From 25 to 31 March 2015, some 80 young musicians from the ten countries bordering the Baltic Sea celebrated the rich and diverse musical culture of the Baltic Sea region. Under the baton of Founding Conductor and Music Director, Kristjan Järvi, they traveled 2,000 kilometres across Europe and performed four celebrated concerts at the European Krzysztof Penderecki Center for Music in Luslawice (Poland), at the Filharmonia Narodowa in Warsaw (Poland) and at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Berlin (Germany). The orchestra then concluded its first concert tour for 2015 with its debut at the prestigious Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris (France). Kristjan Järvi and the Baltic Sea Youth Philharmonic took the audience by storm and inspired some 3,000 concert-goers, with the media proclaiming:

“…this concert was exemplary of an ideal concert programme, both playful and serious at the same time…”, Par Leopold Tobisch on Bachtrack

“…Program był na tyle różnorodny, że nie można było się znudzić…” (“Impossible to get bored with this programme.”), Dorota Szwarcman on Polityka

“…un sublimé d’énergie…” (“…sublimated energy…”), Jacqueline Thuilleux on Concertclassic

Prior to the concert tour, the orchestra’s annual innovative educational workshop led by Kristjan Järvi and his team of internationally-renowned coaches – the so-called ‘BYP LAB’ – took place at the European Krzysztof Penderecki Center for Music in Luslawice. The young musicians were not only trained musically under the guidance of Kristjan Järvi and his team of international coaches; they also learned the values of team work and acting as a community. Workshops combined individual training, sectionals and full orchestra rehearsals, as well as chamber music projects, composing and conducting workshops, plus seminars and tutorials on how the BYP musicians can share what they have learned with the next generation of musicians. With this, the BYP spirit is carried into the music academies around the Baltic Sea.

The Baltic Sea Youth Philharmonic continues its journey in 2015 and will carry the sound of the Baltic Sea to Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark and Poland in September. More news to follow!

On Tuesday 31 March 2015, 8 pm at the city’s prestigious Théâtre des Champs-Elysées BYP makes its Paris debut. Under the baton of Founding Conductor and Music Director, Kristjan Järvi, the orchestra brings to France for the first time its electrifying concert programme, Baltic Sea Voyage, celebrating the rich and diverse musical landscape of the entire region. The concert is under the joint patronage of the Ambassadors of all Baltic Sea states to France.

The touring year 2015 opens up with Baltic Sea Youth Philharmonics (BYP) return to Poland. BYP performs for the first time at the Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival, on Thursday 26 March at the prestigious concert hall, the Filharmonia Narodowa. Following on from its exhilarating debut at the Warsaw Philharminic in 2014, BYP will now give the Polish premiere of its electrifying concert programme, Baltic Sea Voyage, under the baton of Founding Conductor and Music Director, Kristjan Järvi. The programme celebrates the rich and diverse musical landscape of the entire region, giving audiences the chance to discover the sounds of the countries bordering the Baltic Sea. Another Polish premiere will be the BYP LAB, the orchestra’s annual innovative educational workshop led by Kristjan Järvi and his team of internationally-renowned coaches. This year BYP LAB takes place at the Krzystzof Penderecki Center for Music in Krakow from 22 to 25 March 2015.

The international BYP community once again joins together for a week of passionate music-making, innovative workshops and thrilling concerts, when it kicks off BYP LAB and its first tour of 2015 from 21 March onwards. Taking in Lusławice and the Filharmonia Narodowa Warsaw in Poland, the Russian Embassy in Berlin, as well as the prestigious Théâtre des Champs Elysées for BYP’s Paris debut, the tour will feature the orchestra’s uplifting and evocative programme, ‘Baltic Sea Voyage’.

Prior to the concert tour, Baltic Sea Youth Philharmonic will run four days of BYP LAB – its unique teaching and educational workshops run by Kristjan Järvi and its internationally-renowned coaches – at the European Krzysztof Penderecki Centre for Music in Lusławice, where it also performs the opening concert of the tour. It promises to be another week of enriching musical and life experiences.

25 March: Concert at the European Krzysztof Penderecki Centre for Music Luslawice, Poland
26 March: Concert at Filharmonia Narodowa Warsaw, Poland
27 March: Concert at Russian Embassy, Berlin, Germany
31 March: Concert at Paris’ Théâtre des Champs Elysées, France

On 6 April 2015 the first official Album of the Baltic Sea Youth Philharmonic under the baton of its Founding Conductor and Music Director, Kristjan Järvi will be released: ‘Baltic Sea Voyage’ is the next instalment in the Kristjan Järvi Sound Project recording series on Naïve Classique. Conceived by Estonian-American Kristjan Järvi and performed by the Baltic Sea Youth Philharmonic (BYP) – the orchestra the Usedom Music Festival and Nord Stream AG, the gas pipeline operator founded in 2008 – the album celebrates the rich musical landscape of the Baltic Sea region.

Featuring a work from each country, listeners can journey from the deep spirituality of Grieg, Sibelius and Pärt and the Nordic mythology of Wagner’s Ring, to the folkloric drive of Stravinsky and Kilar, and finally to the pop culture-inspired works of living composers Kalninš and Gelgotas. The entire ‘Baltic Sea Voyage’ will be performed at BYPs debut concert in Paris on 31 March 2015, too.

The album is available in selected music stores or for download on iTunes from 6 April 2015 (Naïve Classique V5407).

The Baltic Sea Youth Philharmonic (BYP) is proud to announce its sponsors and supporters for 2015 from across the fields of finance, energy, engineering, IT and private funding. Nord Stream AG – operator of the natural gas pipeline through the Baltic Sea– continues as lead sponsor for an eighth year. The consortium has supported the orchestra since the very beginning, having been a co-founder of the orchestra in 2008 along with the Usedom Music Festival. Saipem, one of the global leaders in the engineering & construction and drilling businesses and sponsor of the orchestra since 2011, also maintains its support of the Baltic Sea Youth Philharmonic and will bring the orchestra to Italy again this year. The Baltic Sea Youth Philharmonic also welcomes new supporters Sapinda International Services B.V., Gazprombank and VTB Bank (Deutschland) AG as well as the Ventura Group. BYP also receives additional support from the German Foreign Office.

The Baltic Sea Youth Philharmonic (BYP) goes from strength to strength as it enters its eighth year. Following on from a hugely successful 2014, the Baltic Sea Youth Philharmonic and Kristjan Järvi return to captivate audiences in 2015 with two concert tours across Europe, their first official album release Baltic Sea Voyage, on French label Naïve Classique, concert debuts in Paris and Zurich and an educational workshop, “BYP LAB”, in Poland in March. 2015 also sees the Baltic Sea Youth Philharmonic honoured with the major award, the European Cultural Prize by the European Foundation for Culture. The orchestra was founded in 2008 as a joint initiative of the Usedom Music Festival and Nord Stream AG, the gas pipeline operator.

World premieres, tours and original programmes This year, under the baton of Founding Conductor and Music Director, Kristjan Järvi, BYP brings it electrifying concert experience to, among others, audiences in Poland, France, Switzerland, Italy, Finland and Germany, including at the opening of the Usedom Music Festival, the birthplace of BYP. Featured in over 10 concerts throughout 2015 will be world-premieres of two new works by Baltic composers: by Lithuanian BYP composer-alumnus Gediminas Gelgotas and by Finnish composer Severi Pyysalo.

First official album release The Baltic Sea Youth Philharmonic also makes its Paris debut at the city’s prestigious Théâtre des Champs Elysées, where it will present its signature programme, Baltic Sea Voyage, celebrating the rich and diverse musical landscape of the entire region. Baltic Sea Voyage also becomes BYP’s first official album release, out in April on renowned French record label Naïve Classique as part of the Kristjan Järvi Sound Project recording series.

Major prize-winner In October the Baltic Sea Youth Philharmonic will be awarded the European Cultural Prize of the foundation “Pro Europe”, recognizing its exceptional achievements in developing creativity and innovation, and influencing the young classical scene across the Baltic Sea region. The prize will be presented by former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder on the 25th anniversary of the reunification of Germany in Dresden’s Frauenkirche, and BYP and Kristjan Järvi will perform in the live televised ceremony.

We will have another Composers Workshop as part of BYP LAB in Poland from 21 to 26 March 2015. The workshop will be led by Daniel Schnyder, renowned composer and performer in the fields of both jazz and classical music.

FOUR lucky participants will have the chance to benefit from Daniel Schnyder’s hands-on and dynamic approach to composition and his vast knowledge of styles, traditions and orchestral colours. Participants will also get the chance to work directly with BYP orchestral members to understand how best to compose for instruments in the orchestra.

During the four-day workshop, participants will each compose part of a new piece, culminating in an orchestral performance of their work. This is a unique chance to receive direct and constructive feedback from Daniel Schnyder, BYP orchestral musicians, and Founding Conductor and Music Director, Kristjan Järvi.

We look forward to your application by 31 January 2015.