Foto: Festival F. Busoni © Khuen Belasi

One of the main themes of this year's Bolzano Festival Bozen is set, once again, by the contribution of the most outstanding youth orchestras from across Europe. The European Union Youth Orchestra and the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra will demonstrate the strength and excellence of Europe's new generation of musicians. The enthusiasm and the joy of making music, which will be felt throughout this summer's intense musical season in Bolzano, can already be experienced at the opening concert in Semirurali Park on 1st August, which will feature the wind ensemble of the European Union Youth Orchestra. The Orchestra's second concert will be a presentation of chamber music. On 6th August, the Russian maestro Vasily Petrenko will conduct the main concert with a full orchestra at the Bolzano Theatre Comunale. As chief conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and permanent conductor at the St. Petersburg State Opera Orchestra, Petrenko has gained expertise in the fields of opera and symphony, and has been honoured with many international awards, making him one of Europe's most promising conductors today. The evening's programme will feature a selection of Maurice Ravel, Hector Berlioz, and Sergej Rachmaninov. The virtuoso bassoonist Sergio Azzolini and the Bolzano String Academy will dedicate the entire evening of 7th August to some lesser known works of Johann Christian Bach. The Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra will be in Bolzano on 14th and 20th August. The young conductor Patrick Lange will direct the orchestra's rendition of Sibelius's Symphony No. 2 and Beethoven's Violin Concerto, featuring last year's highly celebrated soloist Carolina Kurkowski Perez from Columbia on the violin. At its second performance, the Orchestra will be directed by Sir Colin Davis, one of Europe's most renowned conductors, who will be at the BFB for the second year running. The evening's programme features Sibelius's Violin Concerto No 2 and Berlioz's Symphony Fantastique, promising another monumental orchestral experience. The evening's soloist will be the distinguished Russian violinist Nikolaj Znaider.