YOUNG TALENT TAKES FLIGHT
Explore Brave New Worlds, as young musicians descend to the Top End, adorned in designs unique to Central Australia.
WORDS BROOKE GIBBS
IMAGE HAROLD DE SMET
THE AUSTRALIAN YOUTH Orchestra (AYO) marks an exciting milestone as they travel to the Top End for the first time in over 30 years. They bring with them a thrilling program featuring Shostakovich’s haunting Cello Concerto No.1 and the sweeping gestures of Beethoven's Eroica Symphony, conducted by the dynamic Antony Hermus.
Internationally acclaimed cellist and AYO alumna, Charlotte Miles, joins as a soloist, bringing intensity and nuance to Shostakovich’s powerful work with rhythmic textures and obsessive motifs.
Composed over 150 years apart, both works chart a stylistic evolution from modernist introspection to romantic grandeur, but are united by themes of heroism, defiance and emotional intensity.
22-year-old double bassist, Alyssa Deacon, recently graduated from Queensland Conservatorium. She has played with Queensland Youth Symphony and toured internationally with AYO last year. Now, she’s excited to head to Darwin.
“AYO has taken me all over Australia, and I’m super excited to finally go to the Northern Territory because I’ve never been and I’m looking forward to the warmth,” Deacon says.
“I’m excited for Darwin audiences to hear the whole program. We get to use some pretty whacky stuff. I mean, the bassists get to play with timpani sticks, so I think there’ll be something for everyone.”
One thing Deacon really loves about AYO is collaborating with so many young people who share her same passion for music.
“It’s amazing, and I’m so glad it’s all across Australia. I make friends with people who are from completely different cities, and we only get to see each other once or twice a year. AYO brings us all together and it’s really nice to come together with people who share the same love for music that I do. It’s really great,” she says.
“I love playing the double bass in these pieces. It’s maybe not the most convenient to play, but that’s why I love it so much. I love the part we get to play in the orchestra, all of the bassists and the community. It’s really, really nice. I have so many friends who play and I just think I lucked out.”
Playing horns is Melbourne’s Henry Eames, who has just started his first year at the Australian National Academy of Music after graduating from Monash University with two degrees in music and education.
“I’m looking forward to experiencing the Darwin music scene. One of the horns in the DSO [Darwin Symphony Orchestra], Jethro, was at NMC [National Music Camp] with us this year and from what I heard, the city seems young and energetic which is exciting to hear,” he says.
“I’m excited for the audience to hear the Shosta Cello Concerto. It has an unreal horn part that’s super edgy and exciting. I’m also keen to hear how the soloist will bring energy to the performance.”
Eames says he hopes Darwin audiences can take away the importance of youth music.
“I hope that the joy and energy we bring on stage can inspire people to support youth music,” he says.
As the orchestra takes to the stage in Darwin, the musicians wear beautifully handcrafted works of art from Ikuntji Artists based in the remote Northern Territory community of Haasts Bluff, 230kms west of Alice Springs.
Audience members catch glimpses of gold and silver, vibrant Australian hues and bold patterns as the musicians perform proudly donning these striking garments featuring designs by First Nations artists.
With designs unique to Central Australia, the artists draw on their personal ngurra (Country) and Tjukurrpa (Dreaming) for story inspiration, notably the sandhills, water holes, mountains and sandy plains of the West MacDonnell Ranges.
“They’re so cool, aren’t they? I just love how they look because we usually wear concert blacks and it’s not the most interesting,” Deacon says.
“I love the colour it brings to the ensemble. I think it makes us more interesting to look at, and we get to wear a different one each time. It means a lot to be wearing those designs from artists.”
Brave New Worlds
WHEN FRI 17 JUL | 7PM
AT AANT CENTRE
COST $10-$25
INFO ayo.com.au
