11 July 2025
Up, up and away to Amsterdam by Julia Hill
AYO Tour Blog
“How are you finding the repertoire?”
“That last page of the Tchaik…”
“I’m almost there… just got a few more parts that need solidifying”
These are the conversations I heard bubbling through the air as my fellow members of the Australian Youth Orchestra arrived in Sydney. We weren’t there for too long though; there was only one night before we departed for our first international tour in six years.
We may not have even played a note yet, but you could feel the anticipation whirling around the dining room as our trustworthy AYO team; Warren Lenthall (Director of Operations), Kimbali Harding (CEO), Dr Alanna (our tour doctor) and Johanna Mulholland (Director of Engagement) lead us through the tour brief.
The faces of the orchestra as they learn about previous years’ tick incidents.
The upcoming three weeks are destined to be “the best time of our lives” (Lenthall, 2025) as we tour through The Netherlands, Germany and Austria before presenting our final performance at the Sydney Opera House.
With the essentials having been communicated clearly (avoid the ticks in the forest outside the rehearsal venue, and how to say “Could I please order a stroopwafel” in Dutch), and with ressie Chris Robson having been wished a Happy Birthday, we were ready for our three flights to the Netherlands. Well, only two flights if you were a lucky ducky in the Singapore Airlines group. 😉
Our Western Australian musicians arrive at the Akoesticum!
Over 20 hours of flying later, and we had made it to Amsterdam. Many of our suitcases, however, had decided to go on a holiday in London… so whilst ‘ressies’ (residential coordinators) Chris and Georgia Gamble wrangled with airlines to find our missing luggage (thank you!!), we took the opportunity to either a) catch up on sleep, b) explore Amsterdam and Utrecht or c) practise.
Come two hours before the first rehearsal and our rehearsal venue/accommodation, the Akoesticum in Ede, was brimming with the sounds of Chance, Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov. There’s always a buzz that accompanies a first rehearsal of a youth orchestra – is all that practise we did going to stick in the rehearsal room?
I’d say that it did stick! Over three tutti rehearsals so far, we have felt the sand of Australia’s outback sting our faces in Sculthorpe’s Earth Cry, been entangled in Chance’s kaleidoscopic Through Changing Landscape and have listened Scheherazade’s stories as she sings us to sleep in the Rimsky-Korsakov classic.
As I write this, there is more to explore over the coming days; Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E Minor and Ravel’s Tzigane with violin soloist Christian Li. William Barton will also be joining us for Earth Cry on didgeridoo. I can’t wait to be a part of this concert we will create together. Niendorf auf Poel, Vienna, Graz, Amsterdam, Wiesbaden, Berlin, Sydney… here we come!
Homecoming Concert | 31 July at Sydney Opera House: Tickets HERE