in January 2020

In which context does an anniversary for Beethoven 2020 stand? Is homage paid to the untouchable work of art and its master on the high pedestal or does Beethoven have more to offer than sophisticated entertainment for educated citizens? Is it permissible to question the work and the artist, and is his art still relevant and critical after almost 250 years? All these questions are incorporated into the programme. Two important, political works by Beethoven were combined with "Tenebrae" (1966/67) by Klaus Huber, a representative of so-called "critical composing" (for which he received the Beethoven Prize of the City of Bonn in 1970) and with a commissioned composition ("Rush") by the Cologne composer Sergej Maingardt, who regards music as his art form to reflect rapid global change. The conductor of the first work phase in 2020 was Lothar Zagrosek, who led the National Youth Orchestra for the third time after 1993 and 2014.

in April 2020 (canceled due to corona pandemic)

This work phase focuses on Beethoven's deafness. This tragic stroke of fate, the loss of his hearing, did not stop the passionate composer from making music and composing. Deaf and hearing-impaired people can also perceive music via visual and tactile stimuli. This is how the National Youth Orchestra was supposed to work and make music within the Easter tour with students of the Education and Counselling Centre for the Hearing-Impaired Stegen. One focal point was the 3rd Symphony, which Beethoven composed at a time when his hearing loss was already far advanced. The collaboration with deaf musicians illustrates the impressive circumstances of the work's creation and should enable the audience to hear Beethoven's 3rd Symphony from a completely new perspective. In this project, it was important to us that an exchange takes place about how differently music can be heard, perceived and lived. Mark Barden experimented together with the students and their music teacher, Christine Löbbert, from Stegen and, with his composition "the weight of ash", created a work that would present us with the literally unheard. Christoph Altstaedt is not only the founder of the "Young Sound Forum of Central Europe" and involved in the work of young musicians, but also conducts numerous professional symphony orchestras such as the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Symphony.

in August 2020 (canceled due to corona pandemic)

The Summer Tour 2020 featuring visionary masterpieces was to take the National Youth Orchestra to the climax of the BTHVN2020 year. With the World Youth Choir as a partner, the tour was to go through Germany, Amsterdam, Italy, Austria and Russia. Highlights would have included guest performances in Amsterdam at the BankGiroLoterij Zomerconcerten and the final concert in Moscow. The third Beethoven project is dedicated to international exchange and understanding, in the spirit of Beethoven's 9th Symphony and in keeping with the collaboration of the World Youth Choir, whose singers come from 42 different countries. Such collaboration between interpreters from different countries and continents promotes understanding and exchange, which is also reflected in the symbolism of the symphony: Schiller's "Ode to Joy" as the goal and finale of the Ninth. The conductors in the summer would have been Tan Dun and Jörn Hinnerk Andresen. Tan Dun's commissioned composition "Choral Concerto: Nine" provides music for the "Jiu Ge" (Nine Chants), which were written by China's first historically traceable poet figure Qu Yuan.