European guitar and mandolin youth orchestra

[trebleclef528]

Applications to take part in the European Guitar and Mandolin Youth Orchestra (EGMYO)
1st to 9th April – Ferrara, Italy

EGMYO has now been running for 7 years and is hosted by a different country each year. Young musicians may apply to take part in the event. I would be grateful if "cafe followers" could bring this to the attention of organisations and orchestras who may have young members that might be interested in this event.

The next European Guitar and Mandolin Youth Orchestra meeting will take place from 1st-9th April 2007 in Italy. The orchestra will practise intensely for 4-5 days in preparation for three concerts. Participants will receive the music about 4 weeks in advance and are expected to know their part on arrival.

The orchestra will be conducted by Stefano Squarzina, the conductor of the orchestra "Gino Neri". He will be supported by 4 tutors from different countries who will lead the group practises (mandolin 1 and 2, mandola= octave mandolin and guitar).

Applications are invited from players 16-25 years of age who are at least of Grade 5 standard. Taking part in the EGMYO means a unique opportunity to play in an orchestra of the top European young mandolin and guitar players, meeting young people from all over Europe (at the last meeting of the EGMYO people from 14 different countries took part) and playing in three concerts at different venues.

The fee for the EGMYO is 220 Euros. This includes the music, full board, accommodation and all tuition and a cultural program of visits.

Participants will have to make and pay their own transport to the venue. For further information please contact the EGMYO co-ordinator:

Barbara Pommerenke-Steel on email: Pommerenke_steel@yahoo.co.uk or mandolinscotland@yahoo.co.uk

[Embergher]

The concerts and lectures in Ferrara next week ...

[vkioulaphides]

I all looks so wonderful! It would be my fondest dream to attend, and witness what it will actually sound like. Ah, dream on... #

Best of success to the organizers, all the participants, and to Ralf in particular. I would simply love to be there, meet and greet, and listen enthralled to all the artistry that will surely be displayed.

Some day...

Cheers,

Victor

[Jim Garber]

Ralf and others...

I just found out from Carlo Aonzo that he will be there to train the 1st section of the orchestra, so perhaps you two can meet -- I don't recall that you have. Sr. Pandini, I would imagine, will also be there, since that is his home town.

Jim

[Embergher]

Ralf and others...

I just found out from Carlo Aonzo that he will be there to train the 1st section of the orchestra, so perhaps you two can meet -- I don't recall that you have. Sr. Pandini, I would imagine, will also be there, since that is his home town.

Jim

yes, I heard that too, so I'll probably see Carlo there.
Mr. Pandini will definitely be there. I will try a few of his mandolins and we'll probably talk at least a few hours about mandolins, sound and construction #
Looking forward to a great week ...

[Embergher]

Hello all,

It's been a fantastic EGMYO week in Ferrara ...
It's been really wonderful to see so many (nearly 50) young mandolin/mandola/guitar players together. Thogether with maestro Stefano Squarzina, the conductor, and their "teachers" (Carlo Aonzo for the 1st mandolins, Frances Taylor for the 2nd mandolins, Annemie Hermans and Ugo Orlandi for the mandolas, and Mirko Schrader for the guitars) they've done an amazing job realising high quality performances with only 4 days of rehearsals.
The players were from Norway, U.K., The Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Greece, Italy and Russia, (I hope I don't forget any). It was wonderful to see how well they all got along with eachother and their teachers. They all come from a slightly different culture, but they all share their passion for the mandolin(mandola/guitar), which makes it even more interesting to meet people from other countries/cultures... after a few days you just feel like being part of one family.
It's been a pleasure for me to be there, to do the lecture about Embergher mandolins with Barry Pratt, to play the concert with Elisa Franco (a wonderful piano player!) and to meet all these people, ... and all this in historical cities like Ferrara, Vittorio Veneto and Bologna...
I'm sure many of us will meet again in future and many more mandolin projects will be realised ... this is what makes it great to be part of our little mandolin world!

Unfortunately I only have video recordings of the EGMYO orchestra ... (I'll see if I can get permission from the organisation to put a few fragments on Youtube.)

[Embergher]

from left to right: Barry Pratt and 4 teachers of the EGMYO orchestra, during lunch at the "mensa" of the University of Ferrara:

- Annemie Hermans, president of the EGMYO, mandola teacher (The Netherlands)
- Mirko Schrader, guitar teacher (Germany)
- Carlo Aonzo, 1st mandolin teacher (Italy)
- Frances Taylor, 2nd mandolin teacher (UK)

[Embergher]

6 mandolin players at a bar in Ferrara ...
Barry Pratt, Ugo Orlandi, Frances Taylor, Carlo Aonzo, Stefano Franzoni and myself.

[vkioulaphides]

"6 mandolin players at a bar in Ferrara ..."

Gosh... and I thought Ferrara was a reputable city...

Sorry, dear Ralf, but the phrase did sound like the beginning of some spicy anecdote.

I all sounds SO wonderful! Some day, oh, some day... In the meanwhile, thank you ever so much for posting these pictures and your account of the events, so that the rest of us can experience this truly fantastic conference of high-class pluckery vicariously.

Cheers, —and NEXT time, save me a seat at the bar!

Victor

[Embergher]

Trying mandolins at Gabriele Pandini's house ... all handmade by a real artist with the same passion as all the great mandolin makers of the past: ever trying to improve the quality of his instruments. (with success!)

(from left to right: me, Barry Pratt, Frances Taylor, and maestro liutaio Gabriele Pandini) #... probably looking a bit sleepy as the time you see on the wall is "AM"

[Jim Garber]

Ralf:
Thanks for posting those pictures. It is a great thing: the meeting of the great mandolin minds get together. Perhaps next time you and Carlo will have some time to play together as well.

Jim

[Stefano]

With a little time delay but... these are the photos of the concerts and of the rehearsals

Stefano

[Alex Timmerman]

Hello Stefano,

Thanks very much for sharing; it's always very nice to see so many young people happy with mandolins and guitars!


Best regards,

Alex

[brunello97]

Well, now I know who must be bidding on all those great mandolins up for sale on the various E(uro)bay sites. Great photos! Thanks for posting them all.

Mick

[mike]

Hi to everybody,
I've just added the english version of the periodic bulletin of the Italian Mandolin Federation (FMI) about the EGMYO 2007. You'll find it as a pdf file here: http://www.federmandolino.it/plectrum.html and http://www.federmandolino.it/fmi/egma.htm.
I wish you a good reading!
Bye
Mike

[John Goodin]

Mike, thanks very much for posting this translation. It made for great reading.

John G.