By the 1980s the Australian Youth Orchestra had established itself as a prominent organisation supporting young musicians. Attendance at National Music Camp was now in the thousands.
1980
Adelaide Festival of the Arts
Adelaide
Conductor: Eric Schmid
ABC Family, Schools and Subscription Concerts
Melbourne
Conductor: Niklaus Wyss
Soloist: Howard Penny, cello
Choral concert with The Melbourne Chorale
Melbourne
Conductor: Myer Fredman
Soloists: Nance Grant, soprano; Lauris Elms, contralto; Anson Austin, tenor; Grant Dickson, bass
Orchestra list
National Music Camp
Geelong Grammar School, Melbourne
Director: Graham Wood
1981
Festival of Sydney
Sydney
Conductor: Denis de Coteau
Soloist: Roger Woodward, piano
ABC Subscription, Family, Youth and Schools
Adelaide
Conductor: John Hopkins
Soloists: Jane Peters and Geoffrey Michaels, violins
Adelaide Festival Centre Trust International Organ Festival
Adelaide
Conductor: John Hopkins
Soloist: Martin Haselböck, organ
Orchestra list
National Music Camp
The King’s School, Parramatta
Director: Peter Seymour
1982
Gala Opera Concert with The Australian Opera Benevolent Fund
Sydney
Conductor: Stuart Challender
Soloists: Joan Sutherland; Rita Hunter; Leona Mitchell, soprano; Rosina Raisbeck; Rosemary Gunn, contralto; Sergei Baigildin, tenor; Robert Allman; John Germain, baritone; Donald Shanks; Clifford Grant, bass.
Orchestra list
National Music Camp
Griffith University, Brisbane
Directors: John Curro and Kevin Siddell
1983
Festival of Perth
Perth
Conductor: Ronald Zollman
Soloists: Gyorgy Pauk, violin; Ralph Kirschbaum, cello; Peter Frankl, piano
Orchestra list
National Music Camp
The King’s School, Parramatta
Director: David Bishop
1984
‘The Ambassadors Symphony’ – Tour of European Festivals
Melbourne (Australia); Dubrovnik & Ljubljana (Yugoslavia); Le Touquet, Paris (France); Amsterdam (The Netherlands), London, Edinburgh, Cardiff (UK)
Conductors: Sir Charles Mackerras, Ronald Zollman
Soloists: Walter Despalj, cello; Phillip Fowke, piano; Jean-Claude Malgoire, oboes; Barry Tuckwell, horn; John Williams, guitar
Orchestra list
National Music Camp
Geelong Grammar School, Melbourne
Director: David Bishop
1985
Come Out ‘85 Festival
Adelaide
Conductor: Christopher Seaman
Soloist: Geoffrey Tozer, piano
Orchestra list
National Music Camp
Geelong Grammar School, Melbourne
Director: David Bishop
1986
Adelaide Festival
Adelaide
Conductor: Alexander Schneider
Soloists: Elizabeth Campbell, mezzo-soprano; Gidon Kremer, violin
Three State Tour: Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne
Conductor: Ronald Zollman
Soloist: Carl Pini, violin
Inaugural Australian Youth Orchestra and Australian Chamber Orchestra Collaboration
Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne
Conductor: Ronald Zollman
Orchestra list
National Music Camp
Collegiate School of St Peters, Adelaide
Director: Peter Seymour
1987
Festival of Sydney
Sydney
Conductor: Ronald Zollman
Australia Take A Bow Soundtrack recording
Sydney
Conductor: John Hopkins
AYO/ACO Collaboration Concert
Sydney and Canberra
Conductor: Stephen Bishop-Kovacevich
Soloist: Stephen Bishop-Kovacevich
Orchestra list
National Music Camp
The King’s School, Parramatta
Director: Peter Seymour
1988
‘Music For Australia Day’ Concert
Sydney
Conductor: Carlo Felice Cillario
Soloist: Allan Zavod, piano; John Howard, narrator; Sydney Philharmonia
NSW Royal Bicentennial Concert
Sydney
Conductor: Tommy Tycho
Soloists: Don Burrows, multiple woodwind; James Morrison, trumpet
Easter Chorale and Bicentennial Gala Concert
Sydney
Conductor: Evelino Pido (Verdi, Requiem), Charles Farncombe (Handel, Messiah)
Featuring: World Festival Choir
Opening of the New Parliament House
Canberra
Conductor: John Hopkins
Soloist: Yvonne Kenny, soprano
International Festival of Youth Orchestras
EXPO 88 Brisbane
Conductor: Christoph Eschenbach
Soloist: Alexander Korsantiya
Grand Bicentennial Tour
Brisbane (Australia), Singapore, London (UK), Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Interlaken (Switzerland),La Roque d’Antheron, Paris (France), Cologne, Ludwigsburg, Berlin, Frankfurt (Germany), and Budapest (Hungary)
Conductors: Sir Charles Mackerras, Christoph Eschenbach, John Curro
Soloists: Tzimon Barto, Lesley Howard and François René Duchable, pianos; Jane Peters, violin
ABC Classics ‘VAST’ Recording
Sydney
Conductor: John Hopkins
Soloists: Graeme Jennings, violin; Duncan Fikkers, cello; Paul McMillan, viola; Lance Bartholomeusz, double
bass
Conductor: Christoph Eschenbach
Orchestra list
National Music Camp
The King’s School, Parramatta
Director: Wolfram Christ
1989
Festival of Sydney Performance
Sydney
Conductor: Louis Fremaux
Soloist: Miriam Gormley, soprano
IBM Concert
Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney
Conductor: Edouard Chivzel
Soloists: Geoffrey Tozer, piano; Julian Smiles, cello; Melbourne Chorale Occasional Choir
Orchestra list
National Music Camp
Geelong Grammar School, Victoria
Director: Donald Hazelwood