Applications are now open to join the Australian Youth Orchestra (AYO) for 2027. Are you a young musician ready to take your music to the next level? This could be your moment.
AYO is one of the world’s most prestigious and innovative training organisations for young musicians. It holds a unique place in Australia’s musical landscape. For more than 75 years, AYO has brought together Australia’s most talented young artists, creating an established pathway for the next generation of music professionals.
Joining the Australian Youth Orchestra is not just about perfecting your technique and playing the well-known classical repertoire. It’s about young people coming together from across the country and discovering what’s possible when they connect through music.
Cellist Noah Lawrence started playing the cello at home in Bendigo when he was 8-years-old and joined AYO at 15 with the Symphonists program; he’s now a Fellow with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and says AYO was a key part of his musical development.
‘As I’ve grown as a musician, I’ve had so many different experiences with AYO,’ he says. ‘Eventually I joined the flagship AYO orchestra, where I had the chance to learn from leading conductors and perform with inspiring solo musicians.’
AYO is not just for young musicians dreaming of performing with a world-class orchestra. There are also programs in composition, sound production, media and communications, and arts management that run alongside the acclaimed orchestral training.
At the heart of the AYO experience is the National Music Camp held in Adelaide each January. This gives the young musicians a period of intensive rehearsals, working with inspiring tutors, and shared with their fellow AYO members who understand their passion and dedication to music.
Lawrence says the music camps were a really important part of his AYO experience. ‘I was given a chance to really push myself in serious orchestral and chamber music,’ he says. ‘But it’s not just the musical training that makes it so special; it’s also a very strong community. People take care of each other and often keep in touch for life.’
Finding that sense of belonging is a major part of AYO’s appeal, particularly for young musicians from regional Australia. Participants achieve much more than just enhancing their musical abilities. They develop their personal and professional skills in confidence, independence, teamwork, and leadership all while building long-term friendships and professional networks.
The Australian Youth Orchestra: new partnership
It’s an exciting time for AYO with a new international partnership. Next year, musicians from AYO Symphonists will travel to Singapore to work with the Singapore National Youth Orchestra and the New Zealand (NZSO) National Youth Orchestra.
There will be an intensive residential program and a major concert performance in Singapore with esteemed German conductor Christoph Altstaedt. Importantly, AYO ensures that study time is built into the tour, so school and university students can continue their academic work while travelling.
For many young musicians, this will be their first opportunity to collaborate internationally and perform overseas, experiences Lawrence says can be transformative. ‘Last year AYO went on a tour to Europe, which really was life-changing,’ he says. ‘Experiencing those places was invaluable.’
AYO offers a range of programs designed to complement participants’ school and university commitments. Scholarships are available across the program, and application fees are waived for First Nations applicants, helping to ensure that talented young musicians from across the country don’t miss out.
The application process includes a video audition. Noah Lawrence admits this can be daunting but encourages all young musicians to have a go. ‘Preparing your audition is the hard part,’ he says ‘but I am so grateful that I took on the challenge of auditioning every year. It really has led to some extraordinary experiences, lifelong friends, and lots of musical and personal growth, so go for it.’
