Welcome
European Student Orchestra Festival
ESOF 2026
Mark 26/03/2026 - 29/03/2026 in your agendas!
ABOUT
The European Student Orchestra Festival (ESOF) shall be a meeting place for music-making students who want to promote the quality of their ensemble and university in a stimulating environment.
– ESOF Mission Statement
At present, ESOF is the only European initiative dedicated to helping student orchestras achieve their international ambitions. Organising concerts abroad as a student ensemble is no small feat, and ESOF exists to make it possible.
Across Europe, dozens of student orchestras remain an untapped cultural resource. Many have never performed outside their home cities, despite a strong desire to collaborate with other universities and countries. The European Student Orchestra Festival was created to foster cultural exchange and collaboration between university orchestras.
By organising festivals and networking opportunities, ESOF provides a unique European space for student orchestras—a place where passionate musicians meet, share ideas, and perform together. Our projects show that culture connects people across borders.
Our work has already broken barriers and will continue to do so. Between 2018 and 2021, we were proud to receive support from the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union, recognising ESOF’s contribution to European cultural cooperation.
Explore the map and timeline below to see which orchestras and choirs have participated in our festivals!
EVENTS
Life is a box of festivals.
ESOF'26 - Coimbra
Our most southern festival ever! Discover the programme here - be ready for lots of concerts and local Fado music!
ESOF'24 - Münster
Our first festival hosted in Germany. We filled the beautiful city of Münster with music!
ESOF'22 - Toulouse
After an unfortunate and long break because of the pandemic, we are ready to take-off!
ESO'19 - Brussels
A new orchestra is born! 15 nationalities gathered in Bozar to perform in the magnificent Henri Le Boeuf Hall!
ESOF '19 - Tallinn
2019 brought our first choir festival in the beautiful Estonian capital Tallinn. Check out the ESOF 19 page for the participating choirs and to watch the replay of the live broadcast of the concerts!
ESOF '18 - Strasbourg
The fourth edition of the European Student Orchestra Festival was held in Strasbourg ! From 6 to 10 June 2018, this festival brought together 8 symphony orchestras together, all having this same desire of sharing music and cultures with other people.
ESOF '17 - Leuven
The third edition of the festival: April 5 – 9, 2017. Leuven remained the host city for a new and memorable experience. This festival was longer than the previous ones, hosted more orchestras and offered more activities, while maintaining the same quality, to enjoy it even more. Click for more information.
ESOC '16 - Leuven
ESOF invited conductors of European student orchestras to a colloquium in Leuven. Workshops, presentations and a roundtable discussion combined with several cultural and gastronomic extras: All this to entice your interest and give you adequate information as to the effect such a festival can have on your work with your young orchestra. Our first colloquium was a success. Thanks to all who joined and contributed!
ESOF '15 - Leuven
Leuven, April 23 – 26, 2015. View the pictures and films, read the comments, to see the ‘magic’ which came alive through the gathering of seven orchestras. Do check the numbers behind this project and discover with us that ESOF’15 was more than the sum of its parts.
ESOF '12 - Leuven
A new festival is born: from this moment on, classical music shrunk the distance between the cities of Europe. See here some visual memories of the first steps.
TEAM
There is no I in TEAM, nor in ESOF, but there is an E major in both.
ESOF’s European management team is located in Belgium and consists of 4 members: Karen Raeymaekers, Matthew Coucke, Joke Wyers and Pieter Lembrechts. All of them have a strong background in music in general and in the world of university ensembles in particular. They set the strategic lines for the festivals and plan the future development of ESOF.
Depending on the location of the projects, ESOF sets up partnerships with other organizations. We have worked with:
Orchestre Symphonique de l’Université de Strasbourg
Tallinn University Symphony Orchestra
Universiteit van Amsterdam Sweelinckorkest
Orchestre Symphonique Etudiant de Toulouse
Junges Sinfonieorchester Münster
Orquestra Académica da Universidade de Coimbra