# How do Youth Orchestras compare?



## David58117 (Nov 5, 2009)

I noticed the the local youth orchestra is performing Beethovens 7th on Sunday. I've never heard a youth orchestra perform, I plan to go, but I really don't know what to expect. 

So what is your impression of Youth Orchestras?


----------



## Meaghan (Jul 31, 2010)

I think it varies a lot by youth orchestra. If you live in a city with half a million people or more, they're likely quite good, because they have a large group of kids to pick from and as a result are quite competitive. I was part of a youth orchestra in high school and the top orchestra in the organization performed at the same same big downtown concert hall as the professional symphony and included musicians from well outside the city. A large percentage of the kids (myself not included) went on to conservatories. 

Your local youth orchestra may or may not be like that, but I always think it's fun to see kids who are passionate and excited about music and have worked hard to play it well. Hopefully they do not butcher Beethoven.


----------



## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

If the fine performances on disc of Mahler's 5th and 10th by the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie (helmed by Rudolf Barshai) are anything to go by then the standard has to be pretty high in certain cases. In reality I suppose the standard of playing of any youth orchestra is primarily down to budget and location/catchment area but as long as they're doing it in some shape or form (and enjoying it) that is what really counts.


----------



## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

The county youth orchestras are really good in Maryland (the rich counties), because there is good music education here. The Maryland All-State Orchestra is always fantastic too. However, I've seen cases where money was running the show, and most good players were excluded because it was very very expensive to join the group, they would go on tour in Europe which would cost over $1000.


----------



## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

Heck, the Cincinnati Youth Orchestra is apparently performing the Rite of Spring at some point this season! And last year I had the pleasure of performing the entirety of Beethoven 2 with, not a youth orchestra, but my school orchestra. And it was pretty darn good.

I mean, we weren't, nor are they ever going to be, the Vienna Philharmonic, but they're very good from my experience.


----------



## Nix (Feb 20, 2010)

Depends on the youth orchestra. Some programs let lots of players in, which can take away from the quality, so it's usually safer to see a chamber orchestra concert. Mostly though they're quite good... not technically perfect but generally lots of enthusiasm in the playing.


----------



## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

Although there's always this youth orchestra... I just don't understand how a youth orchestra can be this good (and no, Simon Bolivar doesn't count in my book).


----------



## Delicious Manager (Jul 16, 2008)

The European Union Youth Orchestra chooses (through annual auditions throughout Europe) the best young musicians between the ages of 14 and 24 from all 27 EU countries (total population, just over 500,000,000). The standard of this orchestra is staggering and surpasses many of the world's finest professional orchestras.


----------



## Meaghan (Jul 31, 2010)

David58117 said:


> I noticed the the local youth orchestra is performing Beethovens 7th on Sunday. I've never heard a youth orchestra perform, I plan to go, but I really don't know what to expect.


How was it?


----------



## David58117 (Nov 5, 2009)

Meaghan said:


> How was it?




Didn't go. Life got in the way (= spent the day doing chores).

Oh well, it gives me bargaining power with the wife when Lang Lang comes in a few months!


----------



## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

David58117 said:


> Didn't go. Life got in the way (= spent the day doing chores).
> 
> Oh well, it gives me bargaining power with the wife when Lang Lang comes in a few months!


Lang Lang? You'll be disappointed.


----------



## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

I came late to this thread, but I must say I've seen a number of the Australian youth orchestras (the Australian Youth Orchestra & Sydney Youth Orchestra) & I thought that their playing was just as good as the major orchestras here (especially the former, who topped off their program with a highly charged rendition of Shostakovich 10 conducted by UK maestro Sir Mark Elder)...


----------



## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

The youth orchestra of the London Philharmonic toured here a couple of months ago and I was pretty impressed.


----------

