City, Yamagata, Tokyo and Hong Kong.
*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, 1 March (Application deadline: 22 February)
Singapore, Sunday, 2 March (Application deadline: 23 February)
Bangkok, Wednesday, 5 March (Application deadline: 26 February)
Kuala Lumpur, Thursday, 6 March (Application deadline: 27 February)
Taipei, Saturday & Sunday, 8 & 9 March (Application deadline: 26 February)
Seoul, Tuesday, 11 March (Application deadline: 4 March)
Tokyo, Saturday, 15 March (Application deadline: 9 March)
Osaka, Sunday, 16 March (Application deadline: 9 March)
Tianjin, Tuesday, 18 March (Application deadline: 11 March)
Shanghai, Thursday, 20 March (Application deadline: 13 March)
Hong Kong, Saturday, 22 March (Application deadline: 15 March)
*Percussion instruments for live auditions are available at the following cities:
Manila, Singapore, Bangkok, Taipei, Seoul and Tianjin.
Audition fees may apply in some cities.
We strongly recommend you to join the live auditions.
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 15 March. Video Audition fee is HK$280. Payment instructions will be given after receiving your application form.
Invitation to audition
Musicians ages 17 to 29 are welcome to audition.*
Audition requirements (Live)
1. Solo piece & Orchestra excerpts -- Click here.
2. We strongly recommend that you play the solo piece with a piano accompaniment or by MIDI 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. For best result, please record in high quality format such as mp4 or mov. The recording should show a full front view of the candidate and the instrument.
2. We strongly recommend that you play the solo piece with piano accompaniment. Please do not include long piano introductions and interludes. Please play the excerpts in the order listed.
3. Please introduce yourself with your name, age and region you are from at the beginning of your video.
4. Solo piece & Orchestra excerpts -- Click here.
5. Video Audition fee is HK$280.
6. Please upload your video to YouTube and make sure the permissions are set so that we can access your video.
7. Please include the video link in your application form and send to AYO (ayo@asianyouthorchestra.com).
8. Deadline to submit your audition video is 15 March.
*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”.
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.