16 December 2025
2025: AYO’s Year in Review
As we head into 2026, let’s take a moment to look back at what has been a massive 12 months for the Australian Youth Orchestra – a year of epic achievements, world-firsts and unmissable highlights. From embarking on our first International Tour in six years and welcoming back AYO alumni in the first ReplAYO music camp, to launching the AYO Momentum Leaders pilot program, our Industry Insights professional development series and thriving AYO Youth Council, 2025 has been a celebration of musical excellence and leadership; creativity and community.
JANUARY
National Music Camp, Adelaide
This year, AYO’s 77th National Music Camp took a new direction, bundling seven concerts into the Summer Music Festival under the creative direction of Monica Curro, MSO Assistant Principal violin.
Alongside Monica, AYO welcomed three guest Conductors: Alexander Briger AO (Australian World Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra), Natalia Luis-Bassa (Royal College of Music) and Andrew Haveron (Concertmaster, Sydney Symphony Orchestra) and a 22-strong team of instrumental tutors to shape and inspire the orchestral program at Camp.
Running in tandem with the orchestral program were four other disciplines: the Composition program led by Jessica Wells, the Orchestral Management program led by Louisa Stanway, the Media and Communication program led by Ed Le Brocq and the Sound Production program led by Jakub Gaudasinski.
Participants took part in panel discussions with special guest speakers, including Sir Jonathan Mills AC FRSE (Edinburgh Festival, composer), Richard Mills AO (composer) and Richard Wigley (CEO, MSO) who shared their perspectives on the skills required to succeed in their respective professions. In 2025, the chamber orchestra was named the ‘Walsh Chamber Orchestra’, after Michele Walsh, who has had a lifetime association with AYO.
Alumni reunite at ReplAYO
The 2025 National Music Camp culminated in a special performance of ReplAYO, a reunion orchestra comprised of alumni spanning more than 70 years. Ably conducted by Guy Noble, the orchestra performed Beethoven, Jessica Wells and Tchaikovsky. Pictured left are ReplAYO flautists Alan Aungles, Fred Shade and Libby Shade.
“I thoroughly enjoyed every single second of it and it brought back so many amazing memories of my own 8 National Music Camps and 6 AYO seasons which I also absolutely loved every second of! The REPLA.Y.O was a brilliant idea.”
Lynley Bramble, ReplAYO
FEBRUARY
Striking and Beautiful: Emily Sun performs with AYO in Queensland
The Australian Youth Orchestra’s 2025 Summer Season culminated in a series of electrifying performances across Brisbane and Caloundra. The program took audiences through the whimsical world of John Adams’ The Chairman Dances, to Elena Kats-Chernin’s Fantasie im Wintergarten, a violin concerto featuring the remarkable Emily Sun, violin professor at the Royal College of Music, London. The performance featured Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben, a symphonic masterpiece, resounding in the concert hall with heroism and triumph.
The season thrived from artistic leadership of English-Cypriot conductor Kerem Hasan making his highly anticipated Australia debut. Sun’s performance was a tour-de-force, her expressive playing perfectly capturing the work’s wild tango-infused drama and haunting beauty. The program was supported by AYO alumnus Maestro Fabian Russell, alongside an outstanding team of tutors drawn from the principal ranks of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO), University Queensland and the Queensland Conservatorium (QCGU).
Industry Insights professional development series
In 2025, a cross-section of AYO participants were selected to take part in an online professional development series hosted by Samuel Cairnduff, Director of RESONATE Cultural Leadership. The series featured a range of very special guests and was designed to foster inclusive dialogue in orchestral music and explore key themes such as cultural diversity, accessibility, and innovation. Participants in the program created reflective pieces after each conversation which they presented in a range of media. Special Guests were Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO, Megan Burslem, The Hon Benjamin Franklin and Aaron Wyatt.
MARCH
Momentum Ensemble at Bowral Music Festival
In March audiences experienced a profound journey through emotional and spiritual landscapes with the Momentum Ensemble at the Bowral Autumn Music Festival, set against the rugged beauty of the Southern Highlands at the historic Church of St Simon and St Jude. The program swept from the introspective depths of Arvo Pärt’s Fratres to the virtuosic brilliance of C.P.E. Bach’s String Symphony in B flat. It finally culimated with William Barton and Véronique Serret’s evocative Bush{fire} Requiem, a powerful reflection on the devastation of the Australian bushfires and the urgent need for cultural preservation and unity.
The AYO Momentum Ensemble was joined by leading industry leaders in the ensemble as mentors and for artistic guidance. They included Véronique Serret (Violinist, Vocalist and Composer), William Barton (Didgeridoo Player, Vocalist and Composer), Hyung Suk Bae (Cellist), Aunty Delmae Barton (Vocalist) and Vatche Jambazian (Harpsichordist).
Launch of AYO collaboration with Ikuntji Designs
In 2025 AYO launched its collaboration with Ikuntki Designs which saw AYO musicians take to the world stage dressed in garments featuring the vibrant, culturally rich designs of Ikuntji Artists. These striking patterns tell stories of Country and culture, celebrating the diversity of First Nations peoples and the power of female leadership within the Ikuntji community.
Vale Donald Hazelwood
We said goodbye to Donald Hazelwood OBE – a highly respected figure in Australian music and a cherished member of the Australian Youth Orchestra (AYO) community.
APRIL
Young Symphonists head to Canberra
In the heart of the nation’s capital, the AYO’s Young Symphonists program brought together Australia’s most promising young musicians for a concert that captivated a full house. Under the expert guidance of Dr Luke Dollman, these talented students lit up the stage with Jessica Wells’s Uplift, dazzled with a reimagined version of Ann Carr-Boyd’s Look at the Stars, danced through Strauss’s The Blue Danube, and painted vivid soundscapes in Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. The afternoon was made even more special by the presence of composers Ann Carr-Boyd and Jessica Wells in the audience.
“It was hard to believe that this full symphony orchestra was made up of students aged only 12 to 18, such was their confidence and range of expression.”
Canberra City News
Pictured left: Ann Carr-Boyd and Jessica Wells. Photo Lisa Maree Williams
Music in Me National Mentor Conference held in Sydney
On April 10-11, 2025, Music in Me mentors gathered from across Australia (New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland, Victoria, the Northern Territory and Western Australia) to take part in the National Mentor Conference for Music in Me. Fifty-one mentors joined in two days of specialised professional learning, taking time out of their busy end of term schedule to come together and learn in a rich environment of sharing. Mentors spent the time collaborating and building our community of passionate and excellent music educators and mentors.
AYO Youth Council appoints co-chairs
The AYO Youth Council met throughout the year, holding elections for co-Chair positions on 15 April. Co-Chairs Madeleine Hammond and Noah Lawrence were elected.
“Representing the next generation of Australian music-makers is so exciting. I am constantly inspired by my peers and the young emerging artists who continue to champion and preserve the Western Art tradition in Australia.” Madeleine Hammond
Madeleine Hammond, AYO 2025 Youth Council Co-Chair
MAY
Sydney Symphony Orchestra Professional Immersion, Sydney
In May five outstanding AYO string players – Alyssa Deacon, Julian Kwok, Erna Lai, Miriam Niessel and Ian Chiao – joined the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for a series of performances of Elgar’s Enigma Variations.
Partnering with Sydney Symphony Orchestra for its second year, the AYO Professional Immersion program offers young musicians a rare opportunity to participate in rehearsals and performances, receive one-on-one mentorship from Sydney Symphony musicians, take part in mock auditions, and gain valuable industry insights.
JUNE
AYO & NIDA Momentum Leaders: UNTOLD, Sydney
Musicians of the Australian Youth Orchestra (AYO) and alumni of the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA) came together for an intensive week of Momentum Leaders, a bold cross-artform collaboration, culminating in the innovative production UNTOLD at NIDA’s Studio Theatre. This pilot program is the first of its kind among these organisations: a space where innovative young artists lead the charge.
Acknowledging the diversity of skills required to navigate a 21st century artistic career, AYO CEO, Kimbali Harding said: “Momentum Leaders is a bold step forward in how we prepare young artists for their careers. By bringing together musicians, composers, and theatre-makers, we are fostering a generation of creative leaders equipped to shape Australia’s cultural future with confidence and originality.”
Mary Vallentine awarded AYO Honorary Life Membership
In June, AYO recognised the outstanding contribution of Mary Vallentine AO—long-time supporter and former Chair— with the award of an Honorary Life Membership. One of Australia’s most accomplished arts administrators, Mary Vallentine has dedicated over four decades to the advancement of music and theatre in this country. She concluded her tenure on the AYO Board in 2016, having served as Chair for a decade, and was succeeded by AYO alumnus Ben Rimmer.
JULY
AYO embarks on first International Tour in six years
This year, after a six-year break, we returned to the hallowed halls of Europe to give the next generation of Australian classical music stars the opportunity of a lifetime.
Performing with Maestro David Robertson and our two Australian soloists – the prodigious violinist Christian Li, and the incomparable William Barton, the AYO flagship orchestra was challenged, uplifted and inspired.
Along with tour soloists William Barton (Yidaki/didgeridoo) and Christian Li (violin), the program started with a residency at the Akoesticum, Ede, Netherlands. Concerts were then performed at the Mecklenberg Vorpommen Festival; Musikverin (Vienna); Stefaniensaal (Graz); Het Concertgebouw (Amsterdam); Rheingau Musik Festival; and at the Grossensaal RBB Berlin. The tour ended with a triumphant ‘Colour, Sound, Lore’ Homecoming Concert at the Sydney Opera House on Thursday 31 July, attended by over 2,000 guests
This tour was a defining experience for the more than 90 young musicians and also a moment of global recognition for Australian music and culture, and an opportunity to showcase Australian talent, creativity, artistry on the world stage.
One of the most highly-anticipated moments of the tour was hearing Sculthorpe’s Earthcry with the awesome sound and artistry of William Barton at the Musikverein in Vienna.
“There is something that ignites the imagination to have this work and this particular sound fill the ‘golden hall’ and arguably one of the ‘cradles’ of Western symphonic music. Now we get to add our sound to that legacy.”
AYO CEO Kimbali Harding
Not only was it the first time the fabled Golden Hall of Musikverein had heard the sound of the didgeridoo, it was the first time AYO had performed there and also the first time the art of our partner Ikuntji and the Western Desert Dreaming was worn in Europe. The tour also included the European debut of Australian composer Alice Chance’s Through Changing Landscape and for many AYO musicians, including Concertmaster Robert Smith, this was their first time in Europe.
Music in Me Summit held in Sydney
In July, Sydney’s Walsh Bay Arts Precinct came alive with the sound of 250 passionate educators, music-making, and shared inspiration as the 2025 Music in Me Summit unfolded. This full-day professional development event brought together K–6 educators from across New South Wales (and beyond!) for a celebration of music education and community.
The music-making kicked off with Brett Weymark leading an all-in Big SING! setting the tone for a summit where music education wasn’t just discussed – it was experienced. Elective sessions across the day offered practical strategies and fresh ideas that could be immediately applied in the classroom.
“The Music in Me Summit gave me so many fresh ideas that I can use in my classroom this week! It was so practical and relevant to my music specialty. Every music teacher should come to this summit.”
Music in Me Summit participant
AUGUST
National Auditions for 2026 Programs
Auditions for 2026 AYO programs took place online, with instrumental applicants submitting video auditions and arts administration and composition applicants providing a portfolio and completing an interview. All submissions were assessed remotely by an international panel of distinguished artists and arts professionals. Program applications were received from all Australian states and territories for our range of programs in instrumental performance, composition, and arts administration — each forming a vital part of the AYO training pathway.
SEPTEMBER
AYO Chamber Players with Flinders Quartet, Melbourne
From 28 September to 6 October AYO Chamber Players came together in Melbourne for a week of music-making and learning. The two concerts at Melbourne Recital Centre were the culmination of a week-long intensive program of rehearsals and workshops in which 18 of the country’s most promising young musicians from the Australian Youth Orchestra worked alongside the renowned Flinders Quartet and brass and wind tutors Yoram Levy and Lyndon Watts.
The dynamic program featured works by three contemporary female composers plus works by Mendelssohn, Beethoven and Ewald.
This was a stunning and achingly beautiful program, performed by extraordinary young musicians. Four Rooms, in memory of Manny Arcaro, was an unapologetically challenging, yet still poignant, tribute to this young man.
Chamber Players Threads of Time audience Member
The program – which coincided with Mental Health Week – also included the world premiere of a profoundly moving new work, Four Rooms, by Lee Bradshaw, a string octet commissioned in memory of Emanuel (Manny) Arcaro by his family, friends and the Flinders Quartet Syndicate and supported by AYO. This new work, which is a powerful exploration of music as a transformative force for connection and healing, was performed by the Flinders Quartet (including AYO alumni Elizabeth Sellars and Helen Ireland) and AYO string players.
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra Professional Immersion, Adelaide
In September, 10 of AYO’s top musicians took part in a week-long fellowship with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, gaining firsthand experience of professional orchestral life. The participants were Josephine Daniel, Nathan Herbert, Ami Humphreys, Emma John, Joshua Jones, Bailey Ireland, Sterling Rieck, Rio Kawaguchi and Alex Tsang.
OCTOBER
AYO heads to the Outback with Moorambilla Voices
AYO joins Moorambilla Voices on their 20th anniversary celebrations. In celebration of 20 years as a thriving regional arts organisation, Moorambilla Voices presented their Gala concert, Riversong: Skysong at the Dubbo Regional Theatre on Saturday 27 September and invited AYO participants to take part.
Daniel Shao (violin), Natalie Kendy (violin), Mia Baivucago (viola) and Noah Lawrence (cello) joined AYO alumni Ronan Apcar (piano), Kirsty McCahon (double bass) and Nicole Forsyth (viola) in the orchestra pit alongside members of the Song Company, Taikoz and the Australian Chamber Orchestra to accompany the 300 young people on stage.
NOVEMBER
AYO Momentum Ensemble with Timo-Veikko Valve, Sydney
On two balmy Australian November evenings – first at ACO on the Pier in Sydney and then at UKARIA Cultural Centre in South Australia’s Mount Barker – the Australian Youth Orchestra’s Momentum Ensemble transported audiences across landscapes and cultures.
Under the direction of Timo-Veikko “Tipi” Valve, Principal Cellist of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the program Between Worlds was a celebration of connection: between Finland and Australia, tradition and innovation, and generations of musicians.
“As an AYO alumna myself, it was a joy to witness colleagues from around Australia and the world unite in Momentum Ensemble’s rousing performance at UKARIA. The program inspired by the landscapes of Finland and Australia, highlighted the rapport that had clearly developed between the players during their week of preparation, and showcased their dynamic musicianship
Tahlia Lamey, UKARIA Cultural Centre
Music in Me celebrates 10 Years
In 2025, AYO’s Music in Me program marks its 10th anniversary. A pioneering teacher mentoring program, Music in Me has reshaped how music is taught and experienced in Australian primary schools.
Founded in 2015 by the late Richard Gill AO, Music in Me began as a small pilot with a bold vision: that every child in Australia should have access to quality music education, regardless of postcode or school resources. Today, it is a national network of mentors and teachers, which has to date supported over 1,100 educators and reaching 14,000 students annually across five states.
To mark the birthday, Music in Me’s Director, Bernie Heard, was interviewed on ABC Radio National’s Changing Australia by ABC Radio National Breakfast presenter, Sally Sara. Listen HERE
DECEMBER
AYO full steam ahead for 2026!
As we wrap up 2025, the AYO team is busy getting ready for an exciting next 12 months ahead. Kicking off with our Summer Music Festival in Adelaide in January, in 2026 we are inviting audiences across the country to experience a season of exhilarating music-making, boundary-pushing repertoire, and a renewed commitment to accessibility. From Adelaide to Darwin, Sydney to Perth, AYO’s concerts will feature world-class soloists and international conductors, thrilling premieres, and unforgettable performances that celebrate both the greats of classical music and the voices shaping its future.
More than 500 of Australia’s finest young musicians will perform in 14 concerts across 7 venues and 7 cities and towns nationwide. The season includes two world premieres and showcases the work of seven contemporary Australian composers, alongside masterpieces by Beethoven, Stravinsky, Ravel, Tchaikovsky, Bartók, Shostakovich and more.
In 2026 AYO is also committed to strengthening Australia’s vibrant national orchestral culture by deepening relationships with the country’s professional and youth orchestras. Through shared programming, mentorship and strategic collaboration we will continue to support the development of our talented young musicians.
All of this is made possible thanks to the support of our partners, including the Australian Government, as well as the organisations, foundations and individual donors whose generosity allows us to discover, train and inspire the next generation of Australian musicians.