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Mrs Joy Bryer is one of the most renowned cultural ambassadors in Europe and beyond. She has appeared on television and radio throughout the world with her passionate message that access to culture is a fundamental human right, and her plea to governments to create the conditions for the right to be enjoyed.
Born in Boston and educated in Boston, Mexico City and at the Sorbonne, studying History and International Relations, she came to Europe in 1956 when she married Lionel Bryer and settled in London. She established her own public relations firm with a clientele of film stars and leading international firms.
In 1969 she and her husband founded the International Youth Foundation of Great Britain, with The Rt. Hon Sir Edward Heath KG, MBE as the first President. The International Youth Foundation is an educational charity devoted to promoting international cooperation and understanding amongst the youth of the world, working particularly through culture.
Their first major project of the Foundation was the International Festival of Youth Orchestras and Performing Arts which was founded in 1969. Joy Bryer organised and raised extensive funds for ten major festivals in which leading youth orchestras, ballet, folk, choral, dance, opera and visual arts groups took part, first in Switzerland and later in Great Britain and Italy. She travelled throughout the world finding groups to bring to the Festivals, from the Far East, north and South America and every part of Europe.
When Great Britain joined the European Community, she and her husband founded the European Community Youth Orchestra in 1974, later re-named the European Union Youth Orchestra in 1995. The orchestra set out to demonstrate through music the cooperation of European youth and to be a symbol of the European ideal - a united community of nations working together for peace, harmony, social justice and human dignity.
Since its first tour in 1978 the orchestra has achieved a worldwide reputation for excellence. IN 1986 the EUYO was awarded the Olympia Prize by the Onassis Foundation, in 1990 it won the first ever "Prix d'Initiative Européenne" and in 1991 the European Media Prize.
Joy Bryer is the motivating force behind the orchestra and has worked tirelessly for its great success. Through her work with the EUYO she has helped found the first Italian, Greek and Asian Youth Orchestras and has worked indefatigably to help young musicians with scholarship, career and educational programmes. She has appeared on radio and television all over the world with her passionate message that access to culture is a fundamental human right and her plea to governments and institutions to create the social and economic conditions for this right to be enjoyed.
In 1996 Joy Bryer was awarded a 'Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres' by the French Government, was elected 'Woman of the Year for Arts' by the European Union of Women and was appointed an Honorary Friend of the Royal Academy of Music in London. In 1997 she was awarded the 'Officer de l'Ordre Grand-Ducal de la Couronne de Chêne' by the Luxembourg Government and she was given Honorary Membership of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. In 1998 she received a medal from President Gil Robles of the European Parliament for her work for the European Union through culture and music. In 2002, she was an honoree of 'The Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World' and in 2004 she was awarded the honour of 'Comandante della Repubblica Italiana'.
Most recently, Joy Bryer was awarded the UK Woman of Europe award, 2005.
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