Around 65 young Portuguese musicians took to the stage at the Konzerthaus Berlin on 7 August, opening the festival's weekend programme with a concert centred around the Portuguese concept of saudade.

Conducted by Pedro Carneiro, the orchestra performed to a full house and received a standing ovation at the end of the concert.

The performance marked JOP's sixth appearance at Young Euro Classic, an international festival that brings together youth orchestras from around the world. The Portuguese musicians taking part ranged in age from 14 to 28.

Portugal's Secretary of State for Culture, Alberto Santos, was also present at the concert.

One of the highlights of the evening was the world premiere of "Saudades, só portugueses", a new work by JOP's resident composer César Rafael.

The piece was commissioned by the orchestra and takes inspiration from the poetry of Portuguese writer Fernando Pessoa, fitting into the wider theme of saudade chosen for the evening.

Portuguese mezzo-soprano Cláudia Ribas also joined the orchestra in Berlin. She performed Hector Berlioz's song cycle Les nuits d'été, as well as Dido's aria from the opera Les Troyens.

The programme concluded with Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6, commonly known as the Pathétique Symphony.

The performance also attracted attention from the German press, with the Berliner Morgenpost describing the concert as an unforgettable evening.

Young Euro Classic takes place annually at the Konzerthaus Berlin and focuses on performances by young musicians and orchestras from different countries.

For the Portuguese Youth Orchestra, this year's appearance provided another opportunity to bring Portuguese musicians and contemporary Portuguese composition to an international audience.