Applications for the EU Youth Orchestra 2027 auditions open on September 1

Brussels – The European Union: a home for musicians too. From 1 September, audition applications will open for the European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO) for 2027. Each Member State will hold its own auditions and set its own application deadlines. In most cases, the deadline is the end of September, but this may be extended to December. The dedicated website includes details of the deadlines, the required repertoire for each instrument and Member State, as well as a series of frequently asked questions and advice to guide candidates through the audition process. Italy’s deadline for applications is September 30.

 Every year, around 3,000 candidates aged 16 to 26 from all 27 EU Member States take part in auditions for around 120 places. Many of the Orchestra’s 4,000 former members have gone on to become conductors, soloists, teachers, and prominent instrumentalists, working with the leading orchestras in Europe and around the world.

 Established with a unanimous resolution of the European Parliament on 8 March 1976, the EUYO has been regarded as the “EU’s cultural ambassador” for fifty years. Its honorary president is the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, whilst the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, heads its Honorary Patrons Committee, comprising the highest-ranking representatives of the EU’s presidents and commissioners, as well as the Heads of State and Government of all 27 Member States of the Union. The honorary committee also includes their Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Youth and Culture. The Orchestra frequently performs at diplomatic events and ceremonies and, in 2026, celebrated the 50th anniversary of its foundation with a spring residency in Strasbourg (France), where it performed twice at the European Parliament. The Orchestra is based in Grafenegg, Austria.