For immediate release

Edinburgh Youth Orchestra in trio of concerts across Scotland with Aberdeen International Youth Festival 2010

Edinburgh Youth Orchestra (EYO) will take a leading role at the 2010 Aberdeen International Youth Festival (AIYO) with three concerts in Aberdeen, Inverness and Dunfermline, as well as playing in the Festival’s welcome ceremony at 3pm on 29th July at Aberdeen Music Hall, featuring the national anthems of all participating countries.

EYO’s concerts will take place on Friday 30 July at 7.30pm in the Music Hall, Aberdeen, Saturday 31 July at 7.30pm in the Eden Court Theatre, Inverness and at The Alhambra Theatre, Dunfermline on Monday 2 August, at 7.30pm.

Ticket prices are £1 for the Welcome Ceremony, from £2 - £12 for the Aberdeen concert and £2 - £10 in Inverness and Dunfermline. Ticket and booking details can be found at the AIYF website -
http://www.aberdeenfestival.com/downloads/AIYF_2010_brochure_low_res.pdf

The welcome ceremony and concerts will be directed by Garry Walker, one of Scotland’s leading conductors, and a former EYO cellist, who was recently appointed EYO Artistic Director.
The Dunfermline concert is a first for EYO and AIYF, whose own Artistic Director, Stewart Aitken, hails from the town, where Provost of Fife, Frances Melville, will host a civic reception in honour of the Festival and EYO’s visit.

Acclaimed Scottish soprano Lisa Milne, who regularly performs at the Edinburgh international Festival, at Glyndebourne and with orchestras across the world will make her EYO debut singing Four Last Songs by Richard Strauss. The popular programme will also feature Bernstein’s amazing West Side Story Symphonic Dances, Gershwin’s Strike Up the Band and Shostakovich’s rousing Festive Overture.

The 90 members of Edinburgh Youth Orchestra, aged between 14 and 21, will be in rehearsal for the summer concert tour from Wednesday 21 to Wednesday 28 July at St. Thomas Aquinus High School in Edinburgh, with Lisa Milne joining the orchestra for rehearsal on the final day, before they take the road to Aberdeen on the following day.

One of Europe’s leading youth ensembles, The Edinburgh Youth Orchestra has a long and enterprising history. It has performed in many famous concert halls, including the Shostakovich Hall in St Petersburg, the Leipzig Gewandhaus, Tivoli Concert Hall in Copenhagen and Edinburgh’s Usher Hall. Recent EYO soloists include Evelyn Glennie, Nicola Benedetti and Julian Lloyd Webber.

EYO website www.edinburghyouthorchestra.org
Notes to editors:
This media release as well as information on EYO can be found on our website.
www.edinburghyouthorchestra.org

Key statements:
• Edinburgh Youth Orchestra aims to give the opportunity to as many young people as possible to take part in its annual orchestral course and concerts.
• Since being founded in 1963, the Edinburgh Youth Orchestra has become established as one of Europe's leading youth orchestras. A full symphony orchestra with over 100 players aged between 14 and 21 years, EYO is based in Edinburgh with annual auditions open to musicians from all over Scotland.
• Every year the orchestra comes together under the guidance of a well-known conductor and a team of professional tutors. A week long Easter course culminates in a concert series around Scotland.
For further information, or to arrange a photocall, please contact:

MARJORY DOUGAL
General Manager
Edinburgh Youth Orchestra
92 St Albans Road
Edinburgh EH9 2PG
tel:0131 667 4648
fax:0131 662 9169
mobile:07808 165 736
e-mail:marjory.dougal@edinburghyouthorchestra.org
visit our website at www.edinburghyouthorchestra.org

July 2010