EUYO HISTORY

EUYO - promoting an ideal for more than 30 years
The European Community Youth Orchestra (later to become the European Union Youth Orchestra) was founded in 1976 by the late Lionel Bryer and Joy Bryer, respectively the Chairman and Secretary General of the International Youth Foundation of Great Britain, with a view to creating an Orchestra which would represent the European ideal of a community working together to achieve peace and social understanding. At the same time it was also designed to provide an invaluable professional development experience for young orchestral musicians.

Since its inception it has received the support of the European Parliament and the European Commission with major financial support and political backing. The EUYO's Honorary President is the President of the European Parliament and its Honorary Patrons are the Heads of State and Prime Ministers of each of the EU member states, headed by the President of the European Commission. The EUYO is unique for a number of reasons, not least because it is the only orchestra in the world to have been formed through a vote in Parliament and represent every single one of the 27 EU Member States.

A rehearsal with Claudio Abbado in 1979