A dynamic orchestra of gifted musicians aged 18 to 30
Created by The Grasshopper Music Trust in response to demand from young adult musicians for an orchestra that was more vibrant, imaginative and outward-looking in presenting the classical repertoire.
We refresh the concert experience for both players and audiences, presenting great orchestral works in their wider cultural context.
The result is greater diversity - both onstage and in the audience.
MAGIC MOUNTAINS
September 22nd, 2026
Cadogan Hall
19:30
Odyssey Festival Orchestra
Narrator: Juliet Stevenson
Conductor: Peter Ash
Alban Berg: Three Pieces for Orchestra
Richard Strauss: An Alpine Symphony
It is 1915. The 30 year-old Viennese composer Alban Berg is conscripted into the army of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to fight in World War One. He is asthmatic and never makes it to the front line. But he does complete his first major orchestral work, Three Pieces for Orchestra, in which he struggles to find a musical language that is equal to the decay he sees around him. Meanwhile, novelist Thomas Mann is also chronicling the demise of this old world from the heights of an Alpine sanatorium in his novel The Magic Mountain. The 50 year-old Richard Strauss however takes a different attitude entirely. He has retreated into the mountains to compose his final tone poem, a vivid but nostalgic musical evocation of a dramatic childhood walk in the Alps.
Two Responses to War
Passionate about performing and aged 18-30? Head to our auditions page to find out how you can get involved.
Odyssey Festival Orchestra has ambitious goals. You can help us achieve them.
Join the audience and see us perform at our next concert.
“There are no other orchestras like this that mix professionals and students in this age range. Without Odyssey, I would have no regular playing opportunities at a high standard and could also not afford to participate without a bursary”.
- Odyssey Member, Aged 22
