In early July 2007, at a YOA rehearsal for the White House Conference on
the Americas, Adriana Mejía, Colombia’s Viceministra of Ministerio de
Relaciones Exteriores, extended the wonderful invitation to YOA to
perform on June 1, 2008 at the opening ceremony of the OAS Annual
General Assembly to be hosted by the Colombian government in Medellín.
 
With eager encouragement from Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero,
YOA was very pleased to invite rising young French-Canadian conductor,
Jean-Pascal Hamelin, to lead the ensemble of 40 YOA musicians and, in a
spirit of unity and friendship, 40 members of Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional
de Colombia in a combined orchestra...