AN INTERNATIONAL project has been launched to bring the world’s leading young musicians to Aldeburgh next summer as part of cultural celebrations of the 2012 Olympics.

The Aldeburgh World Orchestra (AWO) will be made up of 124 of the best emerging musicians from across the globe, in equal numbers from the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, Oceania and Europe.

The musicians, aged 18 to 29, will be conducted by one of the UK’s leading musical figures, Sir Mark Elder.

The orchestra will be put together for the London 2012 Festival, the finale of the Cultural Olympiad.

They will be in residency at Aldeburgh Music from July 6–29 next year, culminating in high-profile performances at the Snape Maltings Concert Hall, Ingolstadt Audi Festival, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, and the London BBC Proms in 2012.

The project, which is a partnership with Aldeburgh Music, has been made possible with grants from the Arts Council England.

It will involve work with primary school pupils, further education students, musicians and juvenile offenders in Suffolk. The project also involves a music programme for under-18s.

Dame Liz Forgan, Chair of Arts Council England, said: “Aldeburgh World Orchestra is a groundbreaking project that truly embodies the spirit of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It is a unique opportunity for some of the world’s most gifted young orchestral players to come together as part of the London 2012 Festival, showcasing Aldeburgh as one of the UK’s foremost hubs for the development of talented professional musicians.”