About us
Nova Youth Orchestra & Nova Camerata
Since its formation in 1990, the Nova Youth Orchestra has given wonderful opportunities for hundreds of young people to participate in the making of wonderful music, to enjoy the company and encouragement of each other, and to share the joy and pleasure of rehearsals and performances.
Our orchestra is based at Sydney's North Shore, and our members come from a large area both within and around Sydney, ranging in age from eleven to eighteen. Rehearsals are held each Saturday afternoon for two hours during school terms. Members of the orchestra play for their love of music and for the friendships that they develop over the years.
We play a wide variety of music, including classical, contemporary and popular film music.
The Nova Camerata is a chamber string ensemble consisting of players who played with the Nova Youth Orchestra and continue to be involved as adults. Rehearsals are held every Monday evening during school terms.
Our Achievements
Over the years, our orchestra has taken part in many charity events, raising funds for organisations such as the Smith Family, the Sydney Opera House Appeal and the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. We hold annual concerts for general audiences and have also played regularly at retirement villages. The NYO holds awards in both local and national competitions and has performed for the Prime Minister of Australia and the President of Singapore.
In 2002, the NYO toured the Australian Outback, bringing music to remote communities.
The NYO has acquired an international reputation through its foreign tours, to New Zealand, Singapore, the USA and, recently, China. A tour to Europe will take place in April 2009, with performances in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Testimonials
"I have had the pleasure of working with the Nova Youth Orchestra on several occasions and have enjoyed the experiences very much. I have found them a body of young musicians, which has as its base the joy of working with music. I would encourage anyone to participate in this enthusiastic and committed orchestra."
Donald Hazelwood
Concertmaster Emeritus, Sydney Symphony
"My time in the Nova Youth Orchestra forms a cornerstone of my musical experience. I owe my love of ensemble playing to the years I spent associated with this orchestra and I believe that the experiences gained through it under the consistently passionate direction of its conductors have been instrumental, as it were, in my musical development ..... NYO’s dedicated and creatively gifted conductors, its active involvement in the community, its drive to perform internationally, and the lasting friendships I made through it, allow me to look back on my time in the orchestra very fondly – Nova will always be with me in my music."
Kieran Ledwidge
Former NYO Concertmaster
"I was a member of Nova Youth Orchestra from 1992-1995 and spent some of my best Saturday afternoons at orchestra rehearsals. I learnt so much from playing music with other young people under terrific conductors and tutors, and the friendships that I made over the years have lasted me for more than a decade. Being a member of NYO gave me the opportunity to perform regularly and to take part in international tours to Singapore and the USA, which were experiences that I will never forget. My time playing in Nova Youth Orchestra prepared me for further study at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and The Australian Institute of Music. I have continued my association with the Nova community as a violin and musicianship teacher, orchestra tutor and as leader of Nova Camerata."
Quyen Lee
Former NYO Concertmaster
"The opportunity to play in an orchestra is something every young musician should experience and being a member of the Nova Youth Orchestra made it a fun and extremely rewarding one for me. Learning and performing some fantastic music with other young people who also love music, working with fantastic tutors and performers, and seeing the smiling faces of the audience at every performance – it was always such a joy to know I was part of a wonderful group. The years I spent as a member and later leader of NYO vastly expanded my musical repertoire and increased my confidence as a performer, and produced some lasting friendships and memories. I always look back on those Saturday afternoons with real fondness and appreciation."
Lisa Narroway
Former NYO Concertmaster
Our Musical Directors
Martin Smith (Musical Director, Emeritus)
Martin Smith has been playing and teaching the violin and viola for the last 35 years and has extensive experience in teaching students of all ages. His area of specialty is working with young children. He is an accomplished conductor of both string and full symphony orchestras and is currently the Music Master at the Sydney Grammar St Ives Preparatory School.
Martin has conducted and tutored at numerous music camps and has led musical tours within Australia and to New Zealand. Further afield, Martin has toured with the NYO to Singapore (twice), the USA in 2005 and China in 2007, and with the Nova Camerata to Italy in 2005.
Martin has been Musical Director of the NYO since its inception in 1991, and his achievements were recognized in August 2001 with an Orchestras of Australia Individual Award for fostering excellence, innovation and creativity in an orchestra in a metropolitan area.
Alasdair Vickers
Alasdair Vickers graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree in performance on the violin from the University of Sydney in 1998. Since then he has taught violin at primary and secondary schools around Sydney, tutored at a number of music camps and currently holds the position of Assistant Master of Music at the Sydney Grammar St Ives Preparatory School.
Alasdair has toured extensively, performing and conducting in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, the USA, Italy and China with orchestras, chamber groups and choirs. He has had experience conducting school string orchestras, symphony orchestras and chamber groups and has been Musical Director of the NYO for the last four years.
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