Today's Daily Telegraph asks the maestros why we need youth orchestras:
Antonio Pappano - "The potential for a kinetic explosive type of energy is endless. People want that."
Sir Simon Rattle - "A few years ago it did seem that some notice of the need for music education was taken in Britain and it seems to be better now than it was. It can save people's lives in so many different ways."
Gianandrea Noseda - "With professional orchestras, concerts become like normal life. It's not the case with the kids. Working with them is re-energising."
and with the telling last word, Sir Colin Davis - "people are telling us that classical music is old hat and the world has moved on, and yet the youth orchestras are all there. They've never had such a high level of attainment as they have in the last few years, and yet they're told it's all over, which leads one to ask, is that really true? I don't think so at all. The passion for music is inextinguishable."
