Location: Aix-en-Provence, France

An open program to the finest young classical musicians coming from conservatories, academies, universities and higher music institutes of the Mediterranean basin.

The Symphonic Session of the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra is designed for future professional classical musicians from the Mediterranean. This training session offers an intercultural experience of orchestra life in rehearsals, concerts and on tour within the stimulating frame of the Aix Festival. It provides high-level musical training where young musicians can benefit from the coaching of experimented artists while working on some symphonic repertoire masterpieces under the baton of young and talented conductor Duncan Ward. Since 2010, some players of the prestigious London Symphony Orchestra coached the different sections of the orchestra. Every year, almost 600 musicians apply to one of our auditions organized in about twenty cities in the Mediterranean where some 100 young talents are selected.
Duncan Ward is appointed musical director of our symphonic session from 2020 to 2023.

Dates: 05 to 25 July 2022
Musical director: Duncan Ward
Associate Conductor: Quentin Hindley
Pedagogical coaching: London Symphony Orchestra
Final Concerts:Festival France Musique – Montpellier: 19 July | Festival d’Aix : 20 July | Friche la Belle de Mai :21 July .

The first concert in Montpellier has been recorded and is available on France Musique’s website

Musical program

Lili Boulanger – D’un matin de printemps
Medinea and symphonic players – Musical creation led by Fabrizio Cassol & Duncan Ward
Xavier Montsalvatge – Cinco Canciones Negras
Igor Stravinsky – The Rite of Spring

Photo credit: Vincent Beaume

Financial Support

Erasmus+