The Hanoitimes - As part of its three-week international tour of 2011, the Asian Youth Orchestra (AYO) will perform at Hanoi Opera House on August 15-16.
Under the baton of principal conductor James Judd, the orchestra, together with violist Stefan Jackiw from the US, will present classical masterpieces, including Carmen Fantasy by Sarasate, Symphony No. 4 by Tchaikovsky, Carnival Overture, Symphony No. 2 by Rachmaninoff.
AYO is made up of 100 talented musicians aged 17 to 28, chosen annually by audition from among the best music students in mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. The Vietnamese members this year are cellist Nguyen Thanh Tu and obist Nguyen Hoang Tu.
They get together for six weeks each summer, initially for a three-week Summer Festival (Rehearsal Camp), and then perform on tour for three weeks.
This year, the tour, beginning on August 5 and continuing through August 29, will include performances in Hong Kong, Beijing, Tianjin, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hanoi, Bangkok, Taipei and Tokyo.
Since its debut in 1990 the award-winning AYO has performed more than 300 concerts in Asia, Europe, the US and Australia for an audience of more than one million concertgoers. Millions more around the world have seen and heard the orchestra on CNN, CNBC, NHK, RTHK Hong Kong, and Star TV.
