The Mediterranean Youth Orchestra, which was founded on the initiative of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regional Council and of the Ministry of Culture, has been present on the Mediterranean arts scene since 1984. Partnerships have been developed with 21 countries on the shores of the Mediterranean and some 1,700 young musicians have taken part in the training courses and international tours. Since 2001 the orchestra has pursued its objectives of co-operating, training and international exchanges while placing special emphasise on new works.

NEW WORKS AND AN OPEN-MINDED APPROACH TO MUSIC
Since 2001 the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra has developed a policy of commissioning new works, under the leadership of its new director, Pierre Jacques. Each year composers are commissioned to write works inspired by the Mediterranean, its sound world, musical traditions or cultural heritage. The composers are closely associated with the training course and the young musicians are therefore taught how to approach the performance of new works.
The orchestra’s open-minded approach to music has led it to include singers while the orchestra itself is re-formed each year according to the musical projects and new works to be performed. The orchestra stresses quality and the importance of suitable teaching while being eager to perform a variety of different types of music ranging from the standard repertoire and traditional music to more contemporary works.

TRAINING AND WORK EXPERIENCE
This aspect is central to the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra project and provides the professional training young orchestral musicians need. This training is intended to enable each musician to experience life in an orchestra, both under rehearsal and concert conditions. The course provides general training and combines advanced teaching of technique with an introduction to orchestral playing, contact with other musicians, the enjoyment of playing together and performing new works with the orchestra.
Our aim of providing young musicians with work experience climaxes each summer with a training course and rehearsals over approximately two weeks that lead up to a ten-concert international tour. The course brings together accomplished young instrumentalists and singers recruited at auditions held in the Higher Schools of Music in the Mediterranean Basin. The young performers are tutored by a team of teachers that includes the Musical Director, composers and leading teachers.

PARTNERSHIPS IN THE ARTS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
Since 2001 the orchestra has intensified its policy of forming partnerships in the Mediterranean Basin by encouraging regional co-operation to facilitate and develop cultural, artistic and teaching exchanges. This new approach is in line with the decentralised co-operation agreements between regions of the Mediterranean promoted by our main sponsor the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Regional Council.
The agreements have resulted in the orchestra holding its training course in Tangiers-Tetouan, Morocco in 2002 and in Tuscany, Italy in 2003. The orchestra’s policy of changing the venue of its training course enables partnerships and events to take place, such as master classes, arts and teaching encounters as well as concerts performed in the region of residence. The Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region can therefore look forward to returning the hospitality.