TIYO has chosen Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, in Maurice Ravel's celebrated orchestration, as the main work for its inaugural 2027 programme.

Mussorgsky wrote the piece in 1874 as a suite for solo piano, a musical walk through an exhibition of paintings and designs by his friend Viktor Hartmann, composed in tribute after the artist's sudden death. Each movement depicts a single picture, from a medieval castle to children quarrelling in a Paris park to a lumbering oxcart, linked by a recurring "Promenade" theme that carries the visitor from one frame to the next. In 1922, at the urging of conductor Serge Koussevitzky, Ravel reimagined the piano score as one of the most brilliantly coloured works in the entire orchestral repertoire.

Few pieces give so much to so many players, which is exactly why it suits a young orchestra. It opens with a solo trumpet, then features an alto saxophone, rarely heard in the symphony orchestra, in "The Old Castle", a singing tuba in the oxcart, nimble woodwinds in the "Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks", a large and busy percussion section throughout, and a finale, "The Great Gate of Kiev", that builds through bells and full brass to one of the most thrilling closes in all of orchestral music. Nearly every section steps into the spotlight, and Ravel's orchestration is one of the finest lessons a developing musician can have in how an orchestra creates colour.

Pictures at an Exhibition will sit at the heart of the programme the orchestra performs at its closing concerts in February 2027.

The Thailand International Youth Orchestra has confirmed that Jörg-Peter Weigle will take the podium for its inaugural season, leading the orchestra through its residency and closing concerts in February 2027.

Weigle brings one of the most substantial conducting careers in Europe to TIYO's founding year. A former boy chorister of Leipzig's Thomanerchor, the choir historically associated with Bach, he went on to lead three major German orchestras: Chief Conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic, Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Stuttgart Philharmonic, and most recently General Music Director of the Brandenburg State Orchestra Frankfurt. His career has carried him on tour across Europe, the Americas and Japan.

For an orchestra built around the development of young players, his appointment carries particular weight. Weigle has spent decades training the next generation, holding a professorship in Berlin and leading conservatoire orchestras alongside his professional engagements.

Throughout the residency, Weigle will work alongside TIYO's full faculty of professional orchestral musicians, leading the orchestra through to its closing concerts.

TIYO has assembled a faculty of professional orchestral musicians and educators for its inaugural season, with tutors now confirmed across every section of the orchestra.

The 2027 faculty draws from some of the most respected ensembles in the region and beyond, including the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra and the Cologne Chamber Orchestra. Tutors also join from the Tianjin Juilliard School and the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory.

Among them are concertmasters, section principals and conservatoire faculty, each with significant experience guiding young musicians at pre-professional level. They will live and work alongside TIYO's players throughout the residency, leading sectionals, coaching chamber groups and mentoring the orchestra section by section.

The full faculty roster is available on the Faculty page.

The Thailand International Youth Orchestra is delighted to announce Rugby School Thailand as the Venue Partner for its inaugural 2027 season. The orchestra will be based on the school's campus in Chonburi for its residency and rehearsals, establishing RST as the founding home of TIYO.

The programme is being built and delivered by TIYO's Founder and Artistic Director, Graeme Norris, who leads the artistic direction, faculty, auditions and full operational delivery of the season.

Rugby School Thailand brings world-class performing arts facilities to the partnership, along with the space for a full symphony orchestra to live, rehearse and perform together over a concentrated week. The campus is also home to a new concert hall, the Teepsuwan Theatre, scheduled for completion in November 2026, which will give TIYO a purpose-built venue for its inaugural season.

TIYO's inaugural season runs from 14 to 20 February 2027.