NINETY young musicians from 15 European countries arrived this week at Moor Park School in Ludlow for BISYOC’s cultural and musical exchange, culminating in a series of four public concerts in Ludlow, Leominster and Presteigne.

Whilst the orchestra draws from countries as far away as Iceland, Portugal, Malta and Romania, it also contains a strong contingent of talented young musicians and professionals from the area. Rising star and organist, Laurence John, who is taking up the post of Organ Scholar at Hereford Cathedral in September and currently organist at Ross-on-Wye, will be playing the organ solo for Saint Saëns’ Organ Symphony.

BISYOC, an annual event originally started in Bedstone in 2001 by conductor Julian Gibbons, brings together 15-25 year-olds for a programme that places great emphasis on cultural exchange activities alongside the music training.

The residency concludes with the main orchestral and choral performances at St Laurence’s Church, Ludlow on Saturday, August 13 and Leominster Priory on Sunday, August 14, when they will play Saint Saëns’ Organ Symphony and Moncayo’s Huapango. The choir, joining the BISYOC orchestra for the second time as in 2014, will perform Eric Whitacre’s The Seal Lullaby before joining forces with the orchestra for a rendition of Equus.

These two main concerts are complemented with a lunchtime concert at Ludlow Assembly Rooms tomorrow, given by the international team of BISYOC tutors, and on Wednesday, August 10, BISYOC participants will perform a Chamber Music Concert of music learned during the residency.

To book, visit bisyoc.com/concerts