The European Union Chamber Orchestra, a registered charity, is celebrating 30 years of success by launching a Friends scheme in 2011 to support new recordings and to generate the income we need to survive.

“The wonderful European Union Chamber Orchestra … played with beautiful, dancing transparency.”

Daily Telegraph, July 2010.

“The day was really saved by the fresh and fantasy-filled playing of the European Union Chamber Orchestra.”

The Times July 2010

Over the 30 years our musicians have brought great music to audiences across the world. In fact, over the years we have played in 73 countries, many of them many times. In 2010 our tours included the UK and Ireland, Estonia, Lithuania, Holland, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Turkey. We also had an exciting tour of South America where our concert with Natalie Clein in Santiago in Chile was voted “Best concert of the Year” by the Chilean “Circle of Arts critics.”

We strongly believe in the value of the work we do in bringing great music to as many people as possible in major concert halls and festivals, as well as to many smaller towns. At the same time, these performances, between 50 and 60 each year, offer unique work experience to the players. Our members come from around 20 European countries so we are a genuine example of European co-operation, even perhaps a good example for the politicians to follow. Another reason to help us?

With your help as a friend, we want to make more new recordings of great classical music. In these difficult times when public funding for the arts is in danger and the funding conditions are sometimes hard to meet, your help is vital. It will underpin our work bringing music to audiences across the globe, it will support young talented musicians and not least it will support an example of flexible, positive international co-operation, surely European co-operation as it should be.

Help us to build a more harmonious future.