FREE CONCERT: Orquestra Jovem das Gerais in York

Orquestra Jovem das Gerais are playing St Olave's Church on Friday 17 July, a free concert brought to York by The International Music Exchange. They're a youth orchestra from Minas Gerais in Brazil, and the set they've put together for the night pulls from two very different worlds: the classical repertoire and the folk traditions of their home country.

On the Brazilian side, you'll hear samba, choro, baião and tango. The programme includes Libertango by Astor Piazzolla, Garota de Ipanema by Antônio Carlos Jobim, and Aquarela do Brasil by Ary Barroso. There's also O Trenzinho do Caipira by Villa-Lobos and Mourão by César Guerra-Peixe. The classical half brings in Shostakovich's Waltz No. 2, Massenet's Méditation, and Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus. It's a broad mix, and the two halves sit side by side rather than one giving way to the other.

The orchestra itself was founded with the aim of transforming lives through music, bringing together young musicians from different backgrounds to give them high-level orchestral training and a chance to perform. They've built a reputation in Minas Gerais for making classical music accessible and for celebrating Brazilian musical heritage, and they do more than just play concerts — they run workshops and collaborate with other groups as part of their social and educational work. The orchestra is led by conductor Renato Almeida.

The concert runs from 18:00 to 19:00 at St Olave's Church, and it's free to attend. If you're into orchestral music or have a soft spot for Brazilian sounds, it's a straightforward one to drop into on a Friday evening.