Lucas Garcia Conrad, a 15-year-old viola player from Malta, was recently selected as one of 84 members from 22 countries across Europe to form part of the Concertgebouworkest Young orchestra.
Lucas is the first Maltese musician to have been chosen for this project which falls under the prestigious Concertgebouworkest in Amsterdam, in which highly talented musicians aged between 14 and 17 are selected following a rigorous audition process. They are invited for three weeks to The Netherlands, where they follow an intensive programme during which they receive tuition from musicians of the Concertgebouworkest in chamber music and orchestral playing.
Together they put up di?erent concerts in various venues, the highlight of which was the two main orchestral concerts held at Het Concertgebouw on 23 August and at the Konzerthaus in Berlin on 25 August as part of the Young Euro Classic series. They were led by acclaimed conductor Andres Orozco-Estrada and joined by the outstanding Spanish violinist Maria Dueñas.
Lucas began learning violin at the age of five, taking up the viola five years later. For the past three years he has been studying with Alexandre Razera, obtaining a Distinction in his ARSM Diploma in 2022. He has been a member of the Malta Youth Orchestra since 2019, where he has had the opportunity to gain valuable orchestral experience with conductors like Peter Stark, Darrell Ang, Philip Walsh, Virginia Martinez and Anthony Gabriele. He has also participated in a masterclass with Amihai Grosz, principal viola of the Berlin Philharmonic.
In 2020 he was invited to perform at the Victoria International Arts Festival Debutantes' concert. During 2022 he was one of four musicians to represent Malta in the international Demos orchestra, performing at the Philharmonie de Paris and the Palais de la Musique et des Congrès in Strasbourg under Corinna Niemeyer and Aurélien Zielinski. He also performed in a chamber concert at the European Parliament on the occasion of Europe Day 2022.
This article is provided by the Malta Independent, click here.