Adelaide Youth Orchestra

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In November 2001, Adelaide Youth Orchestra emerged onto the scene with a season of rehearsals and concerts with guest conductors such as Marco Zuccarini, Richard Gill and Nicholas Braithwaite. In 2003, Keith Crellin OAM, following an impressive career as the founding violist of the Australian String Quartet, tutor and director of Australian Youth Orchestra’s programs and Head of Strings at the Elder Conservatorium of Music became its first full-time conductor. Under his leadership, the orchestra moved from rehearsing in short periods, to one that rehearsed weekly. The continuity of rehearsals, combined with the engagement of professional colleagues from the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and the Elder Conservatorium of Music has helped create an orchestra where students are able to flourish to their fullest.

Each year the Adelaide Youth Orchestra presents three concerts as part of Adelaide Youth Orchestras’ acclaimed Maestro Series concert program at Elder Hall. During their 2010 season, the orchestra performed works including: Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5¸ Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8 and performed Poulenc’s Concert champêtre with acclaimed pianist and French piano music specialist, Roy Howat.

The Adelaide Youth Orchestra consists of 80 young musicians ranging in ages and backgrounds from 14 to 25, with a number of the senior woodwind and brass positions regularly being filled by Elder Conservatorium students. Numerous graduates have been privileged to be selected to participate in the Australian Youth Orchestra’s National Music Camp. A small number have since also become students at the Australian National Academy of Music, members of the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s emerging artists ensemble, A^CO₂ and others have become members of Australia’s state orchestras.

In 2009, Adelaide Youth Orchestra undertook their inaugural regional tour to Noarlunga, Renmark, Tanunda and Adelaide with State Opera of SA’s young artists, tenor Robert Macfarlane and soprano, Rachel McCall. This tour allowed over 3,000 regional SA audiences to experience AdYO and it helped foster an esprit d’corp amongst the musicians.

During their 2011 season, marking the orchestra’s 10^th anniversary, they performed two concerti with past AdYO musicians, internationally acclaimed cellist, Pei Sian Ng and ASO horn player, Bryan Griffiths. To finish 2011, they gave the world premiere of Calvin Bowman’s song cycle with tenor, Robert Macfarlane as soloist.