Since 1992, the Saxony State Youth Orchestra has been the place to go for ambitious young musicians from Saxony, many of whom are at the beginning of a professional musical career. The 14- to 26-year-olds are the talented new generation of the classical music landscape of the Free State and many of them "Jugend musiziert" prize winners, who learn in rehearsals what it means to be able to rely on others, to listen, to react to each other and to be inspired.
In two rehearsal phases a year, programmes are rehearsed alternately with the respective artistic director - since 2021 this has been Tobias Engeli - and constantly changing guest conductors at a professional level, covering all stylistic areas. The individual voice groups work with teachers from renowned Saxon orchestras, such as the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig or the Robert-Schumann-Philharmonie Chemnitz. This gives the young talents an insight into the working methods and processes of a professional musician's everyday life. Especially those who are about to decide to make music their profession benefit from these experiences.
But it is not only on a musical level that the young people develop, the projects are also always a personal challenge that they grow from. Here, very basic interpersonal values are challenged. They learn to appreciate the performance of others, to show discipline and motivation and to commit themselves completely to something, to see themselves and each individual as part of something bigger.
The energy that arises from this is almost tangible at the concerts. The LJO Saxony has so far thrilled audiences not only in Germany, but also in Poland, Russia, Hungary, Italy, Great Britain, Cyprus, the USA, South Africa, China, Karelia and Peru. Several CD recordings have succeeded in bringing this event to life not only in the concert hall.