Haydn Jugend-Streichorchester (NL)

The Youth String Orchestra (Dutch: Haydn Jeugd Strijkorkest) under the direction of Jan-Ype Nota comes from Groningen, located in the northern part of the Netherlands. It was founded in 1989 and comprises violins, violas, cellos and contrabasses. The Haydn Jeugd Strijkorkest Foundation aims to promote particularly talented young string musicians between the ages of nine and nineteen.

In order to play in the orchestra, one must first successfully pass an audition. Conductor Ben de Ligt and manager Yke Toepoel received a royal award for their services to the Haydn Jeugd Orkest in 2004. The orchestra takes its name from Joseph Haydn’s special significance for music and especially for the instrumentation of a string quartet.

The members of the orchestra come from the province of Groningen and the provincial capital of Groningen, where the regular rehearsals also take place. Many members are also admitted to the Young Talent Class of the Prince Claus Conservatory in Groningen. The Haydn Youth String Orchestra offers young string players the opportunity to develop and deepen their musical development with regard to a specific string sound and playing technique in the ensemble during rehearsals, study weekends, CD recordings and concerts. In each concert season, about twenty to twenty-five concerts are given, partly in the Netherlands and partly abroad during the annual concert tour in the summer. These concert tours are always the highlight of the season.

To date, the orchestra has made more than twenty concert tours to almost every country in Europe, the USA, Suriname and the Dutch Antilles. The orchestra introduces young musicians to all aspects of the string orchestra repertoire by including baroque works, contemporary repertoire and crossover in addition to traditional classical and romantic works.