The Cork ETB Youth Orchestra brings together the best young instrumentalists from the various centres of the Cork ETB School of Music and affords them the opportunity of participating in an exciting and rewarding musical and social activity. The orchestra gave its inaugural concert on May 24th 1998 and in the twenty years of its existence, it has performed at multiple venues in Ireland, including five visits to the National Festival of Youth Orchestras at the National Concert Hall in Dublin and concert tours to France, Spain and Prague. Several of these concerts have been presented in collaboration with other member youth orchestras of the IAYO and with visiting groups from abroad.
A particular highlight of the Orchestra’s career to date was the performance of a specially commissioned work by Cork-born composer, Bernard Geary. ‘Pléarácha an Ghaorthaidh’, a fifteen minute contemporary piece which incorporates writing for a conventional classical orchestra, an Irish traditional ensemble and a jazz group. It reflects the broad approach to music making we have in the Cork ETB School of Music where the synergy of classical and traditional styles is very important to what we are about.
Other memories include a special performance for President Higgins at Coláiste Choilm, Ballincollig in January 2013, the very memorable Aiseirí at Cork Opera House on St. Patrick’s Day 2016, an exciting collaboration with the Irish Sopranos at Cork Opera House for ‘Hear Our Song’ on St. Patrick’s Day 2017 and the 2018 orchestral collaborations at Coláiste Choilm with the New South Wales Youth Orchestra from Australia, Palmer Trinity Youth Orchestra from Miami, USA and with Limerick School of Music at Millennium Theatre, LIT. Auditions Prospective members of the Youth Orchestra must audition and/or meet certain criteria to gain membership. Auditions normally take place in Spring (after Easter) and involve performing one ‘own choice’ piece and a short sight-reading piece provided on the day.
