Adelaide Youth Strings

Home > About Us > Orchestras > Adelaide Youth Strings

Adelaide Youth Strings, directed by ASO violist and well-known string educator, Martin Butler is Adelaide Youth Orchestra’s primary string orchestra. Each year it provides over 45 young string musicians aged 8 to 12, the opportunity to learn string related skills, in terms of intonation, bowing, tuning and ensemble skills, in a fun, energetic and nurturing environment. This skill development helps prepare many of the students who as they start high school also graduate to the Adelaide Youth Sinfonia.

In preparation for concerts in venues including Adelaide Town Hall, Elder Hall, Adelaide and Monarto Zoo, Botanic Gardens and Elder Park, the orchestras learns a diverse array of repertoire ranging from folk to world to jazz to popular and classical.

Apart from presenting concerts, Adelaide Youth Strings also presents an annual schools tour to metropolitan primary school, where Martin Butler also provides highly entertaining and educational concerts to over 2,500 students.

During 2010 they hosted the Australian Youth Orchestra’s String Quartet as ensemble in residence at their annual camp. They also prepared and performed over 15 works, which included Jenkins’ Palladio, Helium by Richard Meyer, Ashokan Farewell and the film music to the 21^st century Bollywood movie, Slumdog Millionaire.

While celebrating their 10^th anniversary in 2011, Adelaide Youth Strings presented concerts at the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide, Marion Cultural Centre, ASO Santos Symphony Under the Stars and featured in the AdYO 10^th Anniversary Gala Concert.