A brief history of the International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra

2013 – the first edition of the project. ILYO was founded in the year of the 100th birthday of Witold Lutosławski as a joint initiative of the Mieczysław Karłowicz Philharmonic in Szczecin and the Witold Lutosławski Society. The first orchestral workshops and the final concert took place in the former building of the Philharmonic. On September 6, the International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra conducted by maestro Ewa Strusińska played its first concert.

In the program:
Witold Lutosławski: Concerto for Orchestra
Benjamin Britten: Variations and Fugue on Purcell, or the introduction of young people to the orchestra
Chris Roe: Lavoisier's Mirors (world premiere)

ILYO is the first fully international youth orchestra in Poland.

Documentary about the first edition of ILYO

2014 – the second edition of the project. ILYO is the first orchestra to play its regular concert in the new building of the Szczecin Philharmonic, widely recognized as an icon of European architecture. Learn more about the Szczecin Philharmonic. The young musicians had a unique opportunity to try out the acoustics of the new concert hall and their skills in front of an audience twice as large. They played under the baton of maestro Ewa Strusińska, Artistic Director of the Szczecin Philharmonic.

In the program:
Radzimir Dębski (JIMEK) – "Exposure" (world premiere)
Witold Lutoslawski – Chain I
Krzysztof Meyer – "Five Contredances" for two orchestras op. 119
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov – Symphonic Suite "Scheherazade" op. 35

2015 – the third edition of the project. The International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra is gaining popularity. More and more young, talented musicians apply to participate in the project. The orchestra is also a permanent part of the musical landscape of Szczecin, and the orchestral workshops gain a new dimension. ILYO participants play not only for adult music lovers, but also for the youngest ones, joining the educational activities of the Szczecin Philharmonic.

The final concert took place on September 11, ILYO under the baton of maestra Ewa Strusińska performed the following pieces:

Béla Bartók – Music for string instruments, percussion and celesta Sz. 106
Witold Lutosławski – Funeral Music

Documentary about the third edition of ILYO

2016 – the fourth edition of the project. The world-famous composer Zygmunt Krauze not only composed a new piece for ILYO, but was also present at both the rehearsal and the final concert, giving proof of the growing reputation of the youth orchestra. This year, ILYO also performed its first concert outside of Szczecin, in Międzyzdroje, presenting a program entirely composed of the works of its patron. The final concert in the golden hall of the Szczecin Philharmonic, ILYO played on September 17 under the baton of maestro Ewa Strusińska.

In the program:
Witold Lutosławski – Bucolics (author's arrangement for viola and cello) (1962)
Zygmunt Krauze – Preludes to »Bukolics« – world premiere – piece commissioned by the Szczecin Philharmonic (2016)
Witold Lutosławski – Partita (author's arrangement for violin and orchestra with piano obligato)
Witold Lutosławski – Interlude for orchestra
Witold Lutoslawski – Chain II. Dialogue for violin and orchestra

2017 – the fifth edition of the project. The International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra, the first fully international youth orchestra in Poland, is entering the next stage of its development. For the first time, the orchestra played in such a large line-up and under the baton of the new principal conductor of the Szczecin Philharmonic Orchestra – maestro Rune Bergmann. The final concert in the golden hall filled to the brim took place on 8 September.

In the program:
Witold Lutosławski – Little Suite
Witold Lutosławski – Symphonic Variations (1938)
Gustav Mahler – Symphony No. 1 in D major Titan

Documentary about the fifth edition of ILYO

2018 – the sixth edition of the project. This is the year of the orchestra's first concert abroad as well as its debut alongside a welle-known soloist, an excellent pianist – Piotr Alexewicz. ILYO played two concerts: the first in Kozertkirsche in Neubrandenburg (Germany), and the second, as every year, in the golden hall of the Szczecin Philharmonic.

Under the baton of maestro Rune Bergmann our young musicians performed:

Fryderyk Chopin – Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21
Witold Lutoslawski – Symphony No. 4
Zoltán Kodály – Dances from Galanta

Documentary about the sith edition of ILYO

2019 – the seventh edition of the project. The participation of a soloist is already permanently included in the ILYO program, this year it was also an excellent pianist – Jan Wachowski. Under the baton of Rune Bergmann, the main conductor of the Szczecin Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Artistic Director – Rune Bergmann, ILYO faced an extremely ambitious repertoire, performing the following works:

Witold Lutosławski – Variations on a theme by Paganini
Dmitri Shostakovich – Symphony No. 7 in C major op. 60 Leningrad

Documentary about the seventh edition of ILYO

2020 – the eighth edition of the project . As the only youth orchestra in Poland, we do not stop our activities during a pandemic. In these difficult conditions, we are organizing the first orchestral workshops completely online. Our tutors connect with participants, give advice and share their experience. We are also trying to play an online concert, connecting simultaneously with all the young musicians – ILYO’s members.

Under the baton of maestro Rune Bergmann, ILYO performed:

Ludwig van Beethoven – Symphony No. 9 in D minor op.125 – 4th movement: Finale (Presto, Allegro assai)

Documentary about the eighth edition of ILYO

2021 – ninth edition of the project. Although restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic are still in force, young musicians meet again in the golden hall of the Szczecin Philharmonic. The International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra is not only an intensive educational program consisting of sectional and orchestral workshops, but also meetings and friendships for life. On August 27, ILYO played again in front of the audience, accompanied by an excellent soprano – Joanna Freszel, under the baton of maestro Rune Bergmann.

In the program:

Albert Roussel – Small Suite for Orchestra, Op. 39
Witold Lutoslawski – Chantefleurs et chantefables
Andrzej Panufnik – Symphony No. 5 Sinfonia di Sfere

Documentary about the ninth edition of ILYO

2022 – the tenth, jubilee edition of the project. A great moment in the history of the orchestra. ILYO celebrated this unique edition in a way worthy of such an anniversary. Its highlight was the debut of the International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra in Berlin. ILYO played for the first time in the great hall of Berlin's Konzerthaus at the prestigious Young Euro Classic festival. On August 17, the large audience rewarded our young musicians with a long lasting ovation, and the German media published enthusiastic reviews. The concert was broadcast entirely by the German public radio Deutschlandfunk Kultur. ILYO repeated this great success two days later in the golden hall of the Szczecin Philharmonic, where the audience awarded the young musicians with a standing ovation. The orchestra played together with the excellent cellist Marcin Zdunik and were led by maestro Ayyub Guliyev.

In the program:

Mieczyslaw Karłowicz – Bianca da Molena. Symphonic prologue to J. Nowiński's drama White Dove op. 6
Witold Lutosławski – Concerto for cello and orchestra
Béla Bartók – Concerto for orchestra in F minor, Sz. 116, BB 123

Documentary about the tenth edition of ILYO

2023 – the eleventh edition of the project – was marked by another debut of the orchestra on a prestigious stage. On August 24, 2023, ILYO played for the first time in its history in the National Forum of Music in Wrocław. The audience rewarded the young musicians with a standing ovation, and the press with enthusiastic reviews. We repeated the concert a day later, on October 25, at the Szczecin Philharmonic. Here, too, the audience jumped to their feet after the last note. The soloist of this edition of ILYO was Mateusz Żurawski (oboe), a two times former participant of the project. The orchestra was conducted by maestro Rune Bergmann.

In program:
Krzysztof Penderecki – Fanfare
Maurice Ravel – La Valse
Richard Strauss – Concerto for oboe and small orchestra in D major, AV 144, TrV 292
Witold Lutosławski – Concerto for orchestra

Documentary abouth the 11th edition of ILYO:

2024 – twelfth edition of ILYO. Our orchestra performed for the first time at the prestigious Krzysztof Penderecki European Center for Music. But earlier, as usual, we played at the Szczecin Philharmonic of course. For the first time ILYO performed under the baton of Przemysław Neumann – the new general and artistic director of the Szczecin Philharmonic.

In the program:
Leonard Bernstein – Overture "Candide"
Witold Lutosławski – Partita
Krzysztof Penderecki – Serenade 1996-1997
Antonín Dvořák – Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 "From the New World"

Documentary about the 12th edition of the International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra

2025 – 13th edition of ILYO. The International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra made its debut on one of the world’s most prestigious concert stages – the grand hall of the Gewandhaus in Leipzig. As tradition, we also performed in the golden hall of the Szczecin Philharmonic. Both concerts were conducted by Przemysław Neumann, and our soloist was the outstanding Polish pianist Aleksandra Świgut.

Programme:
Witold Lutosławski – Little Suite
Witold Maliszewski – Kuyavian Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 25
Sergei Rachmaninoff – Symphonic Dances, Op. 45

Short documentary about the 14th edition of the International Lutosławski Youth Orchestra: