The Johannesburg Youth Orchestra will celebrate its 25th anniversary by performing on the Fringe at this year's Standard Bank National Arts Festival. The 70-strong orchestra will play three classical and popular music concerts under the baton of its founder, Professor Alan Solomon.

The orchestra was thrown into crisis and almost closed last year when the Department of Education in Gauteng withdrew public subsidies to music centres in the province. Response from parents of the musicians and other interested parties was to privatise the orchestra and to form a Section 21 (not for profit) company which immediately launched an extensive fund-raising campaign to save the youth orchestra. It raised sufficient funds to keep it alive last year.

There are now more than 250 musicians in the various groups of the orchestra which have been created to accommodate more young musicians who want the orchestral experience. Foreign conductors visiting Johannesburg to work with the NSO are also working with The Orchestra Company groups as part of the NSO's outreach programme and certain orchestra musicians have been invited to play with the NSO during live performances.

For further information please contact: Laurie Wapenaar - musical director of The Orchestra Company on (011) 484-1257 or e-mail muschool@global.co.za. Full details on www.orchestra.fox.co.za