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The first thing I see in Iraq are barren mountains, cut through with meandering river valleys. And then a majestic current, the Tigris River. I'm flying over Mesopotamia, the land of the two rivers and the cradle of civilization. The mountains descend into sandy plains, lacerated by the heat and separated by circular green fields.

And then I see the city of Arbil rising out of the desert. Estimated at 4,500 years old, it's one of the oldest continuously occupied cities in the world. I'm spending the next week here, together with the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq (NYOI), a unique initiative that may at first seem impossible in war-torn Iraq. I can hardly wait to see and hear what these young Iraqi musicians can do.

We're all staying in a hotel on the edge of Arbil. Outside, it's 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit), and not much cooler inside. Music wafts through the foyer as I enter - clarinets in room 210, trumpets in 216, and a horn sounds from the practice room.

The young musicians are working one-on-one with tutors from Germany, Scotland and the USA. The 43 musicians and their 12 tutors have been here for a week already rehearsing, as has Paul MacAlindin, their musical director and conductor. It's the first time that these young people, all between the ages of 16 and 28, are performing together. They hail from across Iraq - and from each of the country's major ethnic traditions: Kurdish, Sunni and Shia.

But they've left the political and religious tensions at home. These young people are the hope and the future of their country and also among its best ambassadors - even though it's anything but easy for them.

Getting Western music instruction in Iraq is no simple thing. In Baghdad, it can even be dangerous to be seen with certain instruments on the street. Conservatives strictly oppose classical music, which they regard as a symbol of Western decadence. But for the young musicians in Arbil, playing in the orchestra means finding a communal language that can build bridges in a country fraught with war and conflict.

Most music teachers left the country in 2003. Finding scores or instruments is difficult, and many young musicians here are self-taught. Between the brief summer school sessions together, tutors offer training via Skype or YouTube from abroad - between Baghdad and Manchester, Arbil and New York.

On my first morning with the orchestra, they've already been practicing together for six days. They don't start with Beethoven but with an African folk song. It's a warm-up where everyone sings, claps, stomps and marches in a circle. Then the instruments are tuned, and conductor Paul MacAlindin leads them in a rehearsal of Haydn's Symphony No. 104. Excitement is in the air as the musicians make last-minute tune-ups, cast concentrated glances at the score and whisper to their neighbors to ask which measure they're starting at.

Time flies by ahead of their first concert together in Arbil, just two weeks after they began rehearsals. It will be a big and long-awaited event. By now the notes are there, but the rhythm is still off during a few passages. The conductor is sweating - and not just on account of the heat.

"Last night, everything with the rhythm was just fine," he laughs. That night, the young performers had gotten out their traditional Kurdish instruments and played some local favorites - music they have in their blood. Classical music, on the other hand, is something they hear over YouTube or on their I-Phones. It's not part of everyday life.

Drummer Mohammed is supposed to set the rhythm but loses track of the measure. His tutor, Dave, from London whispers some words of encouragement. The orchestra still has a long day of rehearsals ahead - eight hours. Beethoven will be played, along with compositions by two Iraqi composers from whom Deutsche Welle commissioned works.

At the end of the day, conductor Paul MacAlindin rubs his eyes, saying, "Some passages sound so beautiful, some aren't coming together. But I just don't know if the orchestra can hear when they're playing well and with power - whether they hear the difference?"

It's not perfect yet, but they are all very motivated. The musicians practice further on their instruments in their rooms. Even after midnight, Beethoven is still in the air.

Scroll down to stream performances and video from the rehearsals in Arbil.

Author: Bettina Kolb / gsw
Editor:Rick Fulker