The Mediterranean Youth Orchestra at Bold Tendencies in Peckham

Bold Tendencies is the incredible venue in Peckham, South London, set to be destination for The Mediterranean Youth Orchestra – also known as Orchestres des Jeunes de la Méditerranée, now 40 years old – as they head to perform in the UK for the very first time, with the help of our support.

The Mediterranean Youth Orchestra consists of a hundred talented young musicians, selected through auditions conducted in twenty cities across the Mediterranean basin. Bold Tendencies will be home to the orchestra’s very first UK live programme that we’re proud to be supporting. While the orchestra is based in France, it has developed a close partnership and bond with the UK’s London Symphony Orchestra (LSO), supporting musicians and organisational connections from across 17 countries including many we actively work with here at the British Council: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Macedonia, Malta, Monaco, Morocco, Montenegro, Palestine, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey.

Their arrival in the UK will follow a three-week residency in Aix-en-Provence, where they receive coaching from the renowned players of the LSO and rehearse original new work, composed by Belgian composer, jazz-saxophonist and aulochrome pioneer Fabrizio Cassol, that draws on the many individual musical traditions of the diverse community of musicians who form part of the Medinea (Mediterranean Incubator of Emerging Artists). After performing in France, the orchestra will then arrive at Bold Tendencies in Peckham, London to share the result of their collaboration and offer a performance featuring more music with multinational roots.

This, the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra’s first concert in the UK, marks a special coming together in recognition, celebration and understanding of music bridging cultural differences – a powerful vision of building a new world order rooted in peace. Whilst present at Bold Tendencies, every artist of the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra will take part in creative learning initiatives designed for the local community, including young people in Peckham, to join. These initiatives will include:

• a public rehearsal with an open invitation to see the orchestra at work in a relaxed atmosphere
• backstage pass sessions invite audiences to see world-class young artists up close
• ask the artist sessions that bridge the gap between artist and audiences, creating space for conversation, critical thinking and cultural exchange
• community tickets hope to remove any barriers to access, opening up the right to attend, enjoy and appreciate the joy of live performances.

Orchestre des Jeunes de la Méditerranée: Summer of Love concert – 27 June

Led by Evan Rogister, the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra’s programme of multinational roots includes Dvořák’s much-loved Symphony for the New World, music by Florence Price, Leonard Bernstein and Hector Berlioz, together with their new, original work, reflecting the orchestra’s multiple musical traditions. Find out more about the Summer of Love concert.

About Bold Tendencies

Bold Tendencies has a unique history. It’s a not-for-profit arts organisation and venue established in the rooftop spaces of Peckham’s Multi-Storey Car Park, once owned by Sainsbury’s supermarkets in the 1980s before becoming a cinema – Peckhamplex – then underuse, disuse and closer until, in 2007, Bold Tendencies was founded and developed a summer season of visual art commissions to be unveiled on the site and held live events of music, opera, dance and literature from May to September every year.