The Professional Immersion – Arts Management is an exclusive opportunity available only to participants of the National Music Camp’s Orchestral Management program each year. With a limited number of placements offered, the fellowship provides emerging arts professionals with invaluable, hands-on experience within Australia’s leading performing arts organisations. Previous hosts have included Musica Viva Australia, Opera Australia, Orchestra Victoria, and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. These placements offer a holistic insight into orchestral management and production, equipping fellows with practical skills, industry knowledge, and professional networks that will support and accelerate their future careers in the arts.
The alumni of the professional immersion – arts administration program are highly talented alumni of the Orchestral Management program who have gone on to pursue key roles in arts organisations across the country.
After taking part in the Orchestral Management program at National Music Camp in 2015, Vennisa Santoro began a career in arts administration and now is the Head of Education & Ensemble Tours at Hayllar Music Tours.
Alumni Interview
Being a part of the Australian Youth Orchestra’s Orchestral Management program has helped to create a launchpad for my career and really understand what it takes to be a part of the arts industry.
It has actually taken me a while to really find what it is that I wanted to do. After finishing the HSC I started a medical science degree. Fast-forward six years and four degree transfers, I was in my last year of my music degree and I still had no idea what I wanted to pursue once I finished. I had been involved in a whole range of activities throughout my time at university; I was the president of our orchestra and wind symphony, coordinated a volunteer program and a few events for our main student organization and was a peer mentor in our faculty. Outside of university, I got to co-produce a Vivid Live Ideas event and was an intern for the Sydney Symphony. Although I loved performing (and still do!), working in music events was always something that I kept coming back to.
After having a chat with one of my lecturers, she mentioned the AYO program. I actually had no idea the AYO had anything like this! After doing some research about the program, I decided to apply. The program looked really intense but seeing as I was still unsure what to pursue career-wise, it seemed like the most logical step for me.
I won’t lie, it wasn’t easy but it was well worth it! Under the wonderful tutelage of the amazing Erin McNamara, our job was to run rehearsals, tutorials and to act as orchestra mangers for the two symphony orchestras, the chamber orchestra, and the smaller chamber ensembles. There are also opportunities to work with a whole range of musicians, conductors, tutors and production staff.
After expressing my interest in working in events while being immersed with music operations, I was very lucky to have received the Regina Ridge Musica Viva Fellowship, which was an opportunity to join the operations team for the 2015 Musica Viva Festival.
During the Musica Viva Regina Ridge Fellowship, I acted as the Musica Viva Festival Operations Coordinator. I had the opportunity to assist with pre-festival preparations, operations and artist liaison. There was a lot to do in the six weeks, but although it was hard work, I was supported by hardworking and passionate staff. The skills that I developed through the experience are invaluable!
It was a little sad wrapping up the festival after so much hard work and meeting the wonderful and passionate team at Musica Viva. About a fortnight after the festival has ended, I was very lucky to have been offered a full time position as the NSW Education Coordinator and absolutely I love it! I’m immersed in scheduling and operations, regional touring, and organising professional development teacher events. I work with wonderful musicians who bring live music to so many schools. It feels good know that this is definitely the industry I want to be in. It would be an absolute dream to work in concert operations and touring or festival work!
There really is nothing like the AYO Orchestral Management program and I’m so glad I was able to do it! You will meet a whole range of passionate people while developing a whole range of skills – you’ll really understand what it takes to be a part of the industry. It really has opened up so many doors and helped me build a very strong foundation in these initial steps of my career in the arts. Since doing the program, I know that working in the arts is where I want to be and I have no idea where I would be today if it wasn’t for this wonderful program!
Elissa began her life in the arts at the age of 5, training in dance, drama and singing. She has performed around Australia, as well as internationally at Disneyland Anaheim and Universal Studios America, Hong Kong and throughout China.
Elissa went on to study Performing Arts Management at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and graduated with a number of awards and scholarships including the Commonwealth Academic Excellence Scholarship and the Hawaiian Award for most outstanding Arts Management graduate. Elissa has since worked at Queensland Theatre Company in marketing and production capacities before transitioning to the position of Travel Coordinator with the Australian Chamber Orchestra. During her time with ACO, Elissa toured extensively all major capital cities as well as many regional areas. In 2014, Elissa moved to the United States and took up the position of Production Manager at the Hartford Symphony Orchestra in Connecticut, before returning to Sydney in 2015 as the Production Coordinator for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Elissa now works as Production Manager with the SSO. Her responsibilities include managing Production staff as well as the planning and day-to-day running of rehearsals and concerts. She has toured with the orchestra on many occasions, including their 2018 International tour to Europe. Elissa returns to tutor the NMC Orchestral Management course for the third time, tutoring twice before in 2016 and 2021.
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