2002 International Tour History: Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary
The Boston Youth Symphony embarked on its two-week 16th International tour on June 23, 2002. Music Director, Federico Cortese, led the group of 91 musicians to the cities
Prague, Kraków,
Debrecen and
Budapest.
The first stop was Prague, capital of the Czech Republic, site of the premiere of Mozart's Don Giovanni and birthplace of Franz Kafka. Prague, its buildings relatively unharmed in World War II, boasts a rich architectural heritage, with well preserved examples of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Neo Classical, Art Nouveau and Cubist style. In Prague, students performed in Dvorak Hall in the Rudolfinum (1885), one of Prague's most beautiful examples of Czech architecture and its most sought after concert hall. Senior Orchestra members also enjoyed a tour of the Old City, Old Jewish Ghetto and a dinner cruise on the River Vltava. Musicians visited The Old Jewish Ghetto, which dates to the 13th century. Only a few of its most significant buildings were saved in a major restoration project between 1893 and 1913 but they nonetheless present one of the best complexes of Jewish historical monuments in Europe.
From Prague, the orchestra traveled to Kraków, Poland's capital from 1038 to 1791, and a city with a façade left untouched by World War II. Students took a tour of Kraków including the Old Town historic district, the original medieval city established in 1257 and still a perfect example of the art of medieval city planning with grid streets and a central square. Here also is the Colligium Maius (Poland's first university college) at which Copernicus studied from 1491-95 and the site of Oskar Schindler's now-famous factory. The Kraków visit also included an excursion to the Wielicza Salt Mines (an underground labyrinth of lakes, sculptures and even chapels shaped in crystallized salt and designated as a world cultural heritage site by UNESCO) and entrance to the Wawel Castle, which survives intact from the early 16th century and is one of Europe's most stately monuments of Renaissance architecture. The stay in Kraków culminated with a performance in Filharmonia Hall.
The next morning, the Boston Youth Symphony departed for Kosice, Slovakia, stopping at Auschwitz en route. From Kosice, the orchestra continued to Debrecen, where BYSO joined the opening festivities of the 20th biannual Bela Bartók Choir Competition and performed in Bela Bartók Hall, followed by a reception and dinner with local dignitaries.
The Boston Youth Symphony then traveled to its final destination.
Budapest is
Hungary's capital city and stands on one of the oldest settlements in
Europe with archeological finds dating from 46000 to 42000 BC. Today's
Budapest was formed in 1873 by the unification of three cities, Buda, Óbuda and
Pest. While in
Budapest, the Senior Orchestra performed in the Vigado Concert Hall. The Vigado dates to the early 19th century. Destroyed in the 1848-49 war of independence and rebuilt, and damaged in World War II and renovated, the Vigado was only reopened in 1980. Nonetheless, its history is distinguished by such names as Franz Liszt, Brahms, Saint-Saëns, Debussy, Dohnányi, Bartók and Kodály. The stay in
Budapest included a guided tour of the city, leisure time for shopping and further sightseeing and a farewell dinner cruise on the
Danube before departing for home on July 5.