Since being founded in 1963, the Edinburgh Youth Orchestra has gone on to establish itself as one of Europe's leading youth orchestras. The EYO, a full symphony orchestra with 120 players aged between 13 and 21 years, is based in Edinburgh with annual auditions open to musicians from all over Scotland.
Every year the orchestra comes together under the guidance of an eminent conductor and a team of professional coaches. A week long course culminates in concerts in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen or Perth.
The orchestra has also gained a reputation for its exciting overseas tour schedule. Since 1983, the EYO has performed at various venues in California, Central and Eastern Europe, Scandinavia and Italy, and in 2003 it undertook a most successful tour to Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Russia. A highly acclaimed tour to Germany with Garry Walker and Nicola Benedetti took place in July 2006. In July 2007 the orchestra had its first Scottish summer tour with Julian Lloyd Webber performing the Elgar cello concerto to packed houses in Aberdeen, Perth and Paisley Abbey.
Former conductors of the EYO include our President James Loughran, one of our Patrons En Shao, Donald Runnicles, Christopher Adey, Alexander Myrat and Hilary Davan Wetton. In 2003, on our visit to Estonia, the orchestra was thrilled to come under the baton of Neeme Jarvi. The conductor for 2006, 2007 and 2008 was Garry Walker, who is a former cellist with the orchestra and now our Artistic Director.
Our trumpet soloist for our spring concerts in 2008 was John Wallace OBE, Principal of the RSAMD and he is now one of our Patrons.
Sophie Cashell, BBC Classical Star 2007 was our piano soloist during our 2008 Irish summer tour. Karen Geoghegan, runner up and former principal bassoonist in the EYO, was the other soloist in the concerts in the National Concert Hall in Dublin and the University Concert Hall in Limerick.
Former soloists include Julian Lloyd Webber (2006), who was also our 2007 summer tour soloist and is now a Patron of the orchestra, Julian Bliss (2007), Evelyn Glennie and Tommy Smith (2003) and Nicola Benedetti (2005 and 2006). Evelyn Glennie is now our Vice President.
In August 2008 an EYO string ensemble of senior and former players gave concerts in Edinburgh, Stirling and Linlithgow with Julian Lloyd Webber as Director and Soloist.
Our 2009 Spring concerts with En Shao as Conductor, featured Julian narrating Peter and the Wolf as well as playing David Horne's new arrangement for cello and orchestra, of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies' Farewell to Stromness.
Garry Walker has just conducted our 2010 spring concerts with Daniel Bell, a former EYO violinist and now a member of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, performing Beethoven's violin concerto.
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Webmaster, Iain Galloway, former Leader of the double basses in the orchestra.
Website hosting is kindly sponsored by Lumison
The 2006 EYO tour was kindly sponsored by DaimlerChrysler Financial Services
The 2008 EYO spring and summer tour concerts were kindly supported by the Gordon Small Charitable Trust and the Colin O'Riordan Trust. Both trusts supported our 2009 and 2010 spring concerts.
Our Perth concert during our 2007 Scottish summer tour was kindly supported by the Gannochy Trust.
