Season presentation
A youth orchestra that learn, perform and inspire
The 2026 Season of the French Youth Orchestra (OFJ) is an artistic and human experience designed to reveal the potential of young musicians and nurture their joy of playing together. Through four sessions – summer, classical, winter and lyrical – the OFJ guides a new generation of artists through the demanding and exciting process of learning the art of orchestral performance, covering both major pieces of repertoire and contemporary works.
For the second year Kristiina Poska conducts the orchestra, young musicians tackle major pieces of repertoire such as Maurice Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloé and the Bolero, Richard Strauss’s Also Sprach Zarathustra, Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto with Edgar Moreau, and Franz Schubert’s lieder for orchestra with Sandrine Piau. The season is also enrich with the compositor in residency Erkki-Sven Tüür and his piece Exodus opening a direct dialogue with today’s creation.
Designed as a season of renewal and growth the summer session takes the OFJ on an international tour in the Baltic countries extending the orchestra’s work through concert experience and encounters with new audiences. In contrast, the winter session is centered in major French music halls, venues that serve as a culmination of the students’ training and where they face the demands of the professional stage.
In partnership with the Dijon Opera and the Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans, the OFJ is anchored in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The 2026 season affirms the OFJ as a space for work, learning, and shared joy, at the heart of young musicians’ artistic journeys.