The Palestine Youth Orchestra
recently completed a tour of Italy, overcoming obstacles that young performers
could not even imagine. They have to leave the country by
different routes, getting permission to leave is difficult, and even performing
within Palestine is almost impossible.
The following is an information bulletin that tells more about creation
of this incredible group of you musicians that stand out as shining examples of
Palestinian culture.
The Palestine Youth Orchestra , a flagship project
of the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music in Palestine , was created in
2004 with the aim of overcoming geographical boundaries by bringing together
young Palestinian musicians from Palestine and the Diaspora, creating a body of
musicians from different parts of the globe who will address the world with the
harmonious universal language of music.
This vision incorporates the enhancement of the Palestinian cultural
identity, creating cohesion amongst the larger Palestinian society – a vehicle
towards nation building in an effort to overcome the barriers that have been
erected between the Palestinians over the past decades.
Another dimension is to facilitate the coming
together of Palestinian youth with their peers from other cultures, creating a
channel for dialogue and exchange and learning about each other. In addition to the guest conductors and
coaches, the PYO invites annually young guest musicians from other countries
further enriching the experience for all participating members. The PYO today
is composed of about sixty young musicians from Palestine, Jordan, Syria,
Egypt, Europe and North America and very recently from South America. They
constitute together a full fledged orchestra on a par with similar bodies
around the world.
The PYO is a
unique ensemble performing the classics of the symphonic repertoire as well as
promoting the works of Palestinian and Arab composers. It is also unique because of what it conveys
to Palestinian society and to the different communities and people abroad who
have the opportunity to attend its performances, the PYO represents a new image
of Palestine, a new generation that
loves life and loves music and is full of aspiration for a better tomorrow.
The PYO members have been honored by prestigious conductors such as
Anne-Sophie Bruening and Walter Mik from Germany and the award winning British conductor
Sian Edwards who led the PYO in three concerts in Jordan, Lebanon and Greece
and will be leading them again in the summer of 2012.
This is a triumph for Palestinians everywhere.
This is an older video of an orchestral performance.
