The Palestine Youth Orchestra (PYO) was created in 2004 by the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music in Palestine with the vision of bringing together young Palestinian musicians from around the world. Over the past ten years, it has performed in Palestine, Germany, France, Jordan, Syria, Bahrain, Lebanon, Greece, and Italy. The PYO comprises around eighty young musicians of Palestinian origin residing around the world.
Unique among the world’s youth orchestras, many of its young musicians are trained in both Arabic and Western Classical music. Concerts by the PYO and its associate ensembles have included performances at major concert halls and leading festivals such as the BBC Proms, Ravello, Florence, and Aix-en-Provence. Since 2012 the Orchestra has enjoyed a highly rewarding partnership with the Oslo Philharmonic, whose musicians have provided valuable training to its young musicians for several years. The Orchestra has accompanied many of the Middle East’s best-known musicians in classical and popular music.
In 2019 as part of our 40th-year Anniversary celebration, it was our pleasure to support The Palestine Youth Orchestra (PYO) in their Northern European Tour. This tour highlights the pivotal role of art in bridging the gap between people, cultures, and nations while spreading the simple message of love, dialogue, and understanding. August 14th was the Orchestra’s debut in the Netherlands in Apeldoorn where they performed with the Dutch Youth Orchestra. On August 16th, the Orchestra performed at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam under the theme ‘Ode to Love’!
The Lutfia Rabbani Foundation was delighted to have been one of the main sponsors of this tour and to make their debut in the Netherlands possible. It was also our pleasure to have developed a strategic partnership with the Qattan Foundation to join us in sponsoring the PYO concerts in the Netherlands. We are proud that the Orchestra embodies our longstanding belief in the power of intercultural exchange.
