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- The American Russian Young Artists Orchestra (ARYO), founded in 1987 as the American Soviet Youth Orchestra, was a philanthropic and diplomatic training orchestra for young musicians, vocalists and conductors from the United States and the former Soviet Union, primarily Russia. The organization held annual open auditions across both countries for "highly talented Russian and American musicians and vocalists, ages 17-25," gathering them "for an intensive three-week rehearsal period under the direction of leading Russian and American conductors," including "language training, cross-cultural orientation and homestays" prior to an annual summertime world tour. During its sixteen-year run, the orchestra performed at over 50 concert venues in Washington, New York, Miami, Minneapolis, Nashville, Chicago, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, Vienna, Milan, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Ulianovsk, Samara, Kaliningrad, Yerevan, Tolyatti, Tallinn, Riga, and Yurmala. In several cities, ARYO included the first westerners to perform in decades, owing to restrictions on cultural exchange for much of the Soviet period. Notable appearances also included free concerts at venues such as the United States Capitol West Lawn, the Mann Music Center, Mizner Park in Boca Raton, New York's World Financial Center, and the Hollywood Bowl. From its inception to its disbanding, ARYO was led by a Board of Directors including Henry Luce III and honorarily co-chaired by the first ladies of the respective named countries (initially Nancy Reagan and Raisa Gorbacheva and ultimately Laura Bush and Lyudmila Putina). (en)
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