Australian Youth Orchestra
Alumnus Tobias Lea Shares His AYO Story
Tobias Lea is Principal Viola of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and has performed around the world in chamber music ensembles and as a soloist. Tobias also dedicates a lot of time to working with young musicians and has given masterclasses around Australia and for the Angelika Prokopp Sommerakademie der Wiener Philharmoniker. In 2016 Tobias tutored young musicians during the AYO International Tour.
What inspires you to want to tutor for/work with the AYO?
The opportunity to give something back to the institution that shaped my entire career is what makes working with the AYO one of the most fulfilling things I could ever do.
What do you hope the AYO musicians got out of your time with them?
I hope that the musicians were able to benefit from the experience I have gathered with over 22 years as principal violist of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. The players are always so incredibly eager to learn from experienced musicians, it was an absolute pleasure to see them soaking everything up!
What was the highlight of your recent experience tutoring for/performing with AYO?
The highlight of the incredibly intensive rehearsal period in Ede before the 2016 tour, was seeing the faces of the musicians during the first orchestral rehearsal. Months of personal preparation, travelling half way across the world, having sectional tutorials, all led up to this monumental moment when the orchestra played together for the first time. The atmosphere was absolutely electric, as it was 33 years ago when I was involved with the AYO!