About AYO

The Australian Youth Orchestra (AYO) holds a reputation for being one of the world’s most prestigious and innovative training organisations for young musicians. Our unique, specialised training pathway has been specifically created to nurture the musical development of the most gifted young instrumentalists to be found across metropolitan and regional Australia: from exceptional school-aged musicians, to emerging young practitioners, to those on the verge of a professional career. AYO presents tailored training and performance programs each year for aspiring musicians, composers, arts administrators and music journalists aged 12 to 30 to help them achieve their goals.

How should I choose a program?

Each of our programs caters to Australia’s finest young musicians at varying stages of their creative and professional development. Many participants start as young as twelve and follow the AYO training pathway from start to finish, while others select individual programs that complement their study schedule and stages of development. AYO offers the flexibility to pick and choose the programs that suit you best, and we encourage you to apply for all programs you are eligible and available for. Our programs are varied to suit your needs, and there is plenty to choose from, ranging from performance-based to non-instrumental programs.