Meet Your 2026 AYO Youth Council

Winner of the Junior Category of the Queensland International Chamber Music Competition, Eden Annesley is a violinist raised in Grafton, regional NSW. She studied under Associate Professor Michele Walsh at Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University, graduating with First Class Honours and the University Medal.

In 2025 she was a founding member of the Antipodes Quartet, working under the close mentorship of the New Zealand String Quartet. With the Antipodes Quartet, Eden undertook an extensive national tour across New Zealand and in 2026 and will appear at the Adam International Chamber Music Festival. Eden also played as a Guest Artist with the New Zealand String Quartet.

Eden has performed as part of some of Australia’s best ensembles, notably the Australian World Orchestra’s AWO 6 project, Ensemble Q, Arcadia Winds, the Partridge Quartet and the Australian Youth Orchestra. In 2026, she will be an Upbeat Emerging Artist with Camerata – Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra.

Alongside her artistic pursuits, she was also selected as one of Australia’s top undergraduate students for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade New Colombo Plan Scholarship, leading her to spend a year in Japan researching cultural influences in Tōru Takemitsu’s music. Her passion for music as a tool of cross-cultural exchange led her to co-found Duo Aki with saxophonist Lola Schuele, where she represented Australia at the Cultural Pavilion at the Osaka World Expo.

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. 

Maddie Hammond is a Perth-based composer who is completing her Master of Teaching (Secondary Education) in Music and English. Madeleine has an Honours degree in Composition at the Conservatorium of Music, from the University of Western Australia and is currently completing her Master of Teaching (Secondary Education) majoring in Music and minoring in English. Maddie has attended the Australian Youth Orchestra’s National Music Camp for Composition, Words About Music (Media & Communications), and Orchestral Management from 2023-2025. Maddie was an inaugural member of the AYOYC. Maddie has composed for several ensembles such as AYO’s National Musical Camp, the Australian Women’s Wind Band Prize, UWA Conservatorium of Music’s Wind Orchestra, and Voyces’ Vanguard Consort. Maddie is also a keen trumpeter playing regularly with WA Brass, the West Australian Wind Symphony, and West Coast Philharmonic Orchestra.

Noah is a dynamic young musician from Bendigo, Victoria, on Dja Dja Wurrung country. He has performed side-by-side with most of Australia’s professional orchestras and as an artist at the Bendigo Chamber Music Festival and Port Fairy Spring Music Festival. As a soloist, he has performed with the Percy Grainger Youth Orchestra and twice with the Bendigo Symphony Orchestra. Having completed three years of study under Howard Penny at the Australian National Academy of Music, he is looking forward to taking up the position of Fellow with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 2025. Noah started his journey with the AYO in 2018 at Young Symphonists and continued on to National Music Camp, Seasons, Chamber Players, and all of AYO’s programs throughout the years. Music for Noah is all about connection, and he is thrilled to have the opportunity to do so again with the AYO in 2025.

The Associate Principal Cello Chair is generously supported by Carolyn Fletcher AM.

Vanessa Liang is a Year 10 student at Melbourne Girls Grammar School and an emerging Australian violist and pianist. She holds Licentiate in Music Australia (LMusA) diplomas in both viola and piano. She is one of the viola leaders of the Melbourne Youth Orchestra and principal violist for several youth ensembles. Vanessa has performed internationally across Europe and Asia and has won numerous international piano competitions. 

Passionate about connecting music to make a meaningful social impact, Vanessa is a founding member of Slentando Charity, bringing live performances and joy to elderly communities. She also founded the Steinway Charity Concert for St Vincent’s Hospital Foundation, harnessing the power of music to inspire generosity and support vital hospital fundraising initiatives. 

Haneulle is an emerging violinist who grew up in Adelaide and has been part of the AYO family since 2022. Graduating with an Honours (Class I) degree from Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University in 2025, Haneulle studied with Associate Professor Michele Walsh and received valuable mentoring during her degree from renowned ensembles such as the Australian String Quartet and Cuarteto Quiroga. Haneulle represented Griffith University at the 2024 Musical Chairs Chamber Festival held in Montreal and toured with the Australian Youth Orchestra to Europe last year. A 2024 Queensland Symphony Orchestra Academist, she now appears regularly with the orchestra as a casual player. Haneulle’s commitment to her musical community was recently acknowledged through the generous awards of the Conservatorium Medal (co-recipient, 2024) and the Richard Pollett Memorial Award (2025).

QiQi is a Melbourne-based Chinese-Australian multi-instrumentalist and composer whose work blends traditional Chinese instrumentation with jazz, classical and contemporary forms. Classically trained in double bass and guzheng, their performances span concert halls, festivals and major cultural institutions including the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and Crown Palladium. Their original work Elysian Blues premiered at Melbourne Fringe and received nominations for Best New Work and Spirit of the Fringe. QiQi is currently developing Echoes of the Earth, an immersive multidisciplinary performance tracing the story of our planet through music, visuals and live performance. 

Tirion is a young arts administration professional, percussionist, musicology student and AYO alumni. She has worked in the media as a program producer for ABC Classic and Jazz and has developed a passion for making classical music accessible to broader Australian audiences. 

Her own experience growing up in regional Queensland with a moderate exposure to classical music has landed her in the depths of the Melbourne Classical music industry, advocating for more opportunities for growth across the arts. She focuses her studies on the role classical music organisations play in the community and how they balance their economic commitments with their cultural value.

Clara Moloney is a Year 12 student at Fort Street High School in Sydney. Clara started learning the cello at age four. Clara has been playing in AYO programs since 2024 when she attended her first National Music Camp. One highlight for her was playing Sibelius’ 2nd Symphony under the direction of Maestro Alexander Briger at National Music Camp in 2025.

Outside of AYO, Clara is the recipient of an Arthur Cunningham Scholarship at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music’s Rising Stars program, where she studies with Susan Blake. In 2023, Clara won the Junior section of the NSW Secondary Schools Concerto Competition and in 2024, she won the Open Age Cello section of the Sydney Eisteddfod and 2nd prize in the PolMusica Competition.

Clara was a finalist in the 2025 John Curro National Youth Concerto Competition, where she performed Dvorak’s Cello Concerto with the Queensland Youth Symphony in Brisbane. Furthermore, in November of 2025, with her String Quartet, Lumina, Clara toured jointly with the Flinders Quartet as part of the Flinders Quartet Mentorship Prize, awarded to Lumina in the 2024 Grand Final of Musica Viva’s Strike a Chord competition. Clara is also a keen participant in the Australian Chamber Orchestra Academy and has performed in masterclasses with Julian Smiles and Liwei Qin.

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. 

Marcus Tyler is a cellist from Sydney who commenced learning the cello at the age of three through the Suzuki method. He achieved his AMusA with Distinction in 2023. 

Marcus is currently part of the Rising Stars Program at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where he has held an Arthur Cunningham Scholarship for several years. He has always enjoyed making music, particularly in orchestral settings. He has been a member of the Sydney Youth Orchestra since 2023 and has participated in several Australian Youth Orchestra programs since 2022. Marcus also enjoys chamber music and participates in several groups. In 2024, he was a finalist in Musica Viva’s Strike A Chord competition as a member of the Astra Octet.  

Marcus served as a member of the inaugural AYO Youth Council in 2024 and looks forward to continuing in 2025 to contribute to initiatives that support and empower young orchestral musicians across Australia. 

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.

Mark Wilson is a Melbourne-based musician and current participant of AYO’s 2026 Media and Communication fellowship program, under the mentorship of Andrew Aronowicz. Hailing from Perth, WA, Mark is excited to join in AYO’s championing of the next generation of classical music.

Mark Wilson is a flutist, pianist, educator and passionate advocate for all things music. Mark holds a Bachelor of Music (Classical Performance hons.) from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), part of the Edith Cowan University (ECU). Since graduating, Mark has continued to explore ways of demonstrating his artistry within the community, whether that’s through teaching, collaborative arts projects, or attending as many concerts as possible. Mark is excited about continuing the work he has done at the 2026 National Music Camp as part of the Media and Communication program, particularly in the mediums of reviewing, long-form writing, and broadcast.

Amanda Wong is Brisbane-based writer, teacher and flute player who nurtures a fierce passion for the arts and performance. She graduated from The University of Queensland pursuing her two loves—music and creative writing—with a dual degree in a Bachelor of Music (Hons) and a Bachelor of Arts with an extended major in writing. Amanda is also a published author: her short story, Origins, was released in the Jacaranda Journal’s Volume 11.1, Exposed Roots. As a current participant in the Australian Youth Orchestra’s Media and Communication program, Amanda loves to connect people to the power of music through music journalism. When she isn’t tooting away on the flute with friends, she loves to read and write all kinds of storytelling.

Yo Yo’s first joys of performing for a live audience came from busking as a child on the city streets of Little Bourke, sparking the seeds for her growing passion towards music!  

Yo Yo was admitted to study at The Melbourne Conservatorium of Music with a Bachelor of Music Entrance Grant, and is currently learning under the guidance of Associate Professor Sophie Rowell. She is a recipient of the Kate Flowers Memorial scholarship (2025), Alfred Artingstall Prize (2025) and was awarded the Corinna D’Hage Mayer String Scholarship and the Brunner Music Prize for Improvement in 2024. She is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School (VCASS), where she studied with esteemed teachers including Monica Naselow and Christine Johnson.   

A highlight of 2025 was when she performed with the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra in their 2026 New Year’s concert under maestro Zhang. She’s also had the opportunity to perform with the National Ballet of China Symphony Orchestra in Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), for their 2025 New Year’s gala concert.   

Yo Yo has also learned a lot from working with musicians of the ACO as concertmaster of the Melbourne University String Ensemble, as well as the ASQ and various international artists from the Mimir Chamber Music Festival. These opportunities have truly cemented her passion for ensemble collaboration and performance! 

Noah is a dynamic young musician from Bendigo, Victoria, on Dja Dja Wurrung country. He has performed side-by-side with most of Australia’s professional orchestras and as an artist at the Bendigo Chamber Music Festival and Port Fairy Spring Music Festival. As a soloist, he has performed with the Percy Grainger Youth Orchestra and twice with the Bendigo Symphony Orchestra. Having completed three years of study under Howard Penny at the Australian National Academy of Music, he is looking forward to taking up the position of Fellow with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 2025. Noah started his journey with the AYO in 2018 at Young Symphonists and continued on to National Music Camp, Seasons, Chamber Players, and all of AYO’s programs throughout the years. Music for Noah is all about connection, and he is thrilled to have the opportunity to do so again with the AYO in 2025.

The Associate Principal Cello Chair is generously supported by Carolyn Fletcher AM.

Maddie Hammond is a Perth-based composer who is completing her Master of Teaching (Secondary Education) in Music and English. Madeleine has an Honours degree in Composition at the Conservatorium of Music, from the University of Western Australia and is currently completing her Master of Teaching (Secondary Education) majoring in Music and minoring in English. Maddie has attended the Australian Youth Orchestra’s National Music Camp for Composition, Words About Music (Media & Communications), and Orchestral Management from 2023-2025. Maddie was an inaugural member of the AYOYC. Maddie has composed for several ensembles such as AYO’s National Musical Camp, the Australian Women’s Wind Band Prize, UWA Conservatorium of Music’s Wind Orchestra, and Voyces’ Vanguard Consort. Maddie is also a keen trumpeter playing regularly with WA Brass, the West Australian Wind Symphony, and West Coast Philharmonic Orchestra.