2004 International Tour History: Estonia, Latvia, and Russia
In 2004, the Boston Youth Symphony embarked on its 17th international tour to Estonia, Latvia and Russia. Under the leadership of Music Director Federico Cortese, one-hundred and one students traveled from Boston and performed in the cities of Tallinn, Riga, St. Petersburg and Novgorod.
The orchestra's first performance took place in the ancient city of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, in the Estonia Concert Hall, a large neoclassical building constructed in 1913. Orchestra members took a tour of Tallinn's Old Town, one of the best preserved medieval European towns, complete with cobblestone streets and buildings dating back to the 11th century. From Tallinn, the group headed to Riga, the capital of Latvia. Riga is another historic city; it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Many of the buildings are examples of Art Nouveau architecture and students where able to explore the city's center. The orchestra performed to a full house in the Assembly Hall of Blackheads House, a medieval building formerly housing guards who protected the city.
The final destination of the tour took the orchestra to Russia. The group took an overnight train to St. Petersburg from Estonia. St. Petersburg was originally designed with interlocking canals based on the Italian city of Venice. There are over 300 bridges in the city. The students were able to see many memorable buildings and churches such as St. Isaac's Cathedral, one of the biggest domed buildings in the world and the Peter and Paul Fortress. A guided tour of the famous Hermitage Museum along the Neva River was one of the highlights of trip. The orchestra performed Golijov's Night of the Flying Horses, Stravinsky's La Chant du Rossignol and Berlioz's Symphonic Excerpts from Roméo et Juliette in the historic Shostakovich Hall. The performance was outstanding and garnered a standing ovation from the sold-out house.
The final concert of the tour was in Novgorod, in north-west Russia. One of the most ancient cities in Russia, it is named in records dating back to 859 AD. It is a very peaceful and quiet town in which orchestra members had a chance to relax. Graduating seniors performed in the Novgorod Philharmonic Hall for locals and for each other one last time before returning home on July 4.
