MOYSA - Megaro Youth Symphony Orchestra
The Megaro Youth Symphony Orchestra – MOYSA was founded by Thessaloniki Concert Hall with the support of Stavros Niarchos Foundation in March 2015. It is a community of young musicians from Thessaloniki, the northern Greece and other regions in the country. Today, the Orchestra counts more than 80 members, from 8 to 25 years old. Its mission is to further educate its members in orchestral art and other related sectors, to support their artistic development via international collaborations and to raise social awareness through music.
Auditions for the Orchestra's foundation took place in March 2015. Due to the unprecedented resonance from young musicians, approximately 250 applications were gathered within a period of just two weeks. The Ensemble first performed in collaboration with European Youth Union on April 19th 2015 in the crowded “Friends of Music Hall” at Thessaloniki Concert Hall, under the music direction of the young, rising Brazilian Conductor, Yuri Azevedo.
Since then, the Orchestra has worked with Music Directors including Zoi Zeniodi, George Vranos, Daniele Gatti, Dr. Dariusz Mikulski, Vladimiros Symeonidis, Sami Matus, Miltos Logiadis, Michalis Oikonomou etc., with notable Greek and Foreign musicians including Leonidas Kavakos, Vladimir Mendelssohn, Barbara Hendricks, George-Emmanuel Lazaridis, Simos Papanas etc., as well as important orchestras including Prague Symphony Orchestra, Cameristi del Teatro alla Scala, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO), Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra, Athens State Orchestra, Thessaloniki City Symphony Orchestra etc. Within the framework of systematic workshops, MOYSA’s members have been tutored by teachers and instrumentalists of the European Union Youth Orchestra, the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra, and by members of the world's chamber music ensembles.
Responsible for the Orchestra's regular preparation is Thodoris Papadimitriou.