News

The International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra (ILYO) is preparing for its 14th edition, set to take place in 2026. As every year, auditions for young musicians from across the globe will be held in the spring. The exact opening and closing dates of the recruitment period will be announced in advance on our official website and social media channels (Facebook and Instagram). Prior to that, the project dates for ILYO 2026 will also be revealed through the same platforms.
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More than 300 young musicians from across the globe auditioned for the 13th edition of the International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra (ILYO). Only 81 were selected to join the ensemble, which came together on 18 August 2025 for an intensive week of sectional and tutti rehearsals, preparing for two major symphonic concerts: in the Golden Hall of the Szczecin Philharmonic and in the legendary concert hall of the Gewandhaus in Leipzig.
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On August 24, the International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra made its debut on one of Europe’s most prestigious stages – the grand hall of Leipzig’s Gewandhaus. Home to the world’s oldest civic orchestra, the legendary Gewandhausorchester, and a stage graced by the finest conductors and soloists, the venue provided a historic setting for ILYO’s first appearance. The ensemble was met with a warm and longstanding ovation from the Leipzig audience, marking an important moment in the orchestra’s history.
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The International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra, led by maestro Przemysław Neumann, once again won the hearts of the Szczecin audience with a performance brimming with youthful
energy, vitality, and precision. The evening’s soloist, the brilliant pianist Aleksandra Świgut, captivated listeners with virtuosity perfectly balanced by delicate finesse.
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The International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra is entering an intense period of preparation for its two grand finale concerts, marking the culmination of this year’s project. In 2025, ILYO will perform on 22 August in the Golden Hall of the Szczecin Philharmonic-the project’s main organizer-and on 24 August in the legendary Gewandhaus concert hall in Leipzig. Rehearsals for both concerts have been underway since Monday, and on Wednesday the orchestra was joined by the outstanding soloist of the 13th edition of the project, Aleksandra Świgut.
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On August 18 at 10:00 AM, the Szczecin Philharmonic welcomed a group of young, highly talented classical musicians who came together to join the International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra – one of the few youth ensembles in Europe open to players from all over the world. This year’s lineup spans from Colombia and Mexico, through Spain, Serbia, and Luxembourg, all the way to China.
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The countdown is on for the launch of the 2025 edition of the International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra. On Monday, 18 August, 80 exceptionally gifted young classical musicians from 19 countries across 4 continents will arrive at the Szczecin Philharmonic.
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We all know that stress, pressure, and tension accompany classical musicians not only during rehearsals and concerts. This profession requires not only excellent mastery of the instrument but also resilience and the ability to cope with mental pressure. That's why ILYO is introducing special yoga classes for its musicians. These classes will be led by Iga Drąg, a saxophonist and certified yoga instructor specializing in working with professional musicians.
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There are 81 of them, representing 19 countries on four continents. The " Orchestra 2025" tab has just been added to the menu on our website, where you will find the full lineup of this year's International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra.
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For personal reasons, the excellent bassoonist Artur Kasperek, who was supposed to be the tutor of International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra 2025 woodwind section, will not be able to participate in our project. No need to worry though, the ILYO woodwind section will be led by a musician with equally impressive experience. For almost three decades, he has been a clarinettist – soloist in one of the best symphony orchestras in Poland – the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice (NOSPR), and is famous for his renowned clarinet master classes. Please welcome on board Mr Arkadiusz Adamski.
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You can now purchase tickets for this year’s performances by the International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra. Just like in previous editions, ILYO will present two unforgettable concerts in two exceptional concert halls. Don’t miss out – get your tickets while they last!
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We have them! The long awaited results of the online audition for the 13th edition of the International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra. ILYO's growing popularity and the record number of applications made this year’s competition particularly fierce and even, as never before in our project history. Our tutors faced a very difficult task to decide on the ILYO 2025 line-up. We wish to congratulate those of you who will find their names on the list below, those of you who won’t – we wish to warmly encourage you to apply again next year. To all of over 300 young classical musicians who applied for ILYO this year – we wish to sincerely thank you for your wonderful recordings, your trust, commitment and hard work.

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As we are waiting for the results of the online audition for the 13th edition of the International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra project, which should be announced May 30, we share some insights and record breaking stats. How many applications did we receive this year? How many countries are represented by our applicants? Which instrument is leading in the number of applications received? We invite you to discover the incredible numbers behind our 2025 online audition.
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The online auditions for the 13th edition of the International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra are now closed. We wish to thank all the amazing young classical musicians from all over the world for applying. We appreciate your effort and we are grateful for your commitment. We keep our fingers crossed for all of you!
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It’s now official, and we are proudly announcing it to the world: the International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra is scheduled to perform on August 24, 2025 in the famous grand hall of the Gewandhaus in Leipzig (Germany). This amazing concert venue is not only one of the most prestigious classical music stages in the world but also home to its oldest civic orchestra – the Gewandhausorchester. Perhaps there is no better place to look at the future of classical music than in a place so rooted in its history.

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From now till May 15 you can participate in the online auditions for the International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra 2025. Joining ILYO has never been this easy before.
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The long-awaited dates of the ILYO 2025 are now made public. We invite young classical musicians from all countries of the world to the Szczecin Philharmonic (North-West Poland) for the 13th time. This year ILYO session will take place between August 18 and 24.
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Since 2013 we connect young classical musicians from Poland, Europe and far beyond. Our mission is to make them enjoy the beauty of timeless music by performing it together as an orchestra. Yet, under the roof of the majestic building of the Szczecin Philharmonic in North-West Poland, we not only play together, but forge friendships, share thoughts, insights and learn from experienced orchestra musicians. We also travel outside of Szczecin to share our passion with the world.

Are you a classical musician aged between 18 and 30? Discover what the International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra can offer you.
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Fast look at the last three editions of the International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra. Where and what did we play, and with whom? Who were our tutors? We brought together facts and stories from our recent past, so that you don’t have to google all that. If you are new to this website, allow us to take you into a short ride through ILYO’s history.
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