Young Euro Classic

The Festival that Brings the World to Berlin

When, in the height of summer, the Konzerthaus Berlin on the iconic Gendarmenmarkt in the Mitte district opens its doors evening after evening, and a different youth symphony orchestra from a different country around the world takes the stage each time — Ukrainians, Italians, Chinese, Turkmen, Spaniards — then Young Euro Classic is on. Founded in 2000, the festival is now the world's most important forum for young symphony orchestras. 2026 marks the 27th edition.

How the Festival Works

Unlike regular concert series, Young Euro Classic follows a clear dramaturgy: 14 youth orchestras, 2 jazz ensembles, 1 choir, 17 concert evenings. Each concert typically combines:

• A main symphonic work from the 19th or 20th century
• A representative work from the orchestra's home country
• A world or German premiere — commissioned compositions or new contemporary works

The festival thus fulfills two missions simultaneously: introducing young musicians at the beginning of their careers to an international Berlin audience, and simultaneously expanding the classical repertoire with non-Western contemporary works.

A Political Festival

Young Euro Classic explicitly sees itself as a political festival: a signal against nationalism, for international understanding through music. This is also reflected in the 2026 profile: the Ukrainian Youth Symphony Orchestra sends a message of hope amidst war; the Angelika-Prokopp-Sommerakademie of the Vienna Philharmonic brings young talents from all over the world to concerts featuring Wagner, Glière, and the composition of Hungarian composer Konrád Varga.

FUTURE NOW — The Experimental Offshoot

For several years, the FUTURE NOW Musical Diaries series has expanded the festival with ensembles from Tajikistan, Vietnam, Morocco, and Argentina, as well as the international FUTURE-NOW Ensemble. This series departs from the classical concert format — curatorial experiments beyond traditional symphony concerts.

Berlin as a European Classical Center

With the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, and the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester, Berlin hosts three of Europe's most important symphony orchestras. Young Euro Classic complements this high-culture scene by focusing on the next generation of musicians — a festival that is simultaneously a city festival, an educational format, and a political gesture. The Berlin universities Hanns Eisler, the Barenboim-Said Akademie, and the Jazz-Institut Berlin are also regularly represented.