Rostock Youth Symphony Orchestra wins bronze at DOW 2025!

Rostock Youth Symphony Orchestra wins bronze at DOW 2025!

The Youth Symphony Orchestra of the Rostock Conservatory achieved remarkable success at the 11th German Orchestra Competition in Mainz. On June 20, 2025, the orchestra was awarded the bronze medal in the “Youth Symphony Orchestra” category. Over 4,000 young musicians took part in an intensive competition with 98 orchestras from all over Germany, and the Rostock ensemble was one of the shining winners. rathaus.rostock.de reports that conductor Johannes Lang was proud of his protégés' performance and viewed the recognition as significant for the talented young musicians.

The journey to the federal final began in November 2024, when the youth symphony orchestra qualified as the state winner of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. With 54 young people aged 12 to 20, they presented a varied program in Mainz that not only included three works by Edvard Grieg, but also the premiere of “The Legend of Rassmus the Rabbit” by the composer Paul Beu. This story about a rabbit fighting evil not only thrilled the audience, but also received positive feedback from the expert jury. They praised the musical maturity, expressiveness and differentiated playing of the young musicians, who knew how to impress with commitment and joy.

Preparation and support

The intensive rehearsal period before the competition was an enormous challenge for the young people. In addition to weekly orchestral rehearsals, additional register and individual rehearsals also had to fit into their busy schedules while also meeting school requirements. “For us, this was a real highlight in our musical career,” says Julius-Immanuel Tiede, a member of the orchestra. In order to make the performance in Mainz possible, a specially organized transport of instruments from Rostock was necessary. The realization of this project was significantly supported by the conservatory's support association and numerous donations. As Johannes Lang emphasizes, behind the success is a community commitment that means a lot to the young musicians.

German Orchestra Competition 2025

The current event is part of the German Orchestra Competition, which will take place from June 14th to 18th, 2025 in Wiesbaden, Mainz and Ingelheim and is organized by the German Music Council. musikrat.de highlights that the event takes place every four years and over 4,000 participants are expected. The two highlights of the competition are the prizewinners' concerts on June 16th in the Rheingoldhalle Mainz and on June 18th in the Kurhaus Wiesbaden. A total of 17 categories will be evaluated, including youth symphony orchestras, and prize money totaling around 60,000 euros will be awarded.

The competition provides a platform for amateur orchestras that have qualified in state competitions and is open to the public free of charge. Preparations for the next steps are already underway and the nominated orchestras were already informed about their participation in December 2024. The deadlines for registrations and the submission of repertoire are set: For example, the necessary documents must be submitted by March 18, 2025.

How the youth symphony orchestra will fare in the next phase remains to be seen, but one thing is already clear: the Rostockers have delivered a promising performance and show that they have great potential.