THE YOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OF RUSSIA
The orchestra brings together the best young musicians from all over Russia aged between ten and twenty-two. Yuri Bashmet’s idea of a youth orchestra was implemented by Dmitry Grinchenko and the Russian Concert Agency in 2012. The orchestra was built in the course of a broad-scale competition of classical music performers held to identify musically gifted children throughout the Russian Federation. Qualifying auditions are now held every two years in all federal districts of Russia for students of higher music institutions, children’s music schools, art schools, and music colleges aged between ten and twenty-one.
Over 7000 young musicians from different regions of Russia have taken part in the auditions in recent years. The auditions also resulted in the opening of Yuri Bashmet’s educational centers for young gifted musicians, which operate on the permanent basis in seventeen regions of Russia; nine music academies offering different training programs also take place annually. Permanent branches of the orchestra have been established in the Urals and Siberian Federal Districts.
The orchestra is a regular participant in important creative projects. Over the twelve years of its existence, the ensemble has given concerts in nineteen regions of Russia and twelve countries around the world; it took part in the closing ceremony of the XXII Winter Olympic Games in Sochi and the Opening Ceremony of the FIFA World Cup.
Former participants of the orchestra now work in leading federal and regional symphony orchestras. The orchestra has trained a huge number of professional musicians, thus maintaining Russia’s great cultural traditions.
BRANCHES
Siberian Youth Orchestra
The Siberian Youth Orchestra actively contributes to the professional development of orchestral musicians. Its activities aim at preparing young musicians aged from fourteen to twenty-three for orchestral work and constantly improving their performance skills.
Ural Youth Symphony Orchestra
The Ural Youth Symphony Orchestra was established on the initiative of the Ural Special Music School and the Ural Regional Centre for Musically Gifted Children and Youth. The orchestra unites young musicians from fourteen to twenty-two years of age, among whom are students of children’s specialized musical schools and students of secondary and higher professional educational institutions of the Urals Federal District.
Children’s Symphony Orchestra of Atomic Cities
The Children’s Symphony Orchestra of Atomic Cities is a combined orchestra that emerged in 2021 in Novouralsk. Children from eighteen Rosatom State Corporation cities of presence in ten regions of the Russian Federation are selected for the orchestra on a competitive basis.