page_title: Jeunesses Musicales International
section_title: 1945 - 1960
hierarchical_section_title: Jeunesses Musicales International / History / 1945 - 1960
caption_attribution_description: English: The first session of the International Orchestra of FIJM conducted by Igor Markevitch during the World Congress in The Hague, 1949
context_page_description: Jeunesses Musicales International is the largest youth music NGO in the world, created in Brussels, Belgium in 1945, with the mission to “enable young people to develop through music across all boundaries”. JMI has established four priority activity fields: Young Musicians, Young Audiences, Youth Empowerment and Youth Orchestras & Ensembles.
  With member organisations currently in almost 40 countries, JMI is a “global” network with over 36,000 diverse musical events annually. The events embrace all styles of music, reaching almost 5 million young people up to the age of 30. The work of JMI is supported by the Federal Government of Belgium - Belgian Federal Science Policy Office, ACTIRIS and the Creative Europe Programme of the EU.
context_section_description: Marcel Cuvelier and René Nicoly joined forces on July 17, 1945. Their creating Jeunesses Musicales International in the post-war context was a daring movement, but they both had vision and determination. The Palace of Fine Arts in Brussels, where Cuvelier first pondered upon this idea in 1928, would become the headquarters of the society. 
  The French composer Claude Delvincourt was the first international president of the society. Marcel Cuvelier was named Secretary-general, a status he would keep until his death, and Nicoly became treasurer in 1945. 
  The first General Meeting took place on May 16 and 17, 1946 in Brussels. Then and there, the first statutes of the society were accepted.
  Jeunesses Musicales International was a promising initiative from the very beginning, as it already attracted delegates from 7 countries.  
  The first country to join was Luxembourg, in 1947. In that year, the second General Assembly gathered observers from another six countries. The following years saw the entry of the Netherlands (1948), Austria, Portugal and Switzerland (1949), Canada (as first non-European country, 1950), West Germany (1951), Spain and Thailand (1952), Cuba, Haiti and Brazil (1953), Great Britain, Italy and Uruguay (1954), Denmark (1958) and Israel (1959).
  In the year 1957, it was decided to accept only politically independent countries - independence from the government and the participation of the young in committee were also demanded. Some organizations such as Thailand or Brazil later disappeared.
  In 1958 the age limit of the members was decided. Although there was no minimum age, the members could not surpass 30 years. In the same year, projects that aimed at the exchange of young people and artists were drawn up. Also, Sir Robert Mayer proposed the realization of an international youth orchestra.
  The fourth Conference took place at Scheveningen in 1949. The International Orchestra played there for the first time under the direction of Igor Markevitch.
  Jeunesses Musicales International cooperated with UNESCO from its early years. 1949 marked the co-foundation of the International Music Council (IMC), that grew to become the most important coordinating music organization in the world.
  The 1950 Conference marked the decision of one of the most important objectives of Jeunesses Musicales International: the society was meant not only to teach music but rather sensibilize the young towards it. The following year, a permanent judicial commission was formed and in 1952 the international emblem was accepted (the music note on a globe). 1957 saw the organization of the transcontinental tours.
caption: The first session of the International Orchestra of JMI conducted by Igor Markevitch during the World Congress in The Hague, 1949.
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