15 July 2026
Teresa Yang named Richard Pollett Memorial Award recipient
AYO is pleased to announce accomplished violinist Teresa Yang as the recipient of the 2026 Richard Pollett Memorial Award.
The award, which was announced at a ceremony in Sydney on Tuesday 14 July, honours the memory of Richard Pollett, a gifted violinist and beloved member of the AYO community who tragically passed away in 2011. Established by Richard’s family in partnership with AYO, the award celebrates young violinists who embody both exceptional musical talent and personal integrity. Over the past 14 years, it has empowered emerging Australian artists at pivotal moments in their careers.
A 2024 graduate and former Head Prefect of Meriden School in Strathfield, NSW, Teresa has just completed her first year of her Bachelor of Music at the world-renowned Juilliard School in New York, where she is studying on a full-tuition scholarship with Catherine Cho.
Teresa has been performing with AYO since 2022, was AYO Chamber Orchestra’s Concertmaster during the 2024 National Music Camp and last year travelled on tour with the flagship Australian Youth Orchestra performing under the baton of David Robertson in venues across Europe, including the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the Musikverein in Vienna.
More recently, Teresa was one of 19 young violinists selected globally to be part of this year’s intensive eight-week Taos Chamber Music Festival summer school in New Mexico. Every year since 1963, nineteen elite young artists from around the world are invited to Taos to study chamber music with famed string quartets and Taos School of Music alumni can be found in major orchestras and preeminent chamber music ensembles throughout the world.
“It means the world to me to have received the Richard Pollett Memorial Award as the award not only acknowledges the recipient’s level of violin-playing but equally, if not more so, takes into consideration the qualities of the person, which I value deeply,” said Teresa.
“I am so grateful for the support that it brings me, as I know the great sacrifices that my family makes to financially support me, especially in my current study at the Juilliard School in New York.”
Teresa said I feel incredibly honoured to have been given this opportunity to honour Richard Pollett. “When I first found out what the Richard Pollett Memorial Award was a few years ago, I was very moved by the way that Patricia and Philip Pollett responded to the terrible tragedy in their lives through such a generous and positive contribution to the world.
“When I received the news that I was selected for the award this year, I was told that “there are no caveats or conditions attached to this award, it is simply a gift that we hope will make your future endeavours that little bit easier to attain”, which is so beautiful. I feel humbled to be the recipient of such kindness in the world and will do my best to carry forward Richard’s legacy.”
Reflecting on her first year at Julliard, Teresa said the past 12 months have been full of diverse experiences and learning. She plans to use the prize money to help support her while living and studying in New York.
“Despite having a full-tuition scholarship, living in New York is expensive. The prize money will also be more than sufficient to allow me to travel between Australia and the US for school, festivals and other opportunities worry-free, helping me to maintain a connection with my homeland while studying abroad.”