This week, young music students from the Sistema initiatives from all over Europe are reuniting in Paris in order to participate in an ambitious and highly symbolic project: ODE - Orchestre Démos Europe. A week full of rehearsals will be followed by a performance at the Philharmonie de Paris' Grande Salle Pierre Boulez on Saturday, 26 February 2022 at 8 p.m CET where the 120-member orchestra will appear onstage with Corinna Niemeyer and Aurélien Azan Zielinski conducting a programme of including Mussorgsky, Grieg and Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” as signature piece. The concert, held at the occasion of France’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, will be streamed live via ARTE Concert and Philharmonie Live.

“We are very happy to have been a main part of this adventure from the early planning days, and to participate with 15 of Sistema Europe's member programs in such a unique initiative. It will be a most exciting opportunity for the kids to meet their peers, join forces after preparing the repertoire with their own teachers, and rise to the challenge of performing in one of the world's greatest halls. Their enthusiasm will explode in the concert and reverberate when they return, as an example of commitment and fun, two tenets of the projects inspired by El Sistema's model. Sistema Europe connects these energies, which are adapted to each context: inclusion, safeguarding and artistic quality want to move hand in hand in affirming music as a joyful factor towards social change,” says Maria Majno, vicepresident of Sistema Europe Association and network, member of the ODE steering committee.

Each Member State is represented by 2 to 6 musicians. After having worked on the concert programme in their respective countries, the young musicians met in Paris from 19 February 2022 where they now follow an intensive rehearsal schedule. Mentored by professional musicians and led by orchestral conductors Corinna Niemeyer and Aurélien Azan Zielinski, the young instrumentalists will then be the sole protagonists of this unique event.

The week will come to a close on Saturday, 26 February 2022 with a concert performed in the Grande Salle Pierre Boulez, attended by representatives of the EU Member States and of the Commission and the Parliament. The television channel ARTE and Philharmonie Live will air features during the rehearsal week and will broadcast the concert live.

On Thursday, 24 and Friday 25 February, in addition to the ODE - Orchestre Démos Europe rehearsals, music education professionals from all the EU countries will come together to hold a professional seminar at the Philharmonie de Paris. They will share practices and experience and discuss the major challenges associated with education policies, seeking new and relevant pathways to building the Europe of the future.

ODE - Orchestre Démos Europe Concert at the Philharmonie de Paris 

Grande Salle Pierre Boulez Saturday, 26 February 2022, 8 p.m. CET

Watch the concert via Philharmonie LIVE here. Or tune in to ARTE Concert on this link.

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CONCERT PROGRAMME

Modest Mussorgsky / Maurice Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition (Promenade – The Old Castle – Bydlo – The Great Gate of Kiev)

Edward Grieg Peer Gynt (In the Hall of the Mountain King - Arabian Dance)

Traditional Romani songs Ritmos Ciganos

Alexandros Markeas Freedom, She Yells!

Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 9 - Ode to Joy

With the Orchestre de Paris’ Children and Youth Choir and the participation of children from the EVE project

 

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Image credit © Nicolas Lascourrèges