Philippe Jordan with a view to Place Bastille. Photo: Johannes Ifkovits

2011 sees the centenary of the death of Gustav Mahler, therefore the The Easter tour presents music by Gustav Mahler, and in the Paris concert the late symphonic “The Song of the Earth” (Das Lied von der Erde) soloists Thomas Hampson, baritone and Burkhard Fritz, tenor. This was presented contrasted with the opening movement of the unfinished tenth symphony. Conducted by Philippe Jordan currently musical director of the Opera National de Paris. At an age of 36 Mr. Jordan has already established himself as one of the most gifted and exciting conductors of his generation.

Later on the summer tour in August will visit Bolzano/Bozen, Salzburg, Dresden and London with another program conducted by Sir Colin Davis with the soprano Susan Graham as soloist.

From 2nd until 20th April the orchestra is touring in Europe, It all started in Interlaken, in Schwitzerland and visiting Paris, with concert at Theatre des Champs Elysées, where  Henning Høholt enjoyed the concert. Followed by Wienna with three concerts in the famous Musikverein. After that Athen, Greece

. Madrid, Spain
. Lisboa, Portugal ending up in Torino,
Italy.

The Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra was founded in 1986 on the initiative of Claudio Abbado. Each
year over two thousand talented musicians from all over Europe apply. Only the best applicants, who
are determined through a strict selection procedure, are able to take part in the orchestra projects.

The two young Lituanian violinists Katazyna Narkevic and Giedre Staskute is joining the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra 2011

During the Easter Tour 2011, the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra unites nearly 120 young musicians
from 23 nationaloties from EU. Lithuania is this year represented with two young female violinists, Katazyna
Narkevic and Giedre Staskute, 22 and 23 years old. Katazyna is student at Lietuvos Muzikos ir Teatro
Akademija in Vilnius, and Giedre at Hochschule der Kunste in Bern, Schweiz.

It is a compliment to the two young Lithuanian violinists Katazyna Narkevic and Giedre Staskute, as to all the other outstanding young soloists from all of Europe that they have been chosen after auditions during the autumn 2010.

Before the major tours at Easter and in the summer of every year the orchestra works through
the concert programmes in one of its residential cities, currently Vienna, Bozen/Bolzano, Lisbon
and Interlaken. Prominent musicians from such orchestras as the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonic
supervise the musicians in individual sections. Then the works for the tours are being rehearsed.
During these work phases the young musicians gain valuable orchestral experience and receive
important inspiration and they can accumulate experiences that are decisitive for their musical
development and further careers as professional musicians.

Henning Høholt is EU culture expert in Bruxelles representing Denmark. He is also an international
well known critic of opera, ballet and classical music situated in Paris and Oslo. Mr. Høholt is edior in chief of Kulturkompasset.