ABOUT
THE GOZO YOUTH WIND BAND & ORCHESTRA
The Gozo Youth Wind Band and The Gozo Youth Orchestra were established in 2002 following a successful tour in Gozo from The Derbyshire City and County Youth Wind Band and Orchestra. On the initiative of its founding music director Mro Joseph Grech, young musicians hailing from Gozo meet regularly to prepare varied music repertoire to be performed in concerts purposely put up to promote their talents.
Since its inception, the Gozo Youth Orchestra has put up various public concerts in Gozo, in particular at the Oratory Don Bosco Theatre, Victoria. The Gozo Youth Orchestra was also entrusted to be the music ensemble to perform in the Helping Hands Group's musical productions of: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Scarlet Pimpernel, A Night with the Musicals, LesMisSaigonGuerre and Jesus Christ Superstar, amongst others. In turn the Gozo Youth Wind Band was entrusted to perform in various editions of Notte Gozitana, 90th Anniversary of Foundation of the Labour Party in a concert in Gozo, concerts organised by the Xaghra, Munxar and Nadur Local Councils as also the colourful "Santa Lucia Symphony of Lights”. The Gozo Youth Wind Band also presents an annual concert titled The Don Bosco Grand Concert.
In 2012, The Gozo Youth Orchestra was entrusted with the opening concert of Notte Gozitana with Soundtrack Spectacular. As from 2017, the Gozo Youth Orchestra embarked on a number of rock orchestral concerts in collaboration with Seven Star Pyramid Productions and Festivals Malta titled Dark Side over Gozo, Dark Side over Valletta and Queen meets Coldplay both in Gozo and at MCC-Valletta, Not Just the Wall in Gozo and Malta, From the Beatles to U2 both in Malta and Gozo as well as Christmas Rocks the Astra, Christmas Rocks the Astra and the Beatles and Festive Rock & Pop at the Astra. The Gozo Youth Orchestra celebrated the 20th Anniversary of its inceptions with a collaborative Gala Concert titled The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber at Aurora Theatre.
Besides various concerts held throughout the years since its inception, The Gozo Youth Orchestra strives to create new frontiers of opportunities to its members and also to fellow musicians in Gozo. In fact during the past years youth musicians in Gozo benefited from first-hand experience with youth musicians from France and Germany on two separate occasions in the form of master-classes, concerts and discussions that were extended beyond the immediate group within The Gozo Youth Orchestra to School of Music students and primary and secondary students in full collaboration with the Education Officer of Music within the Education Department and in the head of the Gozo School of Music.
NO ONE CAN WHISTLE A SYMPHONY. IT TAKES A WHOLE ORCHESTRA TO PLAY IT.
HALFORD LUCCOCK