AYO Blog
AYO National Music Camp 2025: ‘Cinnamon Rose’ Concert Review – A Summer Social with AYO
By Milly McAuliffe
Sunlight softened on the university lawn as the audience for AYO’s Cinnamon Rose concert enjoyed gelato and cold drinks; this is the second AYO concert of the day and three audience members could be overhead saying they hoped to get the same seats as they had in the last concert – it must have been good.
Inside, the AYO instrumental tutors sat together; Eliza Shephard, the flute tutor, risked her phone by balancing it on the balcony ledge so she could get a good video of the performance. She risked it again waving enthusiastically at her student onstage.
Elena Wittkuhn, a Media and Communications (MAC) AYO participant, began to introduce the concert, but her microphone was not working. She was immediately handed another one and the audience applauded again to encourage her.
“I just did that to get more applause,” she quipped. There was a big laugh. This short interaction encapsulates how AYO presents their concerts: with authenticity, fun, and enthusiasm.
Jessica Well’s Butterfly Waltz was elegant and mysterious, with twinkling celeste and glockenspiel. Wells is the composition tutor this year at the AYO National Music Camp (NMC) and was in the audience; at the end of the piece, she received exuberant cheers. Natalia Luis-Bassa made explosion gestures at the pianist and principal percussionist, letting them know they nailed their parts.
The orchestra pushed and pulled the tempo in Danzon No.2 at once frenetic and in total control. Suddenly, the trumpet soloist stood up and the trombones pointed their instruments right at him. Surprised laughter broke out, and audience members cheered at the end of the solo. The rest of the piece was choreographed, with the dancing becoming more and more outrageous. Horns blared with their bells in the air, cellos span, and the double basses sambaed around their instrument. When the orchestra leapt to their feet to play the final note, the audience jumped up too and gave a standing ovation.
It was wonderful to see a youth orchestra very successfully break from tradition to the delight of its audience. A family with three young children especially enjoyed it; the children applauded and cheered wildly.
As the Alexander Orchestra made their exit, Michelle Walsh was interviewed live on stage by MAC student Sophie. In her interview she emphasised the value of music in our lives, and the amazing progress the AYO ensembles had made in under a week.
The Walsh Chamber Orchestra entered with their director, Andrew Haveron. He conducted String Talk and played first violin for the Sculthorpe, however for Adagio he left the stage entirely. At the end of Adagio Andrew snuck back on the stage, not to bow, but to applaud his students.
In the Sculthorpe the cellos started slapping out a bass line before the audience had fully settled. This had an enthralling effect and added to the confident feeling of the piece. At the end, sounds mimicking Australian bird call quietened slowly to a silence charged with emotion, and then a standing ovation.
By the interval, light had stopped shining through the stained-glass windows and the pinks and red lighting projected on the Elder Hall ceiling became visible. The players from the first half took a seat near their tutors and airdropped the video of the first half to each other. Holly Piccoli, a violin tutor, said although she listened carefully to the performances, she didn’t feel nervous as she knew that the students could play every single note.
After the interval the Bishop Orchestra performed Ainulindalë and Der Rosenkavalier. The sound of the orchestra was enormous and the musicians skilfully shaped the story of each piece. A little girl in the audience was captivated by Der Rosenkavalier and tapped her foot along to the waltzes. As Alexander Briger gestured to each section to stand and receive their applause, she took a photo on her toy digital camera.
Even while leaving the venue, the audience continued to praise the performance. One young man said to his dad, “The French horns are unreal.” Across the foyer, a tutor exclaimed to his colleague, “When you think where they started!” It had been a joyful concert and a way for audience members to unwind after a hot summer weekend.
If you would like to come cool off and be a part of the AYO Summer Festival, there are four more opportunities next week to join in the fun. The concert schedule can be checked on the AYO website.