European Union Youth Orchestra
The European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO) is a world‑class youth orchestra made up of players from the 27 European Union member states. It began in 1976 as the European Community Youth Orchestra and is now based in Grafenegg, Austria, with Iván Fischer as its principal conductor.
EUYO is open to EU citizens aged 16–26. Each year about 2,000–3,000 auditionees apply, and roughly 120 players plus 120 reserves are selected. Members typically stay for 2–3 years, and more than 90% go on to become professional musicians. The group combines spring and summer residencies with tours.
Spring residencies last 2–3 weeks in Ferrara, Italy. Summer residencies take place in Grafenegg (Austria) and Bolzano (Italy), beginning with a 3‑week rehearsal period.
History and milestones: EUYO was founded by Joy and Lionel Bryer, with Claudio Abbado as the first director. In 1994 it was renamed the European Union Youth Orchestra after the Maastricht Treaty. By 2013 it had performed in every EU country, and in 2014 it launched the Towards 2020 project to spark new engagement with classical music.
Funding challenges and Brexit: In 2016 EUYO briefly announced it would cease operations for lack of funding, sparking broad support across Europe. The European Commission pledged to secure core funding, and the orchestra continued its work. In 2017, partly because of Brexit, EUYO said it would relocate its base from London to Italy; after the Brexit transition ended in 2020, UK members could no longer apply.
Recent years: EUYO moved its activities to Ferrara in 2018, and in 2022 announced that its administrative home would move to Grafenegg and Vienna, Austria, from 2023 onward. The orchestra has collaborated with many renowned conductors and soloists and is widely regarded as one of the world’s top youth orchestras. In 2020 it was named European Cultural Brand of the Year for its role as a living example of European unity and culture.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 09:43 (CET).