Follow the journey of a groundbreaking project exploring the powerful effect of classical music on young people's lives in 'Orchestra United!' which is currently available at 4OD. To watch it on your computer, simply click here.
To find out more about the Hallé Harmony Youth Orchestra and its Music Directors please use the links below:
Hallé Harmony Youth Orchestra
James Lowe
Sinead Hayes
Further information
Hallé Harmony Youth Orchestra
The Hallé Harmony Youth Orchestra was a groundbreaking experiment that provided a unique musical experience for approximately 80 young musicians, and followed and documented the impact that this experience had on their musical, personal and social development.
Partners
The project was a partnership between the Hallé, Diverse Productions, Arts Council England and the local authorities of Bolton, Manchester, Oldham and Stockport. Channel 4 also funded the project. Other contributors included Youth at Risk and The University of Manchester.
The experiences of the orchestra members were filmed by Diverse Productions for four documentary-style programmes which were broadcast by Channel 4 in 2010. The programmes documented the shared journey of the Orchestra from audition through to the final public concert and aimed to demonstrate how music has the power to transform lives, unite communities and effect social change.
Membership
The Hallé and its partners encouraged a wide range of young people to audition for the Orchestra and targeted groups which are underrepresented in classical music. Every young person who applied to take part was invited to audition for a place in the Orchestra. Membership of the Orchestra was determined by musical potential alone, without any prior knowledge of socio-economic background other than a summary of previous musical experience. This process enabled many young musicians from non-orchestral or non-traditional Western classical music backgrounds to compete on an equal footing for a place. As a result the Orchestra came from a wide range of ethnic, faith, socio-economic, family and musical backgrounds.
Activities
The shared journey of the Orchestra began at the audition process in February 2009 and culminated in a final concert performance at the Bridgewater Hall in April 2010. The Orchestra used the power of classical symphonic music to bring together young people from a broad range of backgrounds. The Orchestra benefited from team-building workshops led by Youth at Risk, rehearsed weekly during term time from May 2009 and enjoyed two residential courses in the school holidays, leading to three public concert performances during the year.
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James Lowe
Prizewinner in international conducting competitions, James Lowe's work as Artistic Director of the Hallé Harmony Youth Orchestra will feature in 'Orchestra United!', a four-part documentary to be shown in the UK on Channel 4 this summer. Lowe is also Artistic Director of the New Bristol Sinfonia, Principal Conductor of the Edinburgh Contemporary Music Ensemble, Principal Guest Conductor of Music for Everyone, and held the position of Associate Conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
Educated at the University of Edinburgh, Lowe continued his development as Benjamin Zander Conducting Fellow with the Boston Philharmonic, and has studied with leading conductors in master classes, including Jorma Panula, Neeme Järvi, Bernard Haitink and with Valery Gergiev and the London Symphony Orchestra.
One of two prizewinners in the Tokyo International Competition for Conductors and special prize winner in the Jorma Panula International Competition, he has appeared in performance with the Osaka and Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestras, the Residentie Orkest Den Haag, the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, the St. Petersburg Academic Symphony Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra of Canada, the New Japan Philharmonic, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Hallé, the BBC Philharmonic, Scottish Ballet, the orchestra of Welsh National Opera and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, as well as working with numerous other ensembles in many European countries, South Africa and the USA.
In addition to Channel 4's Orchestra United!, James Lowe will feature in The Interpreters, a German film following three young conductors.
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Sinead Hayes
Originally from Galway in Ireland, Sinead held the position of Associate Conductor of the Hallé Harmony Youth Orchestra. She completed her masters in conducting at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester in 2009, winning the Mortimer Furber Conducting Prize for her final performance. While at the RNCM she studied with Clark Rundell, Sir Mark Elder, Mark Shanahan and Baldur Brönnimänn. Sinead completed her BMus at City University, London in June 2008, graduating with first class honours. She has participated in conducting masterclasses with Alexander Polishchuk, Jorma Panula, Ben Zander, Ovidiu Balan, Peter Stark and Alan Hazeldine.
She has recently been appointed Principal Conductor of the Amaretti Chamber Orchestra for the 2010-2011 season and is Assistant Music Director of Stockport Youth Orchestra and Music Director of Bury Choral Society. Sinead is Associate Conductor of the I Maestri Orchestra, London, and until June 2008, was Conductor of the Imperial College String Ensemble, London. Since moving to Manchester she has worked with the RNCM symphony and chamber orchestras, as well as with New Bristol Sinfonia, Stockport Symphony Orchestra, Sheffield Philharmonic Orchestra, Nottingham Philharmonic Orchestra and Liverpool Mozart Orchestra.
Highlights of the 2009-2010 season included Handel's Messiah and Faure Requiem with Bury Choral Society, concerts with the Amaretti Orchestra, Westmorland Orchestra and Stockport Youth Orchestra as well her Bridgewater Hall debut with the Hallé Harmony Youth Orchestra. This season also included her professional European debut conducting two concerts with the Orquestra do Algarve, Portugal, following which she was immediately reinvited to conduct the orchestra in two further concerts in June 2010. Forthcoming performances in the 2010-2011 season include Brahms Requiem with Bury Choral Society, concerts with the North Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Sheffield Symphony Orchestra, Amaretti Chamber Orchestra, Stockport Youth Orchestra and Octandre Ensemble, London.
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Further information
If you would like any further information, please contact Naomi Benn on naomi.benn@halle.co.uk or on 0161 907 9022.
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