The Future of Youth Orchestra

Addressing Physiological and Psychological Needs in Young Orchestral Musicians.

A research project led by the ‚ÖGfMM‘ together with the ‚Landesjugendorchester Hamburg‘ and ‚De Unges Orkesterforbund‘ partially supported by the EU

The TFOYO project has successfully concluded, bringing together over 130 young musicians for a transformative 10-day summer camp in Bodø, Norway, culminating in an extraordinary concert at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Germany. This initiative focused on advancing the physical and psychological well-being of young orchestral musicians, integrating artistic excellence with groundbreaking research.

The performances in Bodø and Hamburg were complemented by comprehensive health studies, addressing critical areas such as stress monitoring, hearing protection, and performance anxiety. The project developed innovative resources, including tailored warm-up routines, mental training techniques, and a pioneering Virtual Reality Exposure Training (VRET) pilot study. Additionally, a multimedia tool was created to analyze and re-experience acoustic moments from rehearsals and performances, shedding light on the impact of sound exposure in orchestras.

On this page, we will share the project’s research outputs, multimedia resources, and links to detailed findings. The TFOYO project represents a significant step forward in combining musical performance with health science, aiming to support young musicians in their artistic and personal growth.

EXPLORE the TFOYO.EU Project

🎥 Daily Warm-Up: Watch the „Get in the Zone Warmup“ Videos: Vertical format Watch here – Horizontal format Watch here

These videos demonstrate the daily warm-up routine we performed before every tutti rehearsal, essential for preparing body and mind for optimal performance.

Hearing protection is a fundamental aspect for every musician. We provided education, resources, and essential know-how to ensure young musicians are aware of protecting their hearing. Download the Hearing Factsheet here: Ears Matter: Protect Them

Over 80 musicians underwent professional audiograms. While most had good hearing, some exceptions were noted. Individual results are available here: Audiogram Results

Virtual Reality Exposure Training: Participants experienced VR simulations of performing in the Elbphilharmonie. You can explore this innovative training method with your VR headset at vret.at or learn more about it here: Virtual Reality Training

BodyFit & Mental Training Workshops, led by expert coaches, and the daily warm-ups were highly valued by participants. A detailed summary by Mona Smale & Leonhard Königseder will be available soon.

Stress Monitoring with Smartwatches: Fifteen musicians wore high-tech smartwatches to monitor individual stress levels during rehearsals and concerts at the Elbphilharmonie. See the results here: Stress Monitoring Overview

Sound Intensity and Timbre: Sound intensity varies significantly within the orchestra. Recordings at multiple locations during rehearsals highlight these differences. Explore sound examples here: Orchestral Soundscape

360° Rehearsal Experience: Experience the rehearsal setup in Bodø through 360° images and sound samples at different positions: Virtual Tour. Or watch a short sequence from the first rehearsal in Bodø here: First Rehearsal Video

Educational Fun Night: During the rehearsal week, participants joined a Fun Night featuring short lectures on hearing, stress, and health. The night ended with engaging Kahoot quizzes: Kahoot A: Physiology & Hearing | Kahoot B: Performance Psychology

Health Surveys Participants completed four surveys:

  1. Musicians‘ Health – Physical and psychological well-being
  2. Performance Anxiety – Understanding and managing performance-related stress
  3. Musical Stress Processing – Insights into experiences, behaviors, and practice habits
  4. Hearing Health – Awareness of hearing challenges and protection strategies

Preliminary results are soon available.

Project Partners

Publications

Further Links

Healthy Conservatoires – YouTube Tutorials