13th edition – 2025

The 2025 edition marked a historic moment for the International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra with its debut at the legendary Gewandhaus in Leipzig. Interest in the project reached a new record: 302 young classical musicians from 35 countries across 6 continents applied in the online auditions held in April and May.

After a demanding selection process, 81 musicians from 20 countries on 4 continents were invited to take part in the project. They worked under the guidance of an international team of tutors – experienced orchestra musicians from leading European ensembles.

The soloist of the 2025 edition was the acclaimed Polish pianist Aleksandra Świgut. Both concerts were conducted by Przemysław Neumann, Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Szczecin Philharmonic.

The concert programme included Little Suite by Witold Lutosławski, Kuyavian Fantasy by Witold Maliszewski and Symphonic Dances by Sergei Rachmaninov. The first concert took place on August 22 in the golden symphonic hall of the Szczecin Philharmonic and was nearly sold out. Two days later, on August 24, the orchestra performed in the main hall of the Gewandhaus in Leipzig.

As with every edition of ILYO, the project was documented in a short film summarising the workshops and concerts.

12th edition – 2024

The International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra met in Szczecin between August 18 and 24, 2024. Online auditions attracted a record number of 252 applicants from 30 countries. The tutors selected a final line-up of 73 musicians from 13 countries on 4 continents.

The 12th edition marked the debut of Przemysław Neumann as ILYO conductor. The soloist was violinist Monika Sawczuk, herself a former participant of the orchestra. The repertoire included works by Leonard Bernstein, Witold Lutosławski, Krzysztof Penderecki and Antonín Dvořák.

During the workshops, musicians took part in more than 10 hours of sectional rehearsals and 24 hours of tutti rehearsals. The first concert took place on August 22 in the golden hall of the Szczecin Philharmonic. Two days later, the orchestra travelled to Lusławice to perform for the first time at the Krzysztof Penderecki European Centre for Music. Both concerts ended with standing ovations.

More information about the 12th edition can be found at: ilyo2024.filharmonia.szczecin.pl

11th edition – 2023

The 11th edition of ILYO took place between August 20 and 25, 2023 at the Szczecin Philharmonic. Online auditions attracted 220 applicants from 21 countries, including musicians from Asia, North and South America.

Under the baton of Rune Bergmann, the orchestra prepared an ambitious programme featuring works by Krzysztof Penderecki, Maurice Ravel, Richard Strauss and Witold Lutosławski. The soloist was oboist Mateusz Żurawski, a two-time former participant of ILYO.

On August 24, the orchestra made its debut at the National Forum of Music in Wrocław, where the performance was met with excellent reviews and a long standing ovation. The final concert took place on August 25 in the golden hall of the Szczecin Philharmonic and was sold out. The event was streamed live on YouTube, attracting nearly 3,000 viewers.

More information about the 11th edition can be found at: ilyo2023.filharmonia.szczecin.pl

10th edition – 2022

The jubilee 10th edition of the International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra culminated in its debut at the Berlin Konzerthaus during the prestigious Young Euro Classic festival. The concert was broadcast nationwide on German radio.

Conducted by Ayyub Guliyev, with cellist Marcin Zdunik as soloist, the orchestra performed works by Mieczysław Karłowicz, Witold Lutosławski and Béla Bartók. The Berlin performance received enthusiastic reviews from critics and audiences alike.

The final concert of the edition took place on August 19 in the golden hall of the Szczecin Philharmonic and ended with a standing ovation.

More information about the 10th edition can be found at: ilyo2022.filharmonia.szczecin.pl