The National Youth Orchestra of Ireland will be performing 35 concerts across Ireland this summer to mark its 35th anniversary.
This will include two concerts in Cork this weekend, an appearance at the Lough Rea Arts Festival on July 5th, and a series of summer proms at seven venues throughout July.
The orchestra will also be travelling to Russia later in the year by invitation of Vladimir Khodov, the mayor of Beslan, to perform at the anniversary of the tragic events of Beslan in September 2004, which left 300 adults and children dead as a result of a terrorist attack.
During their summer performances the orchestra will be conducted by Gearóid Grant, the Dublin conductor who recently celebrated his 25th year with the orchestra.
The orchestra will also be joined by violinist Catherine Leonard and their programme will include a work by Irish composer Declan Townsend and work by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov.
Training initiatives will also be taking place over the summer, with conducting master classes taking place from July 6th to 9th, in addition to a series of audition training workshops.
In its 35-year history, over 200 young musicians have played in the orchestra, with a series of successes including a performance at the 2002 Wagner Ring Festival.
The orchestra is funded by the Department of Education and Science, the Arts Council of Ireland and Toyota Ireland.