The Palestine Youth OrchestraPress Kit 2016

The Palestine Youth OrchestraThe Palestine Youth Orchestra (PYO) was created in 2004 by the ESNCM with the vision of bringing together young

Palestinian musicians from around the world. The orchestra can rightly claim today that it is a quality national youth

orchestra on a par with similar ensembles worldwide. Over the past ten years it has performed in Palestine, Germany,

Jordan, Syria, Bahrain, Lebanon, Greece, France and Italy. The PYO comprises around eighty young musicians of Palestinian

origin residing around the world who are between 13 and 26 years of age, and are able to perform on an orchestral

instrument to a standard of at least grade 7 (ABRSM).

PYO musicians meet annually for a one-week residential course followed by a concert tour. From year to year, a different

country is chosen for the residential course and the 80-members orchestra invites, alongside the young musicians of

Palestinian origin, 10 to 15 young guest musicians from music institutions or youth orchestras of the hosting country.

Students are coached by musicians who perform and teach with leading ensembles and music conservatories. Recent

guest tutors have come from English National Opera, the Chilingirian Quartet, Valencia Opera House, Qatar Philharmonic,

Stockholm Philharmonic, Amman Symphony Orchestra, Aubervilliers Conservatoire, Royal Northern College of Music,

Conservatorio Paganini (Genoa), and the London Symphony Orchestra. Since 2012 the ESNCM has developed a partnership

with the Oslo Philharmonic which entails having members of the prestigious Norwegian orchestra as coaches for the

sections of the Palestine Youth Orchestra.

Conductors who have directed the PYO include Sian Edwards, Nicolas Simon, Tom Hammond, Hilari Gárcia Gázquez, Roger

Johansson, Walter Mik and Anna-Sophie Breuning. Soloists have included Marcel Khalife, Mariam Tamari, Dima Bawab,

Maias Al Yamani, Mohamed Najem, Ahmad Al Khatib, Fadi Deeb, Omeima Khalil, Basel Zayed, Karim Said, Reem Talhami,

Rim Banna, Basel Theodory, Alexander Suleiman, Saleem Abboud Ashkar, and winners of the Palestine National Music

Competition Oday Al-Khattab (Hebron), Rawan Elleyan (Gaza City), and Osama Diab (Ramallah).

The PYO is dedicated to promoting the work of Palestinian and Arab composers, alongside well-known standards of

the Western symphonic repertoire. Recent concerts have included music by Naji Hakim, Marcel Khalife, Issa Boulos,

John Bisharat, Ahmad Al Khatib, Salvador Arnita, Kinan Azmeh, Maias Al Yamani, Salim Dada, the Rahbani Brothers,

Suhail Khoury and Rima Tarazi. Other repertoire performed by the Orchestra has included Rimsky Korsakov’s Capriccio

Espagnol, Beethoven’s Symphonies No. 3, 5 and 8, Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3 and Triple Concerto, Dvořák’s

Symphonies No. 5 and 9, Kodaly’s Dances of Galanta, excerpts from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, Haydn’s Symphony No.

94, Brahms’s Symphony No. 1, Khatchaturian’s Gayane Suite, Shostakovich’s The Gadfly, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto

No. 1, Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 2, Rossini’s Overture to La Gazza Ladra, Berlioz’s Carnaval Romain and songs by

Dvořák, Delibes and Stephen Adams.

CONCERTSMarch 2016Middle East Tour

King Hussain Royal Cultural Centre (Jordan)

Royal Opera House, Muscat (Oman)

H. Berlioz King Lear Overture

M. Fleifel Mawitini

Rahbani Bros. Zahrat al Mada’en

S. Khoury Gaza

Naji Hakim Baalbeck

P.I. Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 2

Conductor: Nicolas SimonPalestine Girl’s Choir

August 2015Conservatoire a Rayonnement Regional de Paris (France)

Theatre Antique de Fourviere, Lyon (France)

Grand Theatre de Provence, Aix-en-Provence (France)

Berlioz King Lear Overture

Gounod “Je veux vivre” (extract from Romeo and Juliet)

Verdi “E strano…Sempre Libera” (exctact from La Traviata)

Hakim Baalbeck

Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 2

Conductor: Nicolas SimonSoloists: Mariam Tamari

August 2014Fundraising concerts for the Gaza School of MusicDar Al-Sarraf, Amman (Jordan)

Franciscan Sister’s Auditorium, Amman (Jordan) – Two performances

Saint-Saens Bacchanale

Beethoven Symphony n. 5

Berlioz CarnavalRomain

Arnita Andante Meditativo

Azmeh November 22nd

Khoury Gaza

Rahbani Brothers Zahret Al-Madayen

Badelt Pirates of the Caribbean

Conductor: Tom HammondSoloists: Reem Talhami, Mohamed Najem

To see all these young Palestinians, from all over

the world playing together, and not in some small

unimportant theatre but in the most famous places of

Italy, with so many people applauding, it was a miracle.

Luisa Morgantini - Former Vice President of the European Parliament ’‘

August 2013The Citadel Festival, Amman (Jordan)

An-Najah National University, Nablus (Palestine)

The Cultural Palace, Ramallah (Palestine)

Bethlehem Convention Palace, Al Khader (Palestine)

Wagner Prelude from The Meistersinger of Nürnberg

Jenkins Palladio

Verdi Triumphal March from Aida

Arnita Introduction and Oriental Dance No. 1

Copland “Hoe-Down” from Rodeo

KinanAzmeh Wedding

Salim Dada Bent Essahra, from PaysagesAlgeriene Suite

Dvořák Symphony No. 9, “New World”

Piazzolla Libertango (arr. Milone)

Conductor: Sian EdwardsClarinet: Mohamed Najem

September 2012KHBT Convention Centre, The Dead Sea (Jordan)

Hussein Cultural Centre, Amman (Jordan)

Beethoven Symphony No. 8, in F major

Delibes Les Filles de Cadix

Dvořák Song to the Moon from Rusalka

Kinan Azmeh November 22nd

Rimsky-Korsakov Capriccio Espagnol

Conductor: Tom HammondSoprano: Dima Bawab Clarinet: Mohamed Najem

August 2012Ravello Festival, Ravello (Italy)

Conservatorio Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Rome (Italy)

Piazza della Signoria, Florence (Italy)

Teatro Carlo Felice, Genoa (Italy)

Festival Amfiteatrof, Vernazza (Italy)

Beethoven Symphony No. 8 in F major

Al Yamani Sea Waves (Arabic violin and orchestra)

Delibes Les Fille de Cadix

Dvořák Song to the Moon from Rusalka

KinanAzmeh November 22nd

Rimsky-Korsakov Capriccio Espagnole

Verdi Un Giorno di Regno (overture)

Conductor: Sian Edwards.Soloists: Dima Bawab, Maias Al Yamani, Mohamed Najem

August 2011An-Najah National University, Nablus (Palestine)

The Cultural Palace, Ramallah (Palestine)

Rossini Overture La Gazza Ladra

Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1

Roger Johansson Fi Dhikra al Haram (world premiere)

Shostakovich Suite from The Gadfly

Conductor: Hilaria Gárcia GázquezSoloists: Ahmad Al Khatib, Fadi Deeb

they are talented, motivated and

positive representatives of a next

generation of musicians

Torbjørn Ottersen, Timpanist and percussionist for the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra

’‘

This is borne out by the hugely

successful concerts given by the

Palestine Youth Orchestra in recent

years, a group which has become an

emblem of international recognition

for the Palestinian people.

Sian Edwards, Head of Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music. Edwards conducted the PYO in 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013.

’‘November 2010

Megaron Mousikis, Athens (Greece)

Amman Citadel Festival (Jordan)

Haydn Symphony No. 94 “The Surprise”

Marcel Khalife Ya Nhassim Ar-Rih

Assi Rahbani Al Quds al Atika

SamihShqeir Law Rahal Soti

John Bisharat Elegy in a Country Churchyard (world premier)

Ahmed Al Khattib Mystifying Transparencies

IssaBoulos Share” Beitik and Share” Beitik fi Yom Taani

Gershwin Orchestral Selection from Porgy and Bess

Øystein bru Frantzen Variations on Halalalaleya

Conductor: Sian Edwards.Soloists: Oday Al-Khattab (Hebron), RawanElleyan (Gaza City), and Osama Diab (Ramallah)

August 2009Beitteddine Festival (Lebanon)

Hussein Cultural Palace, Amman (Jordan) – two performances

Marcel Khalife Ahmad al-Arabi

Suhail Khoury Qaza

Suhail Khoury Ashiqa

Habib Shehade Khadraa’

Beethoven Symphony No. 3 ‘Eroica’

Beethoven Romance in F major

Conductor: Sian Edwards.Soloists: Marcel Khalife, Omeima El-Khalil, Reem Talhami, Basel Zayed, Basel Theodory.

July-August 2008(Celebrating Jerusalem, in collaboration with the Bonn University Orchestra)

Tombs of the Kings, Jerusalem (Palestine)

Cultural Palace, Ramallah (Palestine)

Krieger Auditorium, Haifa (Palestine)

Hussein Cultural Palace, Amman (Jordan)

Opera House, Damascus (Syria)

Aram Khachaturian Gayane Ballet Suite No. 2 and excerpts from Suite No. 3

Al-Rahbani Brothers Zahrat Al Madaen

Rim Banna Wahdaha Bitibqa Al-Quds

Suhail Khoury Al-Quds

Issa Boulos Ughniyyet Hubb Maqdissiyeh

Rima Tarazi Al Quds Arabiyah

Stephen Adams The Holy City

Conductor: Walter MikSoloists: Reem Talhami, Dima Bawab, Rim Banna, Abdelrahman Alkam.

August 2007(In collaboration with the Bonn University Orchestra)

Broadcasting Hall, Berlin (Germany)

Weikersheim (Germany)

Issa Boulos Longa to Marcel

Issa Boulos Manfa

Salvador Arnita Oriental Sketches

Antonin Dvořak 5th Symphony

Conductor: Walter Mik

August 2006Roman Amphitheatre, Amman (Jordan)

Beethoven Leonore Overture No.3

Kodaly Dances of Galanta

Mozart Concert Aria ‘Voi avete un cor Fedele’

Brahms Symphony No.1

Soloist: Dima BawwabConductor: Sian Edwards

August 2005Northern Amphitheare, Jerash (Jordan)

Beethoven Symphony No.1

Beethoven Triple Concerto

Conductor: Anna-Sophie BrueningSoloists: Alexander Suleiman, Karim Said, Peter Clemente

August 2004Terra Sancta Cultural Center, Amman (Jordan)

Edvard Grieg Peer Gynt Suite No.1

Morning Mood

The Death of Åse

Anitra’s Dance

In the Hall of the Mountain King

Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3

Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 2, Finale

Conductor: Anna-Sophie BrüningSoloist: Salim Abboud-Ashkar (piano)

Through the universal language of

music the orchestra offers a high

testimony of dialogue and hope.

Giorgio Napolitano, Former President of the Italian Republic

’‘

2016 PYO tour – United Kingdom, 18 July- 1 August

Dates and Locations• 18 July-24 July- Rehearsals, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

• 25 July -Perth | Perth Concert Hall

• 26 July - Glasgow | Royal Concert Hall (Part of the International Society of Music Education Conference)

• 27 July - Leeds I Leeds Town Hall

• 29 July - Birmingham | Town Hall

• 30 July - Cardiff | St David’s Hall

• 1 August - London | Royal Festival Hall

Artistic team• Conductor – Sian Edwards http://imgartists.com/artist/sian_edwards/

• Soloist- Nai Barghouti

Principal UK Partner: Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

With the cooperation of The Guildhall School of Music and Drama & The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama

Official Coaching Partner- Oslo Philharmonic

Repertoire• Beethoven Overture, Leonore No. 3

• Graham Fitkin Metal

• Zakaria Ahmad Biridak ya Khaliki

• Rahbani Brothers Ahtarif al huzna wal intizar

• Rahbani Brothers Roudani illa Biladi

• Mussorgsky (orch. Ravel) Pictures at An Exhibition

For more information, please visit the following pages:Palestine Youth Orchestra web page:http://ncm.birzeit.edu/en/palestine-youth-orchestra

Article by Tariq Shadid:http://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/2013/03/22/Palestine-youth-orchestra-a-bridge-to-the-world-by-

docjazzmusic/

PYO at Santa Cecilia (Rome, 2012):http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUIz1hxftqg

PYO at the Beitiddine Festival (Lebanon, 2009):http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ACAPNUsP9I

PYO in Amman (Jordan, 2009):http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvmQ-BX-hBw

ContactPalmusic UK Website:

www.palmusic.org.uk

Zeina KhouryOrchestra Manager – Palestine Youth Orchestra

+ 970 598318313

+ 972 542337275

zkhoury@ncm.birzeit.edu

http://ncm.birzeit.edu/en

Zina PapageorgiouAdministrator, Palmusic UK (Friends of the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music UK)

+44 (0) 7934058883

zina@palmusic.org.uk

http://palmusic.org.uk

The Palestine Youth OrchestraPress Kit 2016