Australian Youth Orchestra
A Message from the Chair
Congratulations and Thank You to Colin Cornish AM
The Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Youth Orchestra, Colin Cornish AM, has informed the Board that he will step down from the role in early 2023.
Colin will depart AYO to take up the role of Chief Executive Officer at the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.
On behalf of the Board, the AYO team of staff and tutors, and the thousands of participants in AYO programs during his tenure, I offer my warmest congratulations to Colin on this new role, and thank him for his extraordinary contribution to our organisation and to Australian musical endeavour.
Since his appointment in 2005, Colin has played a critical role in the growth and success of the organisation. His talent and capability as a musician and as a leader of musicians has been a hallmark of his time in the role, during which the AYO and its many ensembles and training pathways have achieved ever higher standards of musical excellence.
He has also built strong, enduring relationships with our principal funder, the Australian Government, as well as critical corporate and philanthropic partnerships and the many individual donors who are so important to AYO’s future.
The organisation has been on a constant trajectory of development throughout this period, covering five international tours for the flagship Australian Youth Orchestra, the hosting of the National Music Teacher Mentoring Program, and the launch of AYO’s Momentum Ensemble in 2014, which provides a crucial development opportunity for young musicians on the cusp of their professional careers.
AYO nurtures and develops the country’s best musical talent and is the crucial pathway for most of its professional orchestral musicians. As a result, Colin’s achievements have benefitted every Australian orchestra and countless other ensembles around the world, not simply our own.
The AYO Board cannot thank Colin enough for his dedication, passion, persistence and excellence over the past 17 years. He will be greatly missed by our whole community, but we wish him all the best in his new role with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. We are confident that he will continue to make a massive contribution to Australian music and continue to be an important partner and collaborator with the AYO.
Colin Cornish said he would miss much about the AYO, but it was the right moment to conclude his tenure and take up this new opportunity in his hometown.
“AYO has been and will always be a very important part of my life. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have worked with so many passionate young musicians and incredibly committed, skilled and generous staff, tutors, volunteers and supporters. I look forward to continuing our work together in the months ahead and being part of the AYO community for years to come.”
The AYO Board has commenced the process of a search for a new Chief Executive Officer to join the organisation in 2023.
Ben Rimmer
AYO Chair