AYO Flagship: Brave New Worlds

Lily is an 18-year-old violinist studying with Michele Walsh at Queensland Conservatorium. She was awarded her AmusA (2020) and LMusA (2022) with Distinction, performing at both AMEB ceremonies. Lily was a finalist for QSO’s Young Instrumentalist Prize. She currently serves as the concertmaster of Queensland Youth Symphony (QYS) and is the Richard Pollett scholarship recipient. Lily has been an active participant of AYO since 2022 and was concertmaster of Young Symphonists in 2023. In 2024, she won the Most Promising Prize for the Australian Concerto and Vocal Competition. At the age of 16, she got into the Queensland Conservatorium and commenced her Bachelor of Music on early entry. During her first year at Con, she won the Matilda Jane Aplin Prize for strings. She wishes to travel the world with her violin and passion in the future. In her free time, she loves to bake, spend time with her friends, and go to the beach.

Siobhan Makinson is a violinist studying at the University of Western Australia, majoring in performance, under the tutelage of WASO Associate Concertmaster Riley Skevington. She has previously studied under Alexandre Da Costa, Martine Cardinal, and Sunmi Jung. In addition to her music studies, Siobhan is a third-year student at Curtin University, studying a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Marketing and Event Management.

Siobhan has been awarded the Delano Music Scholarship at UWA and holds music diplomas in violin performance. Her musical achievements include winning top prizes in various competitions, such as the North of Perth Music Festival and the Fremantle Eisteddfod. Recently, her string quartet was awarded the 2024 Flora Bunnings Prize for Chamber Music at UWA.

An avid chamber and orchestral player, Siobhan is active in the Perth music scene, having performed and collaborated with the UWA Symphony Orchestra, UWA Chamber Orchestra, Cygnus Arioso, West Australian Opera, Perth Symphonic Chorus, St. Georges’ Chamber Orchestra and more.

Beverly is currently studying a Bachelor of Music (Performance) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music under the tutelage of Ole Böhn. She has been a semi-finalist and finalist in various state and national competitions and has performed internationally at the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival (Finland) and Kirishima International Music Festival (Japan), both as a scholarship holder. Recently, Beverly curated and performed two recital programs as part of the Inspire Music Emerging Artists Series and has held leadership positions within the Sydney Conservatorium orchestras. Beverly has enjoyed playing in many orchestras such as the Australian Youth Orchestra, Western Australian Youth Orchestras, Perth Symphony Orchestra, and the Sydney Conservatorium 2022 European Tour Symphony Orchestra. In 2025, she will join Opera Australia under the Patricia H. Reid Orchestral Fellowship and is very excited to embark on the month-long Australian Youth Orchestra International Tour. Her previous teachers include Alice Waten, Paul Wright and Anna Chomicka-Gorecka.

Biography to come.

Lydia Hwang is a violinist and dedicated musical collaborator currently in her third year of study at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, where she studies under the tutelage of Michele Walsh. She has been actively involved in orchestral performance through ensembles such as the Queensland Youth Symphony and Australian Youth Orchestra programs, fostering a strong passion for orchestral playing.

Lydia has gained further professional experience performing with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra as part of its Oceans project, as well as through collaborations with Ensemble Q and Opera Queensland. In 2025, she performed as a soloist with the Queensland Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra as part of the Conservatorium’s Concertos Festival, reflecting her interest in diverse performance opportunities.

An engaged chamber musician, Lydia has explored a wide range of collaborative settings throughout her studies, including a side-by-side program with members of the London Symphony Orchestra Wind Quintet and more recently alongside the Australian String Quartet. Alongside her work with Camerata, she continues to develop her solo, chamber, and orchestral repertoire, with the aim of sharing music with audiences across various cultures and communities.

When not rehearsing or performing, Lydia enjoys recharging with a matcha — a small but essential ritual.

Candice is a Chinese-Australian violinist whose musical journey began at the age of six. Originally from Melbourne, Candice calls the green wedge of Eltham North home – a place surrounded by greenery and native wildlife. Growing up, Candice was part of the local Eltham Orchestra, where she got her first taste of orchestral playing. Candice had the opportunity to perform the first movement of Bruch Violin Concerto no 1 in G minor with the Eltham Orchestra in 2017. In 2019, she was invited to perform the Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto with the Huangshi Symphony Orchestra in Hubei, China. 

Candice is a recent graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School, where she studied violin under Zoë Black, Michael Loftus-Hills and Dr Alexandra Hiew. She has performed with Orchestra Victoria and the Geelong Symphony Orchestra and has been part of the Australian Chamber Orchestra Academy, Melbourne String Ensemble and the VCASS Symphony Orchestra, where she has served as concertmaster. 

In 2025, Candice will be undertaking a Bachelor of Music Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, studying under Ole Bøhn. 

Outside of music, Candice can be found in the kitchen cooking and baking or lounging in the sun on a beach.

Candice has been participating in AYO programs since 2022. Candice is thrilled to be a part of the 2025 international tour and is looking forward to the experiences to come. 

Eric Kim started playing the violin at the age of five. Ever since, he has competed in numerous eisteddfods for both solo and ensemble. He is currently learning with Natsuko Yoshimoto. He attended the Anglican Church Grammar School with a full music scholarship, where he was music captain. He has previously played in the Queensland Youth Symphony, and previously played in a string quartet, quintet and sextet in the UQ chamber music program.

Eric has been part of the Australian Youth Orchestra’s National Music Camp 2023 and 2024, as well as the 2024 autumn and winter season. Eric won the 2024 Young Instrumentalist prize, which has given him the opportunity to debut with QSO in the 2025 season. Previously, in ‘The IncrediBows’ string quartet, his quartet won the Strike A Chord national chamber music competition, giving them other opportunities such as playing for the Tyalgum music festival and airing live on ABC radio and 4MBS.

Lara Dowdeswell began learning the violin at age five with Sheau-Fang Low using the Suzuki Method and currently studies under Janet Davies, previously at the Sydney Conservatorium’s Rising Stars Program. Lara has had numerous successes in competitions across the country, winning the Barbara Cran Award at the KPO Concerto Competition in 2021 and being a finalist in the senior section in 2024, as well as a finalist in the John Curro National Youth Concerto Competition in 2022 and 2023. Lara was also a 2023 finalist in the Bach Competition held in Melbourne. Lara has been an avid participant in AYO programs since 2022, attending the National Music Camps for the last 3 years and, most recently, the winter season in Melbourne last July. Lara is starting the first year of her music degree at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2025.

Xavier Richardson is a versatile violinist, currently in his third year of a Bachelor of Music Performance and Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Statistics) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, under the mentorship of Timothy Kantor and Goetz Richter.

In 2024, he won the first prize in the under-nineteen age category of the Fine Master Violins Competition, winning a violin by Australian luthier Paul Ridden.

Originally from Melbourne, Xavier is a frequent performer with the Melbourne String Ensemble and has performed as a soloist in 2022 and as concertmaster and principal viola during the ensemble’s 2024 tour of Germany and Czechia.

For the first two years at the Sydney Con, Xavier has been a joint-recipient of the George Henderson Travelling Scholarship for string quartet. This has allowed him to play in the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival in Finland in 2024 and the Echo Arts Festival under a residency with the Schumann Quartett in Munich in 2025.

He has had masterclasses with Akiko Suwanai, Marlene Ito, and Takacs Quartet, to name a few. Other orchestral experiences include performing in a production with Victorian Opera.

Caitlynn Cheng is a young violinist recognised for her musical sensitivity, technical assurance, and thoughtful, expressive approach to performance. She made her solo debut performing Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra as a Young Artist in 2025.

Caitlynn’s musical development began at an early age of two when she was first exposed to the world of classical music. She then began formal violin studies at the age of four after her admission to the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts School of Young Talents Programme, where she studied under violinist, Xu Jue Yi. In 2024, she began her studies in Perth where she now studies the violin with Riley Skevington.

At twelve, Caitlynn was accepted into the Australian Youth Orchestra’s Young Symphonists Programme, participating in the September 2023 season. This enriching experience provided her with valuable orchestral training and the opportunity extend her musical depth and collaborate with like-minded young musicians from across Australia.

She has participated in masterclasses and mentorships with distinguished musicians including Lucilla Rose, Nicola Benedetti, and Yin Ke. In 2022, Caitlynn was a quarter-finalist in the Singapore National Piano and Violin Competition (Junior Category).

Beyond music, Caitlynn enjoys debating, travelling to new countries, surfing, hanging out with friends, and competing in tennis. She draws artistic inspiration from violinists like Hilary Hahn and Augustin Hadelich, as she loves performing and sharing her music to bring joy.

Caitlynn is thrilled to be selected for the 2026 Summer and Winter seasons of Australian Youth
Orchestra due to its high-level ensemble music-making, the opportunity to meet like-minded
friends from all around Australia and visit Sydney, Melbourne and Darwin.

Naamah began playing the violin at the age of three, progressing through the AMEB to achieve Grade 7 with High Distinction. She went on to hold multiple leadership positions within the Melbourne Youth Orchestra, including Concertmaster and Principal Second Violin.

Her orchestral experience continued to grow beyond Melbourne. In 2022, she toured nationally with the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic and Andrea Bocelli, and the following year she had the opportunity to work under the baton of world-renowned conductor Sir Simon Rattle. She has also been involved in multiple Australian Youth Orchestra programs, enriching her already extensive orchestral background.

Alongside her performance work, Naamah is in her 3rd year of a Bachelor of Music at the University of New England, where she is refining her craft under Markiyan Melnychenko. Her String Quartet ‘Karelia Quartet’ is a young and up and coming chamber group, regularly performing concerts around Australia having received masterclasses and tutorials from members of the ASQ and Affinity Quartet.

In addition to her studies and ensemble work, Naamah enjoys casual teaching, sharing her passion for the violin with younger students. Outside of music, she proudly supports her favourite sports teams, Collingwood and Manchester United.

Honami Yum is a 19-year-old violinist from Melbourne who began learning violin at the age of five with Lois Shepheard through the Suzuki method. She recently graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School (VCASS), where she studied with Monica Naselow, and will commence a Bachelor of Music Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2026.

Honami has participated in the Melbourne Youth Orchestras program, including MYO’s side-by-side collaboration with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. She was also a member of the Melbourne String Ensemble, touring Germany and the Czech Republic in 2024, performing in major cities, and receiving masterclasses from Carolin Widmann and Anke Dill in Europe, as well as Dale Barltrop in Melbourne.

During her time at VCASS, Honami was a member of the string sextet chamber group Sturt Street Six, which won first place in both the Music Society of Victoria Chamber Competition and the VCASS Chamber Competition.

In her spare time, Honami enjoys drawing, listening to music, and cooking. She has participated in AYO programs since 2024 and is excited to be part of the 2026 Summer Season and future AYO programs to come.

Morgan Ip is a Brisbane based violinist with a passion for music, currently studying his final year of Bachelor of Computer Science/Arts at the University of Queensland. He was previously mentored by Elizabeth Morgan AM and Adam Chalabi, and now studies violin with Brendan Joyce in pursuit of furthering his musical knowledge.

He was a member of the QYO programs from 2018-2024 and played first violin with QYS from 2020 to 2024, during which he toured Singapore and Europe with QYS in late 2023. His achievements include getting the AmusA for Violin in 2019, and Mansfield State High School’s Musician of the Year 2022. In 2022 he performed as a guest soloist with the Brisbane City Pops Orchestra.

Morgan participated in AYO’s National Music Camps since 2023, and more recently in 2025 AYO’s International Tour and Chamber Players. He looks forward to participating in AYO’s 2026 programs, of which include performing in Darwin in July for the first time.

Khang is an 18-year-old violinist currently in his second year at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where he currently studies with Goetz Richter following ten years of training with Leigh Middenway.

He began learning the violin at the age of eight, and after his first youth orchestra experience in 2018, he immediately knew he wanted to pursue a life in music.

Since then, Khang has enjoyed a number of orchestral highlights, including leading the Arts Unit Symphony Orchestra from 2023–2024, serving as Concertmaster of the Sydney Youth Orchestra in 2025, and performing major symphonic works by Prokofiev and Mahler during the Australian Youth Orchestra’s 2024 seasons. He was recently appointed Principal Second Violin at the AYO National Music Camp and will return to the AYO flagship orchestra for the 2026 seasons.

Khang is also passionate about chamber music. In 2024, he won the “Strike A Chord” Monash Chamber Music Award with the Comet Quartet, which enabled the group to undertake a weeklong residency in Melbourne.

Outside of music, Khang enjoys long walks on the beach and late-night drives around the city with friends.

Ein Na is a 17-year-old violinist from Brisbane, Australia, studying under the guidance of Natsuko Yoshimoto. She made her concerto debut at the age of 9 with the Queensland Korean Orchestra. By age 10, in 2019, she was touring Europe as a soloist with the Tagiev Chamber Orchestra and won the Brisbane International Youth Music Festival. That year, she received the Pamela Dowsett Memorial Bursary from Dr Robin Wilson and participated in a masterclass with him. The following year, she won the 47th John Curro National Youth Concerto Competition.

In 2023, Ein won first prize in the Kendall National Violin Competition, receiving a concert violin crafted with Australian wood. That same year, she performed in the Young Virtuosi Concert for the 4MBS Festival of Classics and appeared as a concerto soloist with the Brisbane Symphony Orchestra. She also won the Queensland Symphony Orchestra’s Young Instrumentalist Prize and attended the Heifetz International Music Institute Summer Program. Representing Queensland’s 4MBS Classic FM, she won the National Young Virtuoso of the Year Award for musicians under 25, presented by the Australian Fine Music Network.

In 2024, she participated in a masterclass with Maxim Vengerov and performed as a soloist with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre and the Gold Coast Home of the Arts. Ein is a dedicated chamber musician, and her string quartet, The IncrediBows, won first place in the 2025 Musica Viva Strike A Chord National Chamber Music Competition. Ein also achieved 3rd prize in the Hengqin International Mozart Competition for Young Musicians 2025. Ein previously studied under the late Spiros Rantos.

Violinist Samuel Hooper is 16 years old and 2026 is his third year with AYO. Samuel was taught by Dan Evans for 10 years and now studies with Emma McGrath. In 2025, Samuel was Associate Concertmaster of AYO’s Young Symphonists and he participated in AYO’s Cultural Leadership Program.

Samuel was awarded first place in the 2025 Melbourne Recital Centre Baroque Competition and also won the 2024 Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra Rising Star Award. Earlier in 2022, Samuel received the Sydney Eisteddfod Most Promising Young String Player Award.

In 2025, Samuel performed in recitals around Tasmania, presented by Virtuosi Tasmania. Whilst touring with Virtuosi Tasmania, Samuel was able to bring even more music to the regions in a number of chamber performances together with players from the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.

In 2024, Samuel performed as a soloist with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra as the Rising Star. Other cherished highlights include performing at the acclaimed Melbourne Recital Centre and participating in Sydney Eisteddfod’s 90th Anniversary Alumni Orchestra.

Samuel also plays clarinet in his school band, leads the string ensemble and plays violin for musical productions. Samuel is pursuing a career as a violinist and is looking forward to future tertiary studies. He is grateful for the support of a number of Tasmanian musicians and others.

Photo credit: Lisa Maree Williams

Kaito Deed began studying the violin at age 4 in Japan, later learning under Karina Hollands on the Central Coast. He is currently studying at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music under Ole Bohn, being a recipient of the Ted and Susan Meller Memorial Scholarship.

As a soloist, he has had the opportunity to perform the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Central Coast Symphony after winning the Central Coast Concerto Competition. He has benefitted from several scholarships over the years from the Central Coast Conservatorium and other local arts organisations.

Kaito is an active chamber musician, being a finalist in Musica Viva’s “Strike a Chord” competition and enjoying his time with his quartet at Sydney Conservatorium. Kaito has also been a longtime Central Coast Youth Orchestra member, as well as being concertmaster of the NSW Regional Youth Orchestra from 2022-2025, touring Europe in 2025.

Naomi Nogawa-Lewy is a 16 year old violinist from Sydney. She has been playing violin since the age of seven, and currently studies under Janet Davies at the Conservatorium of Sydney’s Rising Stars program.

Naomi has participated in AYO programs since she was 13. She has also been a member of the flagship Sydney Youth Orchestra, and is the current concertmaster of the Arts Unit symphony orchestra. Furthermore, Naomi has additionally participated in the Australian Chamber Orchestra Academy programs of 2024 and 2025. Outside of music, she enjoys reading, playing chess, teaching, and watching movies with friends.

Jimin Yang is a violinist currently in her third year pursuing a Bachelor of Music (Performance) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where she studies under the tutelage of Professor Goetz Richter. She began playing violin at the age of eight under the guidance of Leigh Middenway and Luke Wallace. Since then, Jimin has performed in some of Australia’s most prestigious venues, including the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Town Hall, appearing as a soloist playing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in D minor and Vivaldi’s Violin Concerto in G Major. Her passion for chamber music also led to her quartet to be selected to perform Janáček’s String Quartet No. 1 at the Sydney Opera House.

Jimin has been selected to participate in the Australian Youth Orchestra programs since 2023, during which she attended her first National Music Camp. Jimin continues to play as both chamber and orchestral musician in a variety of public and private performances. As a dedicated ensemble player, Jimin was appointed concertmaster for many youth orchestras including the NSW Public Schools Symphony Orchestra in 2023. She has also performed as an ensemble musician with violinist Anthony Marwood MBE, as well as alongside renowned Australian artists Lior, Kate Miller-Heidke, and Casey Donovan, and Greek singer Dimitris Basis.

Ellie Kyoung (16) is a Year 11 student at Brisbane State High School who began playing the violin at age nine. She received an Award with Distinction for her Licentiate exam at 13 years old and was a finalist in the QSO Young Instrumentalist Prize in 2024 and 2025, most recently winning 2nd prize and in 2025, she also won first place at the Brisbane Youth International Music Festival. Ellie attended the Heifetz Institute Summer Camp in 2024 and has been a member of the Queensland Youth Symphony from 2023 to 2026, touring with them internationally in 2023 and holding the associate concertmaster position in 2025 and 2026. Additionally, she has been a member of the UQ Chamber Academy since 2025 and competed at Strike a Chord in a piano trio, placing 3rd place.

Liam Beak is a 15-year-old Grade 11 student with a deep commitment to the violin. Liam began learning the violin at 7 earning numerous awards at eisteddfods such as Redlands and Beenleigh. He has been an avid member of Queensland Youth Orchestra since 2021 and achieved his AMusA diploma by 2023.

In 2024, Liam was selected to perform the Bruch Violin Concerto in a series of concerts across Queensland with QYO, including a tour performance in Maryborough. In 2024 Liam first joined AYO participating in the Young Symphonist program. In the same year he completed his LmusA with his previous teacher Spiros Rantos. Currently Liam learns from Natsuko Yoshimoto and enjoys playing chamber music. This led to his invitation to the Adam Summer School for chamber music in New Zealand.

Sean is a 20-year-old violinist who is currently studying for a Bachelor of Engineering and Computer Science at UNSW. Outside of university, he continues to learn violin from Dr Evgeny Sorkin. He attended Sydney Grammar School on a full music scholarship (2018-2023) and was awarded his LMusA in 2019. He has frequently played in eisteddfods and competitions around Sydney where his achievements include placing first in the Violin (20 & under) section of Sydney Eisteddfod in 2022 and being a finalist of the KPO Concerto Competition in 2023.

While studying at UNSW, Sean continues to be involved in Sydney’s music scene, often playing in various orchestral and chamber projects around Sydney. He also plays the pipe organ at several churches and works casually for a pipe organ tuner.

Sean has been playing in AYO programs since 2024.

Monica Rallabhandi is a violinist who in 2025, completed a double degree in the Bachelor of Psychology and Bachelor of Arts (violin performance) program from the University of Western Australia. She began her musical journey at the age of five, learning piano and Indian classical singing. At age seven, she began learning violin and is currently studying under the tutelage of Professor Paul Wright. In 2024, Monica participated in a 4-month long exchange program at the University of Toronto, where she studied psychology and music, and received lessons from Head of Strings, Mark Fewer.

As a well-integrated member of the Western Australian (WA) music scene, Monica has performed and collaborated with the WA Symphony Orchestra, the WA ballet, WA opera, Cygnus Arioso, Fremantle Chamber Orchestra, Perth Symphony Orchestra and more. Alongside this, Monica has been part of the WA Youth Orchestra for five years, including serving as concertmaster in 2025, which awarded her the Peter Moore Scholarship. In 2025, she received the Wesley Uniting Church scholarship and was also named a young artist with the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra in Perth. This gave her the opportunity to perform the third movement of the Dvorak violin concerto with the orchestra.

John Kelly is a second-year violin student at the University of Queensland’s School of Music, studying under Doretta Balkizas. He holds both the AMusA and LMusA with Distinction. In 2025, he was the recipient of the Howard and Gladys Sleath Scholarship, the Sleath String Performance Prize and the Dean’s Commendation for Academic Excellence (semesters one and two). In the same year, John was an Emerging Artist with the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra, joining the orchestra to perform Mendelssohn’s version of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion in the Sydney Opera House. Since 2022, John has been invited to perform with Ensemble Q each year, including in the Australian tour of internationally acclaimed countertenor Andreas Scholl in 2024. He is excited to participate in his first AYO program this year.

Alongside his violin pursuits, John is an avid pipe organist. He studied piano, achieving an AMusA with Distinction, before transitioning to the organ in 2024. Learning under Dr Phillip Gearing, John was the recipient of the Organ Society of Queensland Scholarship in both 2024 and 2025.

In his spare time, John enjoys reading about Australian history and constitutional law.

Emerging violist Felix Hughes Chivers was introduced to the viola at age 11 and immediately was drawn into the instrument’s grounded sound when he commenced lessons with Pat Brearley at the Coffs Harbour Regional Conservatorium. Felix is currently studying at ANAM with Caroline Henbest and has completed a Bachelor of Music at the QLD Conservatorium, studying with Imants Larsens.

He has been fortunate to participate in a wide range of orchestral and chamber opportunities, such as Australian Youth Orchestra (including the 2025 Europe tour), Queensland Youth Symphony (Europe tour 2023), ACO Academy, Regional Youth Orchestra NSW, and the QLD Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra. Felix is also a composer, having created numerous solo, chamber, and orchestral works.

He has been awarded the Harmer Endowment Fund for Viola and won the John Curro Viola Prize, Australia and New Zealand Viola Society Solo Viola Composition Prize, the Vada Jefferies Bach Prize, the Basil Jones Sonata Prize and the Ross Peters 4MBS Chamber Prize with Fiddlesticks Quartet.

A highlight of Felix’s time studying includes performing the Penderecki Viola Concerto alongside the Conservatorium orchestra. Over the last few years, Felix has had the privilege of performing with Ensemble Q and has enjoyed participating in diverse and unique chamber music performances, as well as playing casually with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.

Haruki is a 16 year old violist in his senior years at the conservatorium high school in Sydney majoring in viola. He currently studies under Stuart Johnson through the school and participates in many ensembles including a chamber ensemble selected for the ENCORE showcase for HSC music students alongside playing in multiple other chamber ensembles that were nominated. Outside of the school’s music program Haruki has previously been involved in the ACO academy program for 3 years and is seated in the front desk of the SYO Flagship orchestra for two years.

Haruki started on the violin at age four and started taking music more seriously from age 10 when he switched to the viola and found a love for music. He finds great pleasure in learning the depth of chamber music guided by his peers and tutors and always looks for opportunities to express himself and play new repertoire. He has previously participated in the AYO Young Symphonists program finding like-minded musicians and looks forward to the other opportunities he will find through AYO.

Evan O’Connor is a Melbourne-based violist and vocalist currently in Year 12. His first study is viola under Gabrielle Halloran, with second study in voice under Jocelyn Hickey.

As a violist, Evan has performed as Principal Violist with the Melbourne Youth Orchestra Flagship ensemble (2025) and the Australian Youth Orchestra Young Symphonists Program (2025), as well as Amadio Chamber Orchestra at National Music Camp (2026). He has also participated in other major national programs including the ACO Academy, and the YMS National Academy.

Evan has appeared in side-by-side collaborations with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Melbourne Chamber Orchestra. He has also performed in professional settings with The Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Victoria and Melbourne Opera. He has also performed in live recitals on 3MBS Radio with a range of chamber ensembles. As part of his voice work, Evan has performed regularly with the Nocturnal Nine Ensemble and the VCASS Chamber Choir, under the direction of Dermot Tutty. Vocal performances include appearances at the Melbourne Recital Centre & Scots Church, and live radio recitals on 3MBS. He has been accepted into the Victorian Opera VOYCE Program for 2026.

Evan is a recipient of multiple awards, including the VCASS Music Repertoire Performance Award, VCASS Year 11 Music Excellence Award, and joint first place in the VCASS Chamber Music Competition for both voice and viola ensembles. He was also a joint recipient of the Strike A Chord: Australian Music Prize as part of the Stop 19 Strings ensemble for viola in 2024.

Pascal began playing the violin aged five with Suzuki teacher Toni Robson. During high school, he studied violin with Fintan Murphy and viola with Gabrielle Halloran at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School, graduating in 2024.

Pascal is currently studying at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music with Roger Benedict, where he is the recipient of the Corinna D’Hage Mayer String Scholarship and the Kathleen and Allison Short Scholarship. He has also been awarded the St Andrew’s College Major Music Scholarship and the Rathbone Music Scholarship.

An avid orchestral performer, Pascal has been a member of the Australian Youth Orchestra since 2024 and has served as Principal Viola for Young Symphonists (2024) and National Music Camp (2026). In 2024, he toured internationally with the Melbourne String Ensemble, performing in cities across Germany and Czechia.

As a soloist and chamber musician, Pascal has been recognised with awards from Musica Viva’s “Strike A Chord”, the Music Society of Victoria, Sydney Eisteddfod, the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School, St Andrew’s College (USYD) and the University of Sydney’s Palladian Cup.

Alex Monro is an Australian violist, harpist, and composer. Born in Adelaide in 2006, he is currently pursuing a double degree in Music and Advanced Science (physics) at the Australian National University and performs professionally on both viola and harp. He composes for chamber ensembles, films and plays, and creates digital media. 
 
Alex is a violist in the Canberra Symphony Orchestra and is a guest artist in Apeiron Baroque. He has performed in Parliament House and has performed solo at the Hungarian and Croatian embassies. He studies viola with Marianne Yeomans and harp with Alice Giles. 

Juah is a 17 year old violist based in Sydney. She attends MLC School, Sydney on a full music scholarship and has become the Music Captain of 2026. She is a passionate member of her school orchestras and ensembles, performing in renowned venues as Principal Viola. She is currently studying under Anne Louise Comerford, Associate Principal Violist in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

She has received many awards and recognition for her solo playing, notably achieving a distinction in her LmusA diploma in 2024, and winning the St George Open Age String Concerto Championships in 2025. She actively competes in many other eisteddfods as well, receiving several first place awards in major competitions around Sydney.

Juah has played with the Australian Youth Orchestra since 2024, learning with Australia’s finest performers and teachers. This year, she served as Associate Principal Viola in AYO National Music Camp.

Alex was born at a very young age and began his life as a musician not long after. Trying his hand at percussion and violin before settling on the viola, he soon joined a string orchestra and never looked back.

Fourteen years later, Alex now plays as principal viola with the Queensland Youth Symphony and was an Emerging Artist with the Australian Romantic and Classical Orchestra in 2025. He has performed with The Orchestra Project, The University of Queensland and Queensland Conservatorium Symphony Orchestras, the Young Mannheim Symphonists, and has attended AYO’s National Music Camp since 2023.

When he isn’t scraping a bow across four strings, Alex holds one of eight contracted positions with the Schola of St Stephen, is a regular guest with choirs across Brisbane and regularly performs and records across south-east Queensland.

In his spare time, Alex works casually as a teaching academic in computer science at The University of Queensland and contributes to ongoing research in the field of static analysis. He is just shy of completing his Bachelors and is looking forward to further research in the field.

Other than practicing and writing code Alex also enjoys rock climbing, cycling, medium-format film cameras and trying to find old LPs of classical music to add to his collection.

Isaac is a 17-year-old violist from Melbourne. Beginning his Suzuki method education at age three on the violin, Isaac transitioned to viola at age 13 and currently learns from Mick Loftus-Hills. He is a music scholar in Year 12 at Camberwell Grammar School. 

Isaac has been regularly involved in Australian Youth Orchestra programs since 2023, and has been a long-standing participant in the Melbourne Conservatorium Young Artists’ Academy and the Melbourne Young Chamber Music Academy, the Australian Chamber Orchestra Academy, and various chamber music programs at the Elder Conservatorium of Music, studying with renowned music teachers such as Sophie Rowell, Edith Salzmann, Elizabeth Sellers, Stephen King, and Lisa Grosman. 

With a particular love for programs featuring Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich, Isaac has been a member of the Flagship Melbourne Youth Orchestra under Brett Kelly since 2024, and aspires to continue learning music to become an professional orchestral viola player. 

Amayah is a 21-year-old violist from Sydney. She began playing the violin at the age of six, transitioning to the viola at age ten. Throughout her high school years, she studied under the tutelage of Jacqueline Cronin and was awarded her AMusA with Distinction in 2022.

She is currently a fourth-year student completing her Bachelor of Music (Performance) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, studying with Roger Benedict and Stuart Johnson. Amayah performs regularly with the Sydney Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra and, in 2024, participated in the Regional NSW Chamber Orchestra Tour. She was selected to participate in the NSW Parliament Bicentenary Commission Project, where she took part in composition readings, recording sessions, and performances at the ICC Sydney and NSW Parliament. She has participated in numerous masterclasses, most notably with Professor Kirsten Docter. Amayah grew up playing in the Sydney Youth Orchestra’s string programs and performed with the flagship orchestra from 2024 to 2025.

Outside of university, Amayah is an active freelance musician in Sydney, regularly performing with the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra, as well as at corporate events and weddings.

She has participated in the Australian Youth Orchestra’s National Music Camp from 2025 and is looking forward to playing in their Summer Season program.

Lucy Dubé has graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music with a Bachelor of Music (Performance) on viola where she studied under Stuart Johnson. She is currently continuing her studies, pursuing a Masters of Music Studies (Performance) on viola at the Sydney Conservatorium, studying under Stuart Johnson and Richard Waters.

Throughout her studies, Lucy has participated in masterclasses guided by Eric Wong, Kirsten Docter, Tahlia Petrosian and The Esmé Quartet. Lucy has always been an avid chamber and orchestral musician, performing with the Sydney Youth Orchestra, the Australian Youth Orchestra, Sydney Eisteddfod Orchestra, Sydney Concert Orchestra, Steel City Strings, has held a principal viola position with the Sydney Conservatorium of Music’s Symphony Orchestra, and holds a casual viola position with the Opera Australia Orchestra. She has also worked alongside Tobias Breider (Principal Violist of Sydney Symphony Orchestra) with the Prima Luce Chamber Orchestra.

Her versatility as a performer has seen her play at significant events at the Sydney Opera House such as DJ ‘SWIM’ debut performance, 2025 Vogue Summer Ball performing alongside Rita Ora, 2025 Parkway Drive’s ‘HOME’ performance and performing alongside Delta Goodrem on her 2025 ‘Mistaken Identity’ Australian tour. Other high-profile organisations Lucy has appeared performing for include Qantas, Vogue Living, Chanel, MG, Triple J recordings with Laufey, The Voice, and the NRL Hall of Fame to name a few.