Performances:

Among the more than 120 ensembles with altogether approximately 5000 young musicians from all European countries, the JGO had participated as the only one guitar-orchestra at this mammoth-festival. Mostly, it was string - and symphony-orchestras, brassbands and jazz - bigbands, that had come to Kopenhagen. However there were also more uncommon casts like percussiongroups, Eastern European and Baltic folklore and dance - ensembles, a Bossa Nova band from Iceland and even drummers from French - Guayana. In over 300 concerts, that took place in the greater area of the city, in churches, theaters, concert-halls and museums, in the " Tivoli - Garden ". One was able to listen to each other and to reduce national barriers by means of the the common language of music. The conductors Helmut Oesterreich and Roland Boehm had been studying an interesting program of predominantly modern music with the orchestra. Already in the official big Opening - Concert at the just recently opened " Arken - Museum for Modern Art " the JGO had the possibility to play at a very exposed position.

Repertoire of the opening-concert

The atmosphere in the hall was fantastic. About twice as many listeners as there were seats crowded inside, and already with our appearance on stage there was blustery applause ". amazingly well together, very unusual for plucked instruments " was one of the many commentaries to our performance.

The motto of the second concert, that took place in the " Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek ", was: " ...dedicated to the JGO ". Exclusively works, that were written for the ensemble, were played:

for the JGO composed:

Helge Jörns had been coming from Berlin in order to be present at the performance of his piece. It was the " German Festival Piece ", commissioned by the festival-management for the JGO! It is built of three parts after the pattern: fast - slow - fast.

The Youth-Guitar-Orchestra Baden - Württemberg with Helge Jörns (in front middle), the composer of "Ludus Guitarris" in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek

The third appearance, open air in a park situated outside the city was of a completely diffrent, but not less impressive character. In 45 - minutes - intervals alternated the most different groups on four stages simultaneously. One could walk around casually as listener. Very serious cicumstances had been in the last concert in the very beautiful Jesuskirken. The numerous Romanians in the public liked particularly the Concerto and Niutao - which's composer Violeta Dinescu lived and worked in Bucharest before she had moved to Germany. Beside the concerts, we visited a number of interesting sights; so for example the Museum of Musical History with its collection of historic lutes and guitars, among them some famous Thielcke - guitars. Also the Kronborg was very impressive, the former castle of Hamlet near Helsingör. But walking around in Copenhagen's city center or the visit in the jazz-club (which lead to the remarkable meeting with super-guitarist Pat Metheny) were beautiful experiences.