The RJSO Solothurn is ready for the SJMF 2023
The Solothurn Regional Youth Symphony Orchestra, which was only founded in 2016, is taking part in the major Swiss Youth Music Festival (SJMF) for the second time. The EOV Board is delighted that the dedicated RJSO will be representing the classical music section on September 16 and 17 in St. Gallen.
On a summery Saturday morning in June in a modern auditorium in Solothurn: while the sun shines outside, almost 40 children and young people sit at their music stands and rehearse. The Solothurn Regional Youth Symphony Orchestra (RJSO) and soloist Rafael Giger are fine-tuning their interpretation of Dmitri Kabalevsky's (1904-1987) 3rd Piano Concerto under the direction of conductor Ruwen Kronenberg. They want to make decisive progress before the summer break, as important performances are scheduled after the vacations.
In addition to the traditional September concerts in the Parktheater Grenchen and the Solothurn concert hall, the RJSO will be traveling to St. Gallen for the 18th Swiss Youth Music Festival (SJMF). On September 16, the RJSO Solothurn will perform in the Tonhalle St. Gallen and represent the classical music section at the largest event for young Swiss musicians. This will be the second time the seven-year-old youth orchestra has taken part in the SJMF. Back in 2019, the RJSO was one of the three pioneering orchestras that represented the EOV for the first time at the now legendary SJMF in Burgdorf.
Since it was founded in 2016 with the aim of offering advanced music students from music schools in the region "a platform for making music together at a demanding level", the RJSO has developed considerably. Further progress by the ensemble can be heard in every concert, says RJSO project leader and guitar teacher Christoph Studer with obvious pride. "The seriousness with which the young musicians take part is impressive.cking," says Studer. In addition to the annual orIn addition to the orchestra program, the highly committed young people also organize a chamber music project with soloists from their own ranks every spring. That is simply great.
Experience the RJSO live on September 16 at the SJMF in St. Gallen
The young musicians from Solothurn are also preparing extremely diligently for their participation in the SJMF. The RJSO already completed a "training camp" in Adelboden over Ascension Day. It was touching to see how the orchestra members interact with each other on and off stage. "The older members looked after the younger ones, everyone showed consideration for each other," says Studer. This cannot be taken for granted, as the RJSO covers a very wide age range. The youngest members of the second violin section are just nine years old, while the oldest orchestra members are in their late 20s and have been with the orchestra since it was founded.
In the next issue of SMZ, RJSO members from all age groups will report on their experiences at the Swiss Youth Music Festival in St. Gallen. You can look forward to these first-hand reports. Or even better: come to St. Gallen yourself and experience the RJSO and the other performances of the more than 100 ensembles live on site. The concerts by more than 4,200 passionate young musicians and the associated festival promise to be a unique and joyful event. The EOV Board will be on site in St. Gallen throughout the SJMF and will support the RJSO in its performance. We look forward to seeing you there too.
The 18th Swiss Youth Music Festival (SJMF) will take place in St. Gallen from September 15 to 17, 2023. Under the motto "Real Passion", 115 formations and a total of more than 4,200 children and young people will perform in concert and compete in a fair competition. In addition, there will be a varied entertainment program throughout the weekend and numerous food stands with delicious offerings, making the SJMF the biggest festival for young musicians in Switzerland. The SJMF is organized by the Swiss Youth Music Association in cooperation with the EOV, Accordion Switzerland and the Swiss Drum and Pipe Association.
Further information on the SJMF and the match schedule
The RJSO Solothurn will perform at the SJMF on Saturday, September 16 at 4:30 p.m. in the Tonhalle St. Gallen. Under the direction of conductor Ruwen Krowenberg, around 40 young people and soloist Rafael Giger at the piano will perform Dmitri Kabalewski's 3rd Piano Concerto in D major op. 50.
