Maltese violinist Nadine Galea has been chosen to form part of the 2014/2015 season of the European Union Youth Orchestra, joining the exceptionally talented group of young musicians who will bring to life the orchestra’s programme over the next season.
The result was announced after the European Union Youth Orchestra recently published its list of Europe’s greatest young musicians, as it announced its new 2014/15 orchestra of 140 players drawn from all 28 EU member states. Nadine will be one of the emerging artists to perform at this year’s Malta Arts Festival.
Over 3,000 of Europe’s finest young musicians auditioned for a place in this year’s orchestra, which tours internationally twice annually. With most players aged between 19 and 25, the European Union Youth Orchestra has acquired a reputation, over almost 40 years, as Europe’s leading youth orchestra, performing under the baton of current music director Maestro Vladimir Ashkenazy, and previous music directors Claudio Abbado and Bernard Haitink. Locally, auditions were organised by the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts.
The players will come together for a six-week summer tour, which will see them perform in some of Europe’s finest concert halls, including Grafenegg in Austria, the EUYO’s summer home and principal venue partner, the Royal Albert Hall in London, as part of the 120th BBC Proms season, and The Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. As would be expected of Europe’s preeminent youth orchestra, the repertoire this summer is technically and emotionally demanding.
Ms Galea is a graduate of the Royal College of Music where she is continuing the Master of Performance course, having studied with Dona Lee Croft and Radu Blidar, and jazz violin with Christian Garrick.
She has won several competitions, awards and prizes in London, Italy and Malta. Prior to her studies at the RCM, Nadine was one of only five international music scholars awarded a full two-year scholarship to study chamber music with the legendary Trio di Trieste and Trio di Parma. She has also won prestigious awards by the UK’s Seary and ACM trusts and also been supported by Mackintosh, WTH, Janatha Stubbs, Farsons Foundations and River Dream Ltd.
The European Union Youth Orchestra is one of the world’s most prestigious and dynamic orchestras, as evidenced by the thousands of fine young musicians, from all 28 member states, who audition every year for a chance to join the orchestra. It was founded in 1976 by Lionel and Joy Bryer, providing an exceptional bridge between music colleges and the professional music world for almost 3,000 alumni, a group that includes conductors, soloists, and orchestral musicians from, inter alia, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
The EUYO performed for the first time in Malta last year as part of the Malta Arts Festival. The concert also marked the inauguration of Renzo Piano’s Pjazza Teatru Rjal in Valletta.
To view recent video footage of the EUYO visit http://www.youtube.com/EUYOvideo