Ever since its founding in 1987 by Leonard Bernstein, the international Orchestral Academy of the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival has enjoyed a superb reputation worldwide. It forms the centrepiece of the educational work performed by one of the most important classical music festivals, held annually in the north of Germany. However, with the concerts of its Festival Orchestra it does not only delight audiences in Schleswig-Holstein, but also on concert tours to Europe’s musical centres, North and South America and Asia.

Each year, the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival assembles an international youth orchestra by vetting students from around the world. Auditions are offered each winter in 35 cities across North and South America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East to more than 1.500 young musicians. A jury admits approximately 120 handpicked musicians, 26 years of age and younger, to join the Orchestra. In other words, the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra is comprised of the world’s finest young musicians.

While in residence at the festival, experienced teachers from famous orchestras guide sectional rehearsals. Great conductors like Valery Gergiev, Semyon Bychkov, Kent Nagano, Iván Fischer, Thomas Hengelbrock, Manfred Honeck and Vladimir Jurowski regularly work with the young musicians. Since 2004 Christoph Eschenbach is Principal Conductor of the orchestra. Under the guidance of these mentors, the orchestra has the opportunity to read, study and perform the greatest orchestral music. Great soloists such as Lang Lang, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Waltraud Meier, Midori, Tabea Zimmermann, Yuri Bashmet, Matthias Goerne, Thomas Hampson, Steven Isserlis, Yo-Yo Ma, Vadim Repin and Frank Peter Zimmermann have been performing with this outstanding orchestra.