The Johannesburg Youth Orchestra (JYO) is a youth symphony orchestra founded in 1976.[1] It is a full size symphony orchestra based in Johannesburg, South Africa, and is made up entirely of musicians in high school and those that have recently graduated,[2] up to age 25.[1]
The Orchestra is the flagship group of the Johannesburg Orchestra Company, a nonprofit organization founded in 1998 which supports the Youth Orchestra and other youth musical groups.[3] The Youth Orchestra Company provides training and performance opportunities for more than 1000 young people at any given time.[4]
The Orchestra draws its members from all over Johannesburg and Soweto. It is conducted by Adam H. Golding and Timon Wapenaar performs regularly in Johannesburg throughout the year and auditions new members each September. The orchestra is a section 21 company and is based in the Williams Block on the Wits Education Campus, Parktown.
The Orchestra plays at a wide variety of venues including the Linder Auditorium, the Johannesburg Theatre, shopping malls and markets and even at the zoo and botanical gardens. The JYO has performed with local stars ranging from fusion chamber group the Soweto String Quartet to Kwaito outfit Mafikizolo and SA Jazz legend Jonas Gwangwa to African instrument specialist Pops Mohamed. In 2011 the Orchestra formed a relationship with the South African Ballet Theatre, performing in May 2011 at the Val Whyte Bursary Competition.
The Orchestra Company receives support from the public and from foundations such as the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust.[5] It is officially patronized by Duo Zappa Mainfoli under their Soweto Project.[6] The Johannesburg Youth Orchestra also has strong ties with the South African National Youth Orchestra Foundation (SANYO), which provides them with scores, venues and musicians.
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