14 April 2026
AYO announces landmark Singaporean partnership as Symphonists prepare for first International Tour
The Australian Youth Orchestra (AYO) has announced a landmark new Singaporean partnership that in 2027 will see its AYO Symphonists ensemble travel internationally for the first time, marking a major step in the organisation’s Asia‑Pacific engagement strategy and opening new horizons for young Australian orchestral musicians.
The partnership builds on AYO’s recent collaboration with renowned Singaporean conductor Chan Tze Law, who led the AYO Symphonists program in Canberra this year. That residency laid the foundations for a long‑term relationship between AYO and Singapore’s classical music institutions, centred on artistic exchange, shared learning and regional connection.
“Working with Chan Tze Law this year was the beginning of something much bigger,” said AYO CEO, Kimbali Harding.
“As we look to the future of classical music in the Asia‑Pacific, collaborations like this give young Australian musicians new cultural perspectives and help build enduring connections across borders through shared repertoire and experience.”
Kimbali Harding, AYO CEO
In 2027, AYO will take the AYO Symphonists ensemble to Singapore for a nine-day international residency, in collaboration with the Singapore National Youth Orchestra (SNYO) and the New Zealand National Youth Orchestra (NZNYO). The residency will culminate in performances at the Esplanade, Singapore’s premier performing arts centre, including a concert and side‑by‑side performance with SNYO musicians.
The camp will be led by internationally acclaimed German conductor Christoph Altstaedt, with Pei‑Sian Ng – Principal Cellist of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and an AYO alumnus – appearing as soloist.
For Kimbali, the project is about much more than touring. “This is an immersive international learning experience,” she said.
“Our musicians will be rehearsing, learning and performing alongside peers from other countries, experiencing different rehearsal cultures and professional expectations. For many of them, this will be their first real insight into what international tertiary study or an international orchestral future can look like.”
While AYO has a long history of international touring with its flagship ensemble, taking the Symphonists (AYO’s national high‑school‑aged orchestra) overseas is a new venture.
“These musicians are absolutely world‑class,” Harding said.
“They are the best of the best, representing Australia at a national level. To see them overseas, wearing their Australian identity with pride, performing their own concert on an international stage is incredibly special.”
Kimbali Harding, AYO CEO
She added that the experience is designed to broaden participants’ sense of what is possible early in their musical pathways. “It’s about helping them understand that their future, whether in music or beyond, is genuinely international. The world really is their oyster.”
Shared Learning Across the Asia‑Pacific
Rather than functioning as parallel tours, the project has been deliberately designed as a shared learning model. AYO and NZNYO musicians will rehearse extensively together, with additional shared rehearsals and performances alongside SNYO.
Professional mentorship is embedded throughout the residency, with Singapore Symphony Orchestra musicians engaged as tutors, while NZNYO musicians join the string cohort, strengthening the trans‑Tasman dimension of the project.
The repertoire also highlights Australian excellence. Abigail Lui, an AYO alumna, will be represented with her work Aerial Dances, re‑orchestrated for the Symphonists ensemble -placing an emerging Australian composer at the heart of a major regional collaboration.
A Gateway to Singapore’s Musical Ecosystem
Chan Tze Law, who serves on the faculty of Singapore’s Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, described the institution as a natural bridge for young musicians across the region.
“The Yong Siew Toh Conservatory is part of the National University of Singapore and has been around for nearly 24 years,” Chan said. “It’s a small conservatory where musicians all know each other, but they play together often in both small and large ensembles. We also have composers, singers and conductors. It’s a fitting stage for musicians from around the region who want to be part of Singapore’s vibrant musical life.”
Building the Future of the Art Form
For AYO, the Singapore partnership reinforces its role not just as a national training organisation, but as a regional leader in youth orchestra collaboration.
“This project demonstrates where excellence can lead,” Harding said, pointing to AYO alumni now in senior roles across the region. “It shows our musicians, and their families, what is possible when talent, training and international opportunity intersect.”
“This is a really exciting project and it’s important for our Australian musicians to have an experience outside of our domestic context. We really hope there will be friendships made, exchanges of musical ideas and potentially pathways that our young musicians will take once they finish with AYO.”
Kimbali encouraged young musicians considering their next steps to apply for AYO’s 2027 programs. “It’s going to be great, it’s going to be fun, and you never know where it might take you,” she said. “It might take you to the Sydney Opera House, to the Esplanade in Singapore or even further.”