This September saw the return of the JMWO for the first time in over 10 years, capturing the hearts and minds of audiences across southern Spain with 50 musicians from over 25 different countries. The JMWO spread a message of peace through music, a somewhat revolutionary act amidst certainly turbulent times.
The rebirth brought together a global mix of musicians from Canada to Indonesia, showcasing a selection of exquisite, young players from across the globe. Under the baton of rising Spanish maestro David Fernández Caravaca, the JMWO filled the Teatro del Generalife inside the Alhambra (Grenada) and the Teatro Calderón de la Barca in Motril with the moving sounds of de Falla, Rodrigo and Bizet. The stage: Festival Neorama, Granada The JM World Orchestra performed for the occasion of the very first edition of Festival Neorama, a brand-new initiative launched by Juventudes Musicales de España (JM Spain) celebrating its 75th anniversary, and bringing together emerging musical talent across genres, from classical to flamenco to electronica, spread across 18 historic venues in Granada from across all the regions of this majestic nation. A night in the garden of Eden — Teatro del Generalife, Alhambra The opening night said it all: the JM World Orchestra took the stage at the Teatro del Generalife, enclosed inside the Alhambra grounds, joined by the Coro de Ópera de Granada, under the baton of artistic director and conductor, David Fernández Caravaca. The poetic heart of the evening was Manuel de Falla's Noches en los jardines de España ("Nights in the Gardens of Spain") — a piece named after the gardens of Spain, performed live in the actual Generalife gardens where de Falla once strolled, the Alhambra glowing right behind us. The program marked not only 75 years of JM Spain, but the 150th anniversary of De Falla's birth, providing a clear emotional centrepiece of the whole project, brought to life by the wonderful piano soloist Susana Gómez Vázquez. From Motril with love — Teatro Calderón de la Barca The following day, the orchestra crossed the mountains down to the coast, to bring Rodrigo's Homenaje a la Tempranica to a new and eager audience in Motril. This time, the orchestra also performed a full suite from Bizet's Carmen: Les toréadors, the Prélude, the Aragonaise, the Intermezzo, the Habanera and the Danse bohème — pure energy to send the audience off into the Motril evening, followed by a dinner and celebration hosted by the city. A new orchestra, a new vision David Fernández Caravaca, conductor of JM World Orchestra 2026, brought his vision of the program as a "story of the south of Spain". Born in Córdoba in 1995, David is one of the standout names of the new generation of Spanish conductors: winning of the first Orchestral Conducting Competition of Juventudes Musicales de España in 2023, becoming the assistant conductor of the Castilla y León Symphony Orchestra, and currently Principal Conductor of the Córdoba Youth Orchestra, alongside guest engagements with orchestras across Spain and Germany.
But this was a project that called for more than only to conduct — David built a program that used mostly Spanish (and Spanish-inspired) music as a common language for an orchestra with almost no shared native tongue. Musicians from the Americas, Europe, and Asia all learnt to breathe together through Rodrigo, De Falla and Bizet's Carmen — rekindling the kind of connection this orchestra was founded on. Caravaca then stoked these embers with compassion, care and artistry, inspiring a soundtrack that became impossible to miss. The orchestra behind the orchestra The days leading up to the performances were packed with sectional rehearsals, full rehearsals, coaching sessions, and the enCORE program of talks and workshops running alongside the music — everything from wellbeing check-ins to a Q&A with the conductor and a session on entrepreneurship in music. This time also allowed the musicians to experience the magic of Grenada, get to meet other musicians from around the world and build relationships that will surely last a lifetime. It all began in ‘49 The JM World Orchestra is the oldest international youth orchestra in the world, a program of Jeunesses Musicales International (JMI) running since 1949. Over more than 75 years it has brought together upwards of 3,000 young musicians from 63 countries, and been conducted by names like Zubin Mehta, Leonard Bernstein, Bobby McFerrin, and Kurt Masur, among many other greats. This edition kept that spirit alive: over 50 musicians, all under 30, meeting up to build a full symphonic program from scratch in a matter of days, and then taking it straight to some of the most spectacular stages in Spain. A big, heartfelt thank you JM Spain, for believing in this project and giving it a home inside Festival Neorama. David Fernández Caravaca, our conductor and artistic director, for building a program that turned two concerts into one coherent story, and for shaping this orchestra from the first rehearsal to the final bow. Susana Gómez Vázquez, for her gorgeous performances of the De Falla concerto. Our fantastic section coaches, who spent long hours turning individual talent into one unified sound: Bogdana Bushevska Michael Christensen Maxim Tzekov Donald Lyons And of course, every single musician who showed up, practised, listened, and gave everything on two very different stages. This orchestra is you. Granada and Motril, thank you for having us — and to everyone who played, watched, coached, and organised: see you at the next session. Until the next session… CONTACT For further information or questions, visit www.jmworldorchestra.com or contact us at: mail@jmi.net or +32 2 513 97 74.