Native Australian performers at the festival

Aberdeen International Youth Festival is the world's leading Festival of Youth Arts, and one of Scotland’s major international cultural events. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Language(s) Several hundred Indigenous Australian languages (many extinct or nearly so), Australian English, Australian Aboriginal English, Torres Strait Creole, Kriol Religion(s) Primarily Christian, with minorities of other religions including various forms of Traditional belief systems based around the Dreamtime Related ethnic groups see List of Indigenous Australian group... This article is about the country. ...

Every year Aberdeen International Youth Festival attracts up to 1000 of the most talented young performing arts companies from across the globe. It provides a showcase for their talents and creates innovative and exciting new work by bringing them together with leading professionals and artists.

The event brings colour, spectacle and vibrant creativity to Aberdeen and the North East and has attracted talented companies from over 70 countries to Scotland. As well as the ticketed events the Festival stages a parade, open-air performances and a fringe programme in community venues.

A packed programme attracts over 30,000 people to more than seventy events throughout North East Scotland. There are concerts, dance shows and galas in major Aberdeen venues such as His Majesty's Theatre, The Music Hall and The Lemon Tree as well as smaller venues such as churches (such as Queen's Cross Church, Aberdeen) and also features a touring programme taking events to rural venues. A perfomance at Opera House, Haymarket, predecessor of Her Majestys Theatre in circa 1808. ... The Music Hall is a concert hall in Aberdeen, formerly the citys Assembly Rooms, located on Union Street in the city centre. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...

The AIYF programme includes symphony orchestras and steel bands, song recitals and jazz, traditional music, world music, ballet, contemporary and traditional dance. The festival also produces a critically acclaimed and radical young opera, (Opera Garden) as well as producing unique international performances developed by the participating companies working together over the course of the Festival. Aberdeen International Youth Festival is one of Scotland’s major international cultural events and the world’s premier festival of youth arts. ...

Dates of the Festival

• 2 - 12 August 2006
• 1 - 11 August 2007
• 30 July - 9 August 2008
• 29 July - 8 August 2009

Interesting Facts

The Aberdeen International Youth Festival was formerly known as the International Festival of Youth Orchestras (IFYO) and has grown to attract the world's best youth dance, theatre, choral and music companies to the city every August.

The 2008 Festival will be the 36th since IFYO came to Aberdeen in 1973.

AIYF has welcomed over 30,000 performers to Aberdeen since inception.

Notable names to appear at the Festival include

• Claudio Abbado
• Kyung-Wha Chung
• Aaron Copland
• Noel Edmunds
• Rolf Harris
• Nigel Kennedy
• Julian Lloyd Webber
• Magnus Magnusson
• Simon Rattle
• Daniel Rowland - Soloist and winner of the Festival's Skene Award
• José Serebrier
• Leopold Stokowski
• The University of the Philippines Concert Chorus
• Evelyn Glennie

Claudio Abbado (born June 26, 1933) is a noted Italian conductor. ... Kyung-Wha Chung (born in Seoul, South Korea in 1948) is a Korean violinist. ... Aaron Copland Aaron Copland (November 14, 1900 – December 2, 1990) was an American composer of concert and film music, as well as an accomplished pianist. ... Noel Edmonds (born December 22, 1948 in Ilford, Essex) is a popular British DJ and television presenter who made his name on BBC Radio 1 in the UK. Television series presented by him include: Top of the Pops Noels House Party Multi-coloured Swap Shop Telly Addicts Top Gear... Rolf Harris, MBE (1968), OBE (1977), CBE (2006), AM (1989) (born 30 March 1930), is an Australian musician, composer, painter, and television host. ... Nigel Kennedy (born December 28, 1956 in Brighton, England) is a violinist and violist. ... Julian Lloyd Webber (born April 14, 1951) is a British cellist. ... Magnús Magnússon KBE (IPA: , (12 October 1929 – 7 January 2007) was a Scottish television presenter, journalist, translator and writer, of Icelandic origin. ... Simon Rattle recording Porgy and Bess with the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road in 1988, aged 33. ... José Serebrier (b Montevideo, Uruguay, Dec 3, 1938) was a Urugayan conductor and composer. ... Leopold Stokowski (born Antoni Stanisław Bolesławowicz April 18, 1882 in London, England, died September 13, 1977 in Nether Wallop, England) was the conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the NBC Symphony Orchestra, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and the Symphony of the Air. ... The University of the Philippines Concert Chorus, also known as the UPCC, is one of the major cultural groups based in the University of the Philippines-Diliman and one of the earliest choirs in the Philippines. ... Evelyn Glennie on the cover of her greatest hits album. ...

Patrons

• June, Marchioness of Aberdeen & Temair CBE, DL, D.St.J, LLD, FRCM, FRSAMD, RRSE
• The Lord Provost of the City of Aberdeen Peter J Stephen MCIBS
• Dame Evelyn Glennie

June Gordon, Marchioness of Aberdeen & Temair CBE, DL, D.St. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... Doctor of Letters (Latin: Litterarum doctor; D.Litt. ... HRH The Duke of Gloucester is Grand Prior of the Venerable Order of Saint John. ... Doctor of Laws (Latin: Legum Doctor, LL.D) is a doctorate-level academic degree in law. ... // This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... FRSAMD stands for Fellow of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama ... A Lord Provost is the Scottish equivalent of a Lord Mayor. ... For other uses, see Aberdeen (disambiguation). ... Evelyn Glennie on the cover of her greatest hits album. ...

History of the Festival

The Festival was created in the late 1960s by the late Blyth Major, Music Director of the Midland Youth Orchestra and Lionel Bryer, later Chairman of the International Youth Foundation. They conceived the idea of bringing together youth orchestras from all over the world at a festival using music as a unifying bond to promote international understanding. The first International Festival of Youth Orchestras was held in 1969 in St Moritz in Switzerland. Lionel Bryer (June 14, 1928 - November 4, 2006) was the founder of the Aberdeen International Youth Festival. ... Realizing the Power & Promise of Young People The International Youth Foundation (IYF) is a global nonprofit organization uniquely dedicated to preparing young people to be healthy, productive, and engaged citizens. ...

Invited by the British Tourist Authority, in 1973 the Festival moved to the UK and established a base both in Aberdeen and London for the following five years. Due to the superb facilities and local support in the City of Aberdeen and its University, the Festival was able to expand to incorporate all forms of dance, jazz and choral music. For other uses, see Aberdeen (disambiguation). ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... City of Aberdeen crest City of Aberdeen (Mòr-bhaile Obar Dheathain in Gaelic) is one of 32 unitary council regions in Scotland. ...

Internationally renowned guest conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Carlo Maria Giulini, Walter Susskind and Leopold Stokowski, were invited to conduct the Festival Orchestra - a specially created orchestra, which was invited to appear at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and also played at the opening concert of the Edinburgh International Festival in 1978 (the first youth orchestra to appear at The Edinburgh Festival). Claudio Abbado (born June 26, 1933) is a noted Italian conductor. ... Carlo Maria Giulini (May 9, 1914 – June 14, 2005) was an Italian conductor, and violist. ... Jan Walter Susskind (May 1, 1913 - March 25, 1980) was a Czech-born British conductor. ... Leopold Stokowski (born Antoni Stanisław Bolesławowicz April 18, 1882 in London, England, died September 13, 1977 in Nether Wallop, England) was the conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the NBC Symphony Orchestra, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and the Symphony of the Air. ...

Due to the success and support from both the City of Aberdeen, local businesses and growing audiences, in 1979 the management decided to focus this international event entirely in Aberdeen and North East of Scotland. Nicola Wallis, who had been associated with IFYO since 1973, was appointed Director in 1980 and the name of the Festival changed to the Aberdeen International Youth Festival. Nicola Wallis ran the Festival until 2003, when she became the Chief Executive of the Voices Foundation. In 2003 the Festival established a full time office base in Aberdeen and a new Chief Executive, Stephen Stenning was appointed in May 2003. Developments during this time include the creation of Grampian Youth Orchestra. In November 2007 Stewart Aitken, formerly Artistic Director of Wigan Pier Theatre Company became the Chief Executive. Stephen Stenning (aka Stephen Bailey) is currently the Chief Executive of Aberdeen International Youth Festival. ... Born and brought up in Dunfermline, Fife. ... Location within the British Isles. ...

Current Festival Staff

Chief Executive - Stewart Aitken
General Manager - Jennifer Phillips Born and brought up in Dunfermline, Fife. ...

Dance Director - Kenn Burke
Opera Director - Gidon Saks
Trad Music Project Director - David Francis
Music Director - Mark Evans
Producers - Michael Richardson and Lynsey-Anne Moffat Kenn Burke Fife-born Kenn trained in his hometown of Inverkeithing before joining Scottish Ballets scholarship scheme. ... [1] Bass-baritone Gidon Saks was born in Israel and spent his youth in South Africa, before moving to the UK to study at the Royal Northern College of Music. ... David Francis can refer to: David Panama Francis, American drummer David R. Francis, American politican David Hywel Francis, Welsh politican This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Mark Evans may refer to: Mark Evans, a pioneering Young British Artist who’s work explores contemporary life and culture. ...

Opera Garden

Opera Garden is the Aberdeen International Youth Festival's Opera Project. Named after the world famous Aberdonian opera singer, Mary Garden, the project aspires to continue her work, providing new challenges and performances for young singers. Mary Garden (February 20, 1874 - January 3, 1967) was a popular operatic soprano in the first third of the 20th century. ...

Conceived by Artistic Director Gidon Saks, the project brings together young singers from across the world and in three weeks they produce a dazzling full scale opera production. Since 2000, Opera Garden has staged Cosi fan tutte, Eugene Onegin, Don Giovanni, Carmen, The Magic Flute, Falstaff, Turn of the Screw and Hansel and Gretel to critical acclaim. The Opera has been sponsored by Royal Dutch Shell and Robert Gordon University since inception. [1] Bass-baritone Gidon Saks was born in Israel and spent his youth in South Africa, before moving to the UK to study at the Royal Northern College of Music. ... Così fan tutte is an opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. ... Eugene Onegin (Russian: Евгений Онегин, BGN/PCGN: Yevgeniy Onegin) is a novel in verse written by Aleksandr Pushkin. ... Don Giovanni (K.527; complete title: Il dissoluto punito, ossia il Don Giovanni, literally The Rake Punishd, or Don Giovanni) is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte. ... For other uses, see Carmen (disambiguation). ... Die Zauberflöte, K. 620, (en: The Magic Flute) is an opera in two acts composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. ... Adolf Schrödter: Falstaff and his page Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare as a companion to Prince Hal, the future King Henry V. A fat, vainglorious, and cowardly knight, Falstaff leads the apparently wayward Prince Hal into trouble, but he... The Turn of the Screw is a novella written by Henry James. ... Artwork by Arthur Rackham, 1909. ... Royal Dutch Shell plc is a multinational oil company of British and Dutch origins. ... The Robert Gordon University (often known as RGU) is a modern university located in Aberdeen, Scotland. ...

"Brilliantly directed… visually stunning…absolutely thrilling… Once again the youth festival pulls off a major operatic triumph that should not be missed." The Magic Flute, Festival 2004

AIYF Dance School

The Festival's Dance Summer School has been running for 25 years. The Dance Summer School was introduced over 20 years ago and has welcomed outstanding teachers from major schools and companies worldwide including the Paris Opera Ballet School and the Kirov and Bolshoi companies. To this day the School remains an important and unique course in Scotland. Kirov can refer to: Sergey Kirov, Bolshevik revolutionary and Soviet communist The north-eastern European Russian city Kirov, center of Kirov Oblast The Soviet warship Kirov, now of the Russian Navy, lead ship of the Kirov class of battlecruisers. ... Bolshoi Theatre The Bolshoi Theatre is a theatre and theater company in Moscow, Russia, which gives performances of plays, ballet, and opera. ...

The Dance Summer School is held annually as part of the Aberdeen International Youth Festival. The school offers an intensive course in dance for students aged 12 - 16, a performance course for advanced level students in full time training for a career in dance, a music theatre course and a 'taster day' for younger dance students.

The school is directed by Kenn Burke, the Festival's Director of Dance and former Principal Dancer and Artistic Director of Scottish Ballet. He heads a faculty of world renowned dance artists and teachers, including Noriko Ohara, Julian Moss, Susie Cooper and Caroline McCrory. Kenn Burke Fife-born Kenn trained in his hometown of Inverkeithing before joining Scottish Ballets scholarship scheme. ... Scottish Ballet is Scotlands national ballet company, based in Glasgow. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Aberdeen International Youth Festival

• Aberdeen International Youth Festival
• Opera Garden
• AIYF Dance School