Tour canceled for National Youth Orchestra of Iraq

The United States tour of the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq has been canceled because of the instability and violence happening in that nation. This announcement was received through the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra, which was to host the Iraqi group in what would have been its American debut.

“We regretfully announce that we have cancelled our US tour scheduled for this August,” said the announcement from the National Youth Symphony Orchestra of Iraq. “Instability in Iraq has made it impossible for orchestra members to complete the visa process that would allow them to travel, though thankfully all NYOI musicians are currently safe.

“As we look toward the summer of 2015, we are so grateful for all the support shown to us in the US so far. We're looking forward to continuing our partnership with Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra in the future, and we encourage everyone to stay up to date with both orchestras by connecting on Facebook and Twitter.”

Source: 6/25/2014 Newsline