2013 - AJSO celebrates its 25th anniversary

The Almeers Youth Symphony Orchestra (AJSO) was founded by conductor Hans Welle in 1987. As an ensemble of the then Centre for Arts Education (CKV), three enthusiastic children each played an instrument; piano, violin and flute - a 'Chinese ensemble' as Hans Welle jokingly calls it. This mini-ensemble soon grew into a small orchestra called 'The Muppets', as the children always started their concert with the well-known Muppet tune.

Within 10 years, this orchestra - still under Welle's inspired direction - grew into a fully symphonic line-up. During the anniversary concert in 1997, the orchestra changed its name: the AJSO. Initially, the AJSO rehearsed in the large hall of buildingDe Voetnoot' in Almere Centrum. In 2004, the AJSO participated for the first time in a national competition in De Doelen in Rotterdam and, completely unexpectedly, came second.

The AJSO now has 85 orchestra members who rehearse weekly in Schouwburg Almere. Their repertoire is diverse; from film scores to classical music. Welle characterises the AJSO as a 'real company' and sees the trips abroad for concerts in Vienna, Prague and Barcelona as true highlights.

The AJSO does not shy away from special locations; in 2012, the Almere orchestra performed at the Penitentiaire Inrichting (PI) Almere, 'Almere Binnen'. This impressed the orchestra members, the prisoners and guards, the director of the PI and the conductor himself. Part of this concert can be seen on TV programme Buch in de Bajes.

Every year, the AJSO performs around ten concerts. Moreover, the symphony orchestra always provides high-level musical entertainment during the Havenfestival, the annual matinee concert, the final concert in June and during the Almere Municipality's New Year's reception.

Another milestone in 2013 is the 30th anniversary of 'De Fantasie', a small residential area on het Weerwater. In 1982, the De Fantasie Committee wrote a competition: 'Unusual Living', bypassing normal building regulations. Ten lucky winners were allowed to set to work a year later to realise their experimental residential dream. The houses were actually supposed to be demolished after five years, but since this experiment had become a household word in architectural land, they were preserved to this day.