Quick review

The World Orchestra of Jeunesses Musicales was founded in 1949 by Igor Markievitch but its permanent structure dates back to 1970, when Canadian Gilles Lefebvre consolidated the world’s first youth orchestra. During this period the orchestra had the residence in Canada, from 1988 to 2004 it moved to Berlin and actually its new headquarters are in Valencia with the support of Generalitat Valenciana.

It quickly gained a worldwide reputation of high artistic quality, becoming a symbol of solidarity and co-operation between nations. For all its efforts the orchestra was appointed UNESCO Artist for Peace in 1996.

It has brought together thousands of musicians from over 45 countries performing in some of the best concert-halls in the world as well as Olympic Games or Peace Celebrations as the foundation of the State of Israel and the Chinese–Japanese Peace Treaty.

It has been conducted by such maestros as Zubin Mehta, Leonard Bernstein, Charles Dutoit, Yakov Kreizberg or Kurt Masur.

Since 2004-05 the orchestra is under the baton of maestro Josep Vicent. with whom it has toured China, Spain, The Netherlands, Austria, Cyprus, Germany and Canada.

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