Pressemitteilungen

Press releases from the European Youth Orchestra Academy

Here you will find all official press releases from the European Youth Orchestra Academy — from programme presentations and jury announcements to concert and project information. Each release is available as a PDF download and may be used for journalistic purposes. Contact: Klaus Peter Rieser >T +49(0)174 19 73 160
E presse@eyoa.de

„Young European Music Festival 2026“

Concerts Now Available on the EYOA YouTube Channel

Mannheim, September 2026 – The European Youth Orchestra Academy (EYOA) has made all concerts from the Young European Music Festival 2026 available on its official YouTube channel. Since its founding in 2019, the EYOA has continuously expanded its digital concert archive in this way. The festival concluded on September 12, 2026, with a gala concert at the Rosengarten Mannheim and attracted more than 1,000 audience members in total. This year’s edition brought together 76 outstanding young musicians from 17 European countries, performing in a wide range of formats—from symphonic repertoire and chamber music to Big Band jazz.

Photo Caption

Michel Maugé (founder and managing director of EYOA), conductor Jan-Paul Reinke and big band leader Thomas Siffling (l–r) acknowledge the applause following the final concert of the inaugural Young European Music Festival 2026 at Mannheim’s Rosengarten. In the background, the European Youth Orchestra Academy orchestra, which received standing ovations from the audience. The joint performance by the symphony orchestra and big band took place in the nearly sold-out Mozart Hall of the Rosengarten.

„Young European Music Festival 2026“

Successful EYOA launch of new festival across the metropolitan region

- Nearly 80 top young talents from across Europe performing at a professional level with exceptional commitment
- More than 1,000 enthusiastic attendees give standing ovations
- Press praises “electrifying concerts,” “they play as if they were born into jazz,” “soloist Hannes Wagner shines,” “young big band from eight countries performs at a top level”. Mannheim, September 2026 – The Young European Music Festival 2026 of the European Youth Orchestra Academy (EYOA) concluded over the weekend following seven concerts in Mannheim, Heidelberg, Ludwigshafen, Worms and Schwetzingen. More than 1,000 attendees visited the events. The program included two chamber concerts, two big band concerts, two symphony concerts, and a final concert featuring both symphony orchestra and big band in the nearly sold-out Mozartsaal of Mannheim’s Rosengarten. The chamber and big band concerts were newly introduced elements of the annually recurring festival.

Photo caption · Conductor Jan-Paul Reinke

Jan-Paul Reinke, born in 1985 in Mannheim, is a conductor and has served as Artistic Director of the European Youth Orchestra Academy (EYOA) since 2019. He studied orchestral and opera conducting at the University of Music and Dance Cologne and gained extensive early experience in opera and orchestral productions. Since 2016, he has been Music Director of the JugendSinfonieOrchester Mannheim and, since 2018, of the historic Stamitz Orchestra Mannheim. He also teaches orchestral conducting at the University of Music Freiburg. His work combines a high level of musical precision with strong pedagogical insight. At EYOA, Reinke brings together young musicians from across Europe, shaping them into a high-performing orchestra within a short period of time while continuously developing the project—most recently through an expanded festival format that will include jazz and chamber music ensembles for the first time in 2026.

Photo Caption Thomas Siffling

Thomas Siffling, born in Karlsruhe, is one of Germany’s most distinguished jazz trumpeters. He studied jazz trumpet at the music academies in Mannheim and Stuttgart and has been a key figure in shaping nu jazz and lounge jazz in the German-speaking world since the 1990s. His lyrical, cross-genre sound is documented on numerous albums and has taken him to international stages across Europe, South America, Russia, Canada, and Asia. With the founding of the Ella & Louis Live Jazz Club at the Rosengarten in Mannheim, Siffling established one of Germany’s leading jazz venues, repeatedly honored with the “APPLAUS” program award. In 2026, Thomas Siffling will take part for the first time in EYOA’s new Young European Music Festival, which, alongside symphonic programs, also integrates jazz and big band formats, creating new musical bridges.

At the Rosengarten in Mannheim:

European Gala Concert — Symphony Orchestra and Big Band Jazz Sharing the Stage for the First Time

- Works by Hensel-Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Ellington, and Porter
- Soloist: SINFONIMA Prize Winner Hannes Wagner (Violin)
- World Premiere: “Home” by Thomas Siffling
- Nearly 80 Young Musicians from 17 European Nations
Mannheim, September 2026 — The closing highlight of the “Young European Music Festival 2026” presented by the European Youth Orchestra Academy (EYOA) is the European Gala Concert on Saturday, September 12, at the Musensaal of the Rosengarten in Mannheim. Around eighty young musicians from 17 European nations will perform a program that unites symphonic music, a solo concerto, and jazz — with a world premiere as its crowning moment. For the first time, the Young European Symphony Orchestra and the Young European Big Band Jazz Orchestra will share the same stage.

Photo Text · Michel Maugé

Michel Maugé (second from right), founder of the European Youth Orchestra Academy (EYOA) and former long-time managing director of m:con – mannheim:congress GmbH, supports Heidelberg's bid to become European Capital of Culture 2030. On September 11, 2026, at the invitation of the association "Kultur für Europa," he will present his European youth project EYOA in Heidelberg. The initiative brings together highly talented young musicians from across Europe each year, who develop a full concert program within just a few days and experience Europe through the shared practice of music-making. The lecture will be followed by a symphony concert featuring the Young European Symphony Orchestra (works by Fanny Hensel-Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, and Beethoven). The event is part of the "Young European Music Festival 2026" and is intended as a contribution to Heidelberg's bid for European Capital of Culture 2030.

Project "Culture Capital Heidelberg 2030":

Michel Maugé Supports "Kultur für Europa" in Its Bid for European Capital of Culture

- Lecture and symphony concert in Heidelberg
- Part of the "Young European Music Festival" 2026**Vortrag und Sinfoniekonzert in Heidelberg
Heidelberg, September 2026 – Heidelberg's bid to become European Capital of Culture 2030 has gained a new supporter. At the invitation of the association "Kultur für Europa," Michel Maugé — founder of the European Youth Orchestra Academy (EYOA) — will present his European youth project in Heidelberg on September 11, 2026. The presentation will be followed by an EYOA symphony concert featuring works by Fanny Hensel-Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, and Beethoven. The concert is part of the "Young European Music Festival 2026," which includes a total of seven concerts across the metropolitan region.

Photo Text · Big Band Jazz · Thomas Siffling

Big Band jazz makes its debut at the Young European Music Festival 2026—shaped by renowned trumpeter and composer Thomas Siffling (pictured). At the start of the EYOA bootcamp in Mannheim, he brings together a 19-piece ensemble of outstanding young musicians from across Europe, forming a cohesive orchestra in just a matter of days. In an intensive rehearsal phase, the group develops a shared musical language rooted in the European spirit of exchange and collaboration. The program delivers a high-energy journey through big band history—from classics by Duke Ellington and Cole Porter to contemporary works by Gordon Goodwin and Chick Corea. Siffling’s own composition, Anticipation, adds a personal signature to the set. Performances take place on September 10 at the BASF Gesellschaftshaus in Ludwigshafen and on September 11 as an open-air concert at the Andreasstift in Worms.

Two Concerts. A New Sound.

EYOA Big Band Jazz — Making Its Debut in Ludwigshafen and Worms

A 19-Piece Orchestra of Outstanding Young Talent from Across Europe
Big Band Jazz at European Youth Orchestra Academy — A First
Works by Ellington, Porter, Goodwin, Corea, and Others
Thomas Siffling – Musical Director

Mannheim, August 31, 2026 — The European Youth Orchestra Academy (EYOA) is expanding its artistic scope with a new dimension: for the first time, the “Young European Music Festival 2026” will include Big Band Jazz concerts. The 19-piece Young European Big Band Jazz Orchestra brings together young musicians from across Europe, developing an energetic program in just a matter of days. On Thursday, September 10, the ensemble will perform at the Festsaal of the Gesellschaftshaus der BASF in Ludwigshafen — a venue that is also supporting the concert. On September 11, the EYOA Big Band will perform the same program outdoors at the Andreasstift in Worms.

Photo caption · Conductor Jan-Paul Reinke

Jan-Paul Reinke (pictured) leads the Young European Symphony Orchestra of the European Youth Orchestra Academy (EYOA). Around 48 young musicians from 13 European countries are preparing works by Fanny Hensel Mendelssohn, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Ludwig van Beethoven under his direction. The orchestra will perform on September 11 at the Johannes Brahms Hall of the Music and Singing School in Heidelberg, followed by the Gala Concert on September 12 at the Musensaal of the Rosengarten in Mannheim. Of particular interest to families: the orchestra’s public dress rehearsal on September 10 at 3:30 p.m. at the Börsensaal of Mannheim’s Municipal Music School will be presented as a family concert, with free admission.

Photo caption · Symphony Orchestra

Young musical talent from across Europe: The Young European Symphony Orchestra of the EYOA combines musical excellence with the European spirit of collaboration and exchange. Around 48 musicians from 13 countries are preparing works by Fanny Hensel Mendelssohn, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Ludwig van Beethoven. The program will be performed on September 11 at the Johannes Brahms Hall of the Music and Singing School in Heidelberg and again as part of the Gala Concert on September 12 at the Musensaal of the Rosengarten in Mannheim. Families can also experience the orchestra at its public dress rehearsal on September 10 at 3:30 p.m. at the Börsensaal of Mannheim’s Municipal Music School. Admission is free.

In Heidelberg:

Symphony Concert Featuring Europe’s Most Talented Young Musicians

Beethoven, Hensel-Mendelssohn, and Tchaikovsky
48 Young Musicians from 13 European Nations
Soloist: SINFONIMA Prize Winner Hannes Wagner

Mannheim, August, 24th, 2026 — Forty-eight outstanding young musicians from 13 European nations will perform a major symphony concert as part of the “Young European Music Festival 2026” presented by the European Youth Orchestra Academy (EYOA). The concert takes place on September 11 in Heidelberg at the Johannes-Brahms-Saal of the Musik- und Singschule. Together, they will present a demanding program developed during an intensive rehearsal period in Mannheim. The program features works by Beethoven, Hensel-Mendelssohn, and Tchaikovsky, conducted by Jan-Paul Reinke.

Chamber Music Highlights at the "Young European Music Festival 2026"

Two chamber concerts for strings and winds in Schwetzingen and Mannheim
String quartet and wind quintet featuring nine young musicians from seven European countries
Unique works by Arriaga, Shostakovich, Ibert, and Françaix

Mannheim, August 2026 – As part of the "Young European Music Festival 2026" presented by the European Youth Orchestra Academy (EYOA), two chamber concerts will take place on September 9 and 10 in Schwetzingen and Mannheim. Both the program and the lineup are exceptional: a string quartet and a wind quintet – featuring nine young musicians from seven European countries – will perform works by Arriaga, Shostakovich, Ibert, and Françaix.

Hannes Wagner – The violinist and current prize-winner of the SINFONIMA competition is soloist at the EYOA's "Young European Music Festival". On September 11 at Heidelberg's Brahms Hall and on September 12 at the Musensaal of Mannheim's Rosengarten, he performs the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. He plays a violin by Bapt. Rogerius Bon Nicolai Amati from 1678, generously made available to him by the SINFONIMA Foundation of Mannheimer Versicherung. Wagner is currently completing his studies at the Hochschule für Musik Trossingen and gained early orchestral experience as concertmaster – including with the World Youth Orchestra and the Baden-Württemberg State Youth Orchestra.

Dr. Lothar Stöckbauer – Board member of the SINFONIMA Foundation of Mannheimer Versicherung. The foundation awards valuable historical string instruments to highly talented young musicians through an annual competition. By collaborating with the European Youth Orchestra Academy (EYOA), Stöckbauer underscores the close connection between cultural patronage and Mannheim's identity as a business hub.

"Young European Music Festival" in the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region

Hannes Wagner, SINFONIMA Foundation Prize-Winner, to perform as Soloist at the 2026 "Young European Music Festival"

Where cultural patronage meets Mannheim as a business hub
European Youth Orchestra Academy (EYOA) brings young musical talent back to Mannheim
Seven concerts planned across the Metropolitan Region in September

Mannheim, June 29, 2026 — Hannes Wagner has been announced as soloist at the 2026 EYOA Festival. The violinist and SINFONIMA Foundation prize-winner will perform the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto on two evenings, playing a violin by Bapt. Rogerius Bon Nicolai Amati (1678), generously made available to him by the Mannheimer Versicherung foundation. The Young European Music Festival — presented by EYOA, founded in 2019 — brings together 76 young musicians from 17 countries for seven concerts at four venues across the Metropolitan Region.

More music, more connections, more Europe

“Young European Music Festival”: A new concept for the European Youth Orchestra Academy in 2026

A Musical Statement for Peace, Diversity, and Cohesion in Europe

The European Youth Orchestra Academy (EYOA) will present an expanded concept in 2026. In addition to the symphony orchestra, the program will now include chamber music and big band jazz, with more concerts and a new festival structure: the Young European Music Festival.

Our guiding principles are peace, friendship and joy.

European Youth Orchestra Academy in Mannheim (2025)

50 young musical talents from 17 countries in the EU, Great Britain and Ukraine are returning to Mannheim
Zehntägiges vielseitiges Boot Camp unter professioneller Anleitung mit Vorbereitung auf klassisches Konzert im OPAL
Zu Ostern: Gala-Konzert und öffentliche Generalprobe
Familienkonzert am Karfreitag mit Mal-Performance