InternationaL Youth Symphony Orchestra
The "International Youth Symphony Orchestra" let's music realize its full human potential: young people from different backgrounds get to meet and experience joint music making. No pressure, no competition, yet high quality in every aspect of the project. This colourful youth orchestra coming together for intense rehearsals, a joyful social programme and a captivating final concert performance realizes the motto of Jeunesses Musicales International "making a difference through music!". Only to be recommended to any young orchestra musician out there!
Franziska Spohr, chair of the Classical Committee of JM International and board member of JM Germany (2018)
Everywhere and yet in one place - the IYSO unites young musicians from all over the world and creates wonderful sounds.
Since the project orchestra was founded in 1999, young instrumentalists from all over the world have come together in Bremen to perform a demanding musical program in a 10-day intensive rehearsal phase
bring to.
The foreign musicians live in host families of members as well as music-loving friends of the JSO. The intensive rehearsals, the love of music and the joint evening events create a wonderful community every year in which formalities or convictions, as well as nationalities or religions, take a back seat.
The rehearsals take place in English, or non-verbally, in the universal language of music and are led by Martin Lentz, our conductor of the JSO. He is supported by wonderful lecturers, including the Bremen Philharmonic, the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and the Philharmonic State Orchestra Hamburg.
The climax of this project is the final concert in the Bremer Glocke, a fantastic hall that repeatedly enchants foreign musicians. The IYSO not only offers the JSO participants the opportunity to spend the first week of the autumn break internationally and yet in Bremen, it also paves the way to make friends all over the world, broaden one's cultural horizons and play more challenging works.
Pietro Roffi , Accordion (Italy)
"In October 2017 I spent a few days in Bremen with the IYSO orchestra. Martin Lentz is a mindful, sensitive and charismatic conductor and has impeccably led an orchestra of young musicians who will be the future of music in Europe and beyond.
I had really good vibes from the first rehearsal to the beautiful night at Die Glock. The concert hall was full, I had a lot of fun and we did a concert that will remain in my memory for a long time. I hope to be back soon to be directed by Martin and play again with these wonderful guys! "
See also Pietro and IYSO on youtube
"I have a great personal connection to the IYSO. I first participated in a project at the age of 15. At that time I never thought that nine years later I would be playing as a soloist with the IYSO. I cannot describe the great joy and pleasure I felt. It is a very special project where music functions as a bridge to socialisation, discovery and growth. Working with the IYSO and Martin Lentz was an unforgettable experience and has great meaning in my life. Simply Brilliant"
Santiago Medina Gutiérrez, Viola, Spain
Particularly noteworthy is the organizational structure of the IYSO: Former JSO members and the respective active JSO board form a team of real believers. With great attention to detail and countless hours of work, this huge project was and is being reinvented and shaped again and again.
This very special project is financially supported by the Friends of JSO Bremen-Mitte with donations from the "Music and Light at Hollersee" concert and support from the "Gut für Bremen" foundation of the Sparkasse Bremen, the Waldemar Koch Foundation, the Wolfgang Petermann Foundation, the Hans-Peter and Annelotte Koch Foundation, Jeunesses Musicales Germany with funds from the Federal Ministry for Family, Seniors, Women and Youth, the Bremen Music School, Glocke Veranstaltungs GmbH, Ensemblemusik International eV, violin-making studio Christoph Teichmann, Bremer Straßenbahn AG and many others more.