DAVID AFKHAM Conducts the GUSTAV MAHLER JUGENDORCHESTER on Its Silver Jubilee Tour in Spring 2012

1987 – 2012 GUSTAV MAHLER JUGENDORCHESTER Musicians for Europe

Shooting Star DAVID AFKHAM conducts the GUSTAV MAHLER JUGENDORCHESTER on its Silver Jubilee Tour in Spring 2012

„It is truly wonderful for the GUSTAV MAHLER JUGENDORCHESTER as well as for all presenters of the Easter Tour 2012 to have DAVID AFKHAM - with whom the orchestra has a long-standing relationship - taking over after Ingo Metzmacher´s cancellation on short notice due to his shoulder injury.“ (Alexander Meraviglia- Crivelli, Secretary General of the GUSTAV MAHLER JUGENDORCHESTER).

Recently appointed „Ambassador UNICEF Austria“, the GUSTAV MAHLER JUGENDORCHESTER will perform, in the Easter Tour 2012, twelve concerts with two exceptional Photo Credit: Chris Christodoulou programmes in seven European countries under

the baton of DAVID AFKHAM and with Swedish DAVID AFKHAM, first winner of the „Nestlé and soprano IRENE THEORIN. Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Award“

2010, will lead the Easter Tour 2012 of the Besides appearances in the orchestra’s GUSTAV MAHLER JUGENDORCHESTER, th founding cities Vienna, Graz, Prague, and which is marking the 25 anniversary of the Warsaw, the GUSTAV MAHLER orchestra. JUGENDORCHESTER will perform, as every

year, in some of the most important European DAVID AFKHAM is rapidly establishing a concert halls: two concerts in the Vienna reputation as one of the most sought after Musikverein, two concerts at the Fundaçao conductors of our times, and Bernard Haitink Calouste Gulbenkian in Lisbon, as well as one has been his mentor for a long time. After concert in the Laeiszhalle Hamburg and the conducting renowned orchestras, such as the Auditorio Nacional in Madrid prove the exceptional Cleveland Orchestra, the Los Angeles artistic reputation of the GUSTAV MAHLER Philharmonic, the DSO Berlin, Orchestre National JUGENDORCHESTER. de France, Spanish National Orchestra, the

Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, the The Festival Interlaken Classics is the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg or the Mahler residential partner (as previously in 2008, 2009, Chamber Orchestra, highlights in the upcoming and 2011) and will stage three concerts at the seasons include debuts at the Staatskapelle beginning of the Easter Tour 2012. Dresden, Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam,

Philharmonia Orchestra, Vienna Symphony The Austrian National Committee for UNICEF was Orchestra, Filarmonica della Scala, Munich founded in 1962, and in 1987 the GUSTAV Philharmonic, Stuttgart Radio Symphony, RTÉ MAHLER JUGENDORCHESTER toured for the National Symphony of Ireland, Deutsche first time. In 2012, UNICEF and the GUSTAV Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, NHK Symphony MAHLER JUGENDORCHESTER will start a Tokio as well as at the symphony orchestras in cooperation: the GUSTAV MAHLER Seattle and Houston. JUGENDORCHESTER feels honoured to be

appointed “Ambassador UNICEF Austria” and DAVID AFKHAM, who has already conducted the to support equal opportunities for all children and GUSTAV MAHLER JUGENDORCHESTER at young people. concerts in Lisbon, Salzburg, Perugia, Interlaken and Bolzano, takes over from Ingo Metzmacher, who had to cancel his appearances with the GMJO on very short notice due to an injury of his shoulder.

Goethegasse 1, A-1010 Wien, Austria, Tel +43 1 512 98 33, Fax +43 1 512 98 35, www.gmjo.at, VAT ID: ATU 163 68 204 Bank: Erste Bank AG, Graben 21, A-1010 Wien, Austria, IBAN AT62 20111 205 0000 0000, Swift / BIC: GIBAATWWXXX

1987 – 2012 GUSTAV MAHLER JUGENDORCHESTER Musicians for Europe

GUSTAV MAHLER JUGENDORCHESTER

The GMJO tour repertoire ranges from classical to contemporary music with the emphasis on the great symphonic works of the Romantic and late Romantic periods. Its high artistic level and international success have prompted many leading conductors and soloists to perform with the GMJO, such as Claudio Abbado, Herbert Blomstedt, Pierre Boulez, Myung-Whun Chung, Sir Colin Davis, Peter Eötvös, Iván Fischer, Daniele Gatti, Bernhard Haitink, Mariss Jansons, Philippe Jordan, Ingo Metzmacher, Kent Nagano, Václav Neumann, Jonathan Nott, Seiji Ozawa, Antonio Pappano and Franz Welser-Möst. Amongst the renowned soloists to have worked with the GMJO are Martha Argerich, Yuri

Bashmet, Lisa Batiashvili, Renaud und Gautier The GUSTAV MAHLER JUGENDORCHESTER Capuçon, Christian Gerhaher, Matthias Goerne, (GMJO) was founded in Vienna in 1986, on the Susan Graham, Thomas Hampson, Leonidas initiative of its present Music Director, Claudio Kavakos, Evgenij Kissin, Christa Ludwig, Radu Abbado. Today it is regarded as the world’s Lupu, Yo-Yo Ma, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Anne Sofie leading youth orchestra and was awarded by the von Otter, Maxim Vengerov, and Frank Peter European Cultural Foundation in 2007. Zimmermann. As well as supporting young musicians and their work, Abbado has been keen to encourage the The GMJO has been a regular guest at the most music making of young Austrian musicians prestigious concert halls and festivals for many together with colleagues from the then socialist years, such as the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde republics of Czechoslovakia and Hungary. As a in Vienna, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the consequence, the GMJO became the first Suntory Hall in Tokyo, the Mozarteum Argentino international youth orchestra to hold open in Buenos Aires, the Salzburg Festival and the auditions in the countries of the former Eastern Salzburg Easter Festival, the Edinburgh Bloc. In 1992, the GMJO opened up to musicians International Festival, the BBC Proms, the aged up to 26 from all over Europe. As the youth Semperoper Dresden as well as the Lucerne orchestra for the whole of Europe, it is under the Festival. patronage of the European Council. Many former members of the GMJO are now At the auditions that take place every year in over members of leading European orchestras, some twenty-five European cities, a jury authorized by of them in principal positions. Claudio Abbado selects candidates from an average of 1500 applicants. Prominent orchestra The GUSTAV MAHLER JUGENDORCHESTER musicians are members of this jury and also was appointed “Ambassador UNICEF Austria” on responsible for the preparation of the repertoire in the occasion of its 25th anniversary. the individual sections during the orchestra’s rehearsal phases.

1987 – 2012 GUSTAV MAHLER JUGENDORCHESTER Musicians for Europe

DAVID AFKHAM

David Afkham currently holds the post of Assistant Conductor with the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester. In August 2010, he became the first recipient of the “Nestlé and Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Award”. He was also the winner of the 2008 Donatella Flick Conducting Competition in London, resulting in him becoming the Assistant Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra for two years.

Born 1983 in Freiburg, Germany, David Afkham received his first piano and violin lessons at the age of six. At 15, he entered his native city’s University of Music to pursue studies in piano, music theory and conducting. He won first prize in the solo-piano category of the 2002 “Jugend Musiziert“ German National Piano Competition. Photo Credit: Julian Luebbert He then completed his conducting studies at the Liszt School of Music in Weimar. David Afkham David Afkham is rapidly establishing a reputation was the first recipient of the "Bernard Haitink Fund as one of the most sought after conductors to for Young Talent", was a conducting fellow of the emerge from Germany in recent years. "Richard Wagner Association" Bayreuth and a member of the "Conductor's Forum" of the Highlights for the season 11/12 and beyond German Music Council. He continues to work on a include debuts with the Concertgebouw regular basis with his mentor Bernard Haitink, Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Wiener whom he has assisted on a number of projects Symphoniker, Filarmonica della Scala, DSO- including major cycles with the Chicago Berlin, Munich Philharmonic, Staatskapelle Symphony, Concertgebouw Orchestra, and the Dresden, Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart London Symphony Orchestra. Stuttgart, RTÉ National Symphony of Ireland, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, NHK Symphony Tokyo as well as the Seattle and Houston Symphony Orchestras. He will also appear for return engagements with the Cleveland

Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Spanish January 2012 National Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony, Please contact [email protected] Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, Residentie if this biography is more than 6 months old. Orchestra, Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Lausanne Chamber Orchestra.