Australian Youth Orchestra
AYO National Music Camp 2025 Day One by Julia Hill
Media and Communications Blog
January 6th starts with a 3:30am wakeup, clumsily folding the washing and saying bye to my partner who is about to fly home to Japan. This is the morning of my sixth NMC, but this time I’m not in the orchestra – I’m participating in the Media and Communication Program with tutor Eadric le Brocq.
On arrival to St Mark’s, I manage to sleep in the wrong room for an hour (turns out there’s another ‘Hill, J’ on camp – sorry Jude!), but ressie Eliza Scott saves me, and I find myself in the back of house lodge which comes equipped with a mysterious basement.
St Mark’s first dinner of pasta (Bolognese, chicken carbonara, or a veggie tomato-based sauce), reenergises us and we make our way to the Elder Hall, connecting with old friends and meeting new ones. “These are the people that you will be working with for the rest of your lives” as camp director, Monica Curro, explains in her welcome speech. She brings our attention to the musical ecosystem – as musicians, we support and are supported by arts administrators, orchestra managers and teachers. Together, we are the workers and innovators of Australia’s classical music scene.
With Warren Lenthall’s safety and housekeeping briefing sending us to rehearsals (remember, ‘random’ people like to walk into our practice spaces, so keep your gear on you!), the Alexander, Bishop and Walsh orchestras begin to play the first sounds of NMC 2025.
A parallel play emerges as the Alexander Orchestra’s Symphony No. 7 by Antonín Dvořák drifts up to the arches of Bonython Hall, complimented with the sun setting, slowly darkening the space. Tutors are dotted around the room, conscientiously following the score, figuring out what to rehearse in upcoming tutorials. Smiles, looks of concentration and the odd smirk at a funky-sounding note adorn the rehearsal mood, with Maestro Natalia Luis-Bassa occasionally letting out a yell of joy. Eventually, I have to peel myself away from Bonython Hall to watch the Bishop Orchestra.
With curious string and wind quavers decorating a fairytale musical setting, I know that the Bishop Orchestra is rehearsing Richard Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier. Again, I am graced with the most magnificent sound, solos and energy that will be magnified even more by the concert on Saturday. The rehearsal ends with a run of Jessica Wells’ Ainulindalë. After over 20 years of no performance, Ainulindalë awakens, showering the Elder Hall with an unearthly shimmering light.
What an excitement it is for AYO’s musicians to perform works from the standard classical canon, as well as beguiling, new pieces. I’m looking forward to seeing what stories the orchestras tell with their music this Saturday.
About National Music Camp
Founded in 1948, National Music Camp has become the cornerstone of our training. Over two intensive weeks, around 220 of the country’s most talented young musicians come together to be mentored by world-class tutors, artists, and conductors. They experience music-making at the highest national level as part of exceptional symphony or chamber orchestras.
Behind the scenes, aspiring arts leaders from the Media and Communication, Orchestral Management, and Sound Production programs collaborate to bring today’s concert to life. Whether crafting compelling narratives about music’s cultural impact, mastering stage management logistics, or capturing the magic of live performance in pristine audio, these participants are guided by industry experts, challenged, and inspired at every step.
Together with the Composition program, which fosters the creation of bold new works, this comprehensive approach to orchestral and arts administration training cultivates a dynamic environment where creativity and passion unite, lifelong friendships and collaborations are sparked, and Australia’s arts scene is reinvigorated. As the lifeblood of culture, the arts enrich our lives, connect us, challenge us, and transform us.