Greek Youth Symphony Orchestra
The Greek Youth Symphony Orchestra (GYSO), Orchestra in Residence at Megaron – the Athens Concert Hall, was founded in 2017 by conductor Dionysis Grammenos, consisting of young Greek musicians from all parts of Greece and abroad. Based on the respective European standards of National Youth Orchestras, the GYSO aims to identify, train and promote young Greek musicians in the symphonic and operatic repertoire, while offering them the opportunity to participate in concerts and collaborate with internationally renowned artists, conductors, soloists and tutors.
The GYSO has been honored with the Academy of Athens Award, in recognition of its work and exceptional achievements. The orchestra’s work has been recognized internationally as well, with its selection as a member of the European Federation of National Youth Orchestras (EFNYO), where it is the only representation from Greece. Inter alia, this collaboration provides its musicians with the opportunity to represent the orchestra abroad, collaborating with other National Youth Orchestras, in the framework of the MusXchange programme, which is supported by the European Union’s Creative Europe Programme.
The GYSO has performed in several prominent concert halls and venues in Greece and abroad, including the Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall in New York City, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields in London, among others. Its concerts are available for streaming on medici.tv, the world’s leading classical music channel.
Other notable performances of the orchestra include its two appearances at the Konzerthaus Berlin, as part of the international Young Euro Classic festival. The first concert was held as part of the orchestra’s summer tour in 2021, with an anniversary programme dedicated to the 200 years since the Greek Revolution, which took place under the auspices of HE the President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou. In 2023, the GYSO was invited to return for the opening concert of the festival.
The GYSO is also the first orchestra to be invited by the Hellenic Parliament to perform at the Parliament Mansion, as part of the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament of CoE member states, in October 2021. The concert was broadcasted live via tv-channels and web to all the European Parliaments.
The orchestra’s most significant moments also include its performances in the halls of the Greek National Opera at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, as well as its collaboration with the Athens & Epidaurus Festival, with the participation of musicians in concerts in Athens and Ravenna, performing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, under the baton of conductor Riccardo Muti. In July 2023, the GYSO was honoured to receive an invitation by HE the President of the Hellenic Republic to present a concert at the Presidential Mansion, as part of the celebration of the 49th anniversary of the Restoration of Democracy in Greece.
Other highlights of the orchestra’s trajectory include the commissioning of new works to Greek composers, as well as video recordings, with the most prominent one being Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, conducted by Johannes Debus, Music Director of the Canadian Opera Company.
Leading international artists have performed with the GYSO, including Leonidas Kavakos, Johannes Debus, Anna Fedorova, Anneleen Lenaerts, Daniel Ottensamer, Vassilis Varvaresos, Hyeyoon Park, Eivind Ringstad, Alexandra Soumm, Michael Barenboim, as well as actor Aimilios Chilakis.
Being education the key focus, the GYSO also carries out a series of activities to familiarize young audiences with symphonic music, giving them the opportunity to interact creatively with the members of the orchestra through open rehearsals, seminars and workshops. Additionally, the GYSO is the first orchestra in Greece to use virtual reality technology through the innovative ELSON VR project, offering the audience an unprecedented experience of viewing classical music concerts.
The work of the GYSO is supported by the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation, which is its Founding Donor, the Hellenic Parliament, the Bank of Greece, AEGEAS non-profit civil company, The Hellenic Initiative, Bodossaki Foundation, and Aegean Airlines, as the orchestra’s Official Air Carrier Sponsor.