The Mahler Student Festival Orchestra (MSFO), founded in 2022, is an international project based in Belgium that brings together young musicians from Europe and beyond for regular concerts. Its main goal is to give rising talent the opportunity to perform monumental symphonic repertoire, offering them a supportive environment where they can take their first steps into the professional music world. At the same time, the orchestra builds a strong sense of community within the orchestra and among its supporters.

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During the projects – consisting of an intensive week of rehearsals, resulting in one or two concerts – the MSFO focuses not only on building strong personal bonds between musicians as individuals, but also on collaboration between musicians and the audience, as well as the local community. Young artists are coached by renowned musicians from leading orchestras in Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. All rehearsals are open for the public, host families provide accommodation for the musicians during the projects, and chamber music concerts, social events, parties, and games are regularly organized to create a warm and inclusive environment where everyone who wants to participate feels at home.

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Thanks to the realization of five major productions over the past three years, the orchestra has grown into a close-knit community of regular members who meet every few months to perform grand symphonies, determined to keep alive an experience that goes far beyond a single project. The bond between the musicians grows stronger with each new project, which is reflected in the performances, which are becoming increasingly human and undeniably more professional.

 

At the heart of the MSFO is the collective dedication and passion of all orchestra members to advance this project through a shared sense of community and voluntary commitment, creating unforgettable and unique learning experiences.