The Concept

Reading Victor Hugo’s words we become aware just how essential to human communication music really is.

Children and young people love music and jump at any opportunity to make it themselves. The PINTJO Foundation believes in fostering this by founding and supporting an international youth orchestra in Prague for musicians from 13 to 26.

This orchestra draws from the Prague international schools (DSP, ISP, The Prague British School, Lycée Français, Österreichisches Gymnasium) as well as Czech schools – especially the Schools for the Arts (ZUŠ). Schools and music schools in the Upper Palatinate and Lower Bavaria also take part. Theoretically membership of the orchestra will be open to musicians from any country of the world who can be available in Prague for rehearsal periods, although those who live near the city of Prague or in Bavaria will have an obvious advantage. In future years we plan to extend this arm to Southwest Poland, Saxony and Austria.

Germany has more than 150 professional orchestras and the symphonic tradition has long been regarded as an essential aspect of its culture. Orchestral music has a special status and is treasured as an export article. Most of the great names of classical music were either German (Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Wagner, Mendelssohn, Schumann) or German-speaking (Mozart, Haydn, Schubert).

Prague is situated at the heart of the Czech musical tradition. Composers like Dvořák and Janáček are internationally just as respected as the names mentioned above. The city also represents the cultural diversity which goes to make Europe so exciting, from Ireland to Greece and from Spain to Poland and Russia.

Music is an ideal means of communication between young people in the international atmosphere which Prague has to offer and playing in an orchestra fosters contact at a level which far surpasses language barriers. We see endless potential in the education of this generation by nurturing the Czech and German musical traditions and making them readily available to all. Certain members of the Czech Philharmonic orchestra have already declared themselves available to coach the various sections of our orchestra and we plan to visit Czech and German cultural centres on a regular basis. It is no exaggeration to say that we see this as an important contribution to world peace, fostering understanding between nations.