Saxon Strings is a string orchestra formed by talented young musicians who share a passion for orchestral music and collaborative performance. The ensemble represents a vibrant community of student performers and is part of a comprehensive school orchestral program involving many young instrumentalists.

The program includes around 185 young musicians, many of whom are participating in this European tour. The ensemble has received Blue Ribbon ratings in state assessments for the past fifteen years and has also been awarded the prestigious National Mark of Excellence Award. The orchestra has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York and has completed international tours in Canada, Italy, Ireland, and Spain.

Programme highlights:

Antonín Dvořák – Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”
W. A. Mozart – Symphony No. 29
Ludwig van Beethoven – Symphony No. 7
Bedřich Smetana – The Moldau (Vltava)
Franz Schubert – “Unfinished” Symphony

Admission is voluntary.

Voluntary admission will be donated to Cesta domů.

Cesta domů operates the Home Hospice in the Capital Region. Prague. It provides counseling services to anyone in the Czech Republic in the care of the terminally ill and dying.

Long Island Sound is a string orchestra composed of students from several high schools. The idea to create the ensemble emerged in the spring of 2024, when students and parents began discussing the formation of a joint orchestral project. After auditions, selected young musicians started rehearsing regularly and preparing a concert programme for their international tour.

The ensemble brings together students from five different schools and three school districts. The musicians, aged approximately 14–18, play violin, viola, and cello and meet regularly to rehearse a programme suited to their performance level while also reflecting music connected with the places they visit during the tour.

Many of the students already have experience performing at important venues and events. Their shared project highlights young people united by enthusiasm for music, curiosity about new cultures, and the desire to find inspiration through travel and artistic collaboration.

Programme highlights:

Aaron Copland – Hoe Down from Rodeo
Giacomo Puccini – I Crisantemi
Edvard Grieg – Two Elegiac Melodies
Aram Khachaturian – Waltz from the Masquerade Suite
Bedřich Smetana – Themes from “The Moldau”

Admission is voluntary.

Voluntary donations will be dedicated to the organization Cesta domů.

Cesta domů operates a home hospice service in the territory of Prague and provides advisory services throughout the Czech Republic for people caring for the seriously ill and those at the end of life.