Every summer I have the pleasure of working with cellists in the Asian Youth Orchestra. Founded by Richard Pontzious and Sir Yehudi Menuhin, the AYO brings together talented musicians from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. They are working for six weeks each summer, initially in a three-week Rehearsal Camp in Hong Kong, then for a three-week international concert tour with the celebrated conductors James Judd and Richard Pontzious. In 2013, our solo artist will be the renowned cellist Steven Isserlis.