The SBS Radio and Television Youth Orchestra (SBS Youth Orchestra) located in Sydney, was one of the premier

youth orchestra A youth orchestra is an orchestra made of young musicians, typically ranging from pre-teens or teenagers to those of conservatory age. Depending on the age range and selectiveness, they may serve different purposes. Orchestras for young stude ...

s of Australia. It was founded in 1988 by the Russian-born conductor

Matthew Krel Matthew Krel (194520 May 2009) was a Russian-Jewish conducting, conductor who migrated to Australia and in 1988 founded the SBS Radio and Television Youth Orchestra, of which he was the chief conductor until his death. Like his Soviet Union, Sovi ...

, who died in 2009. It was disbanded in 2013. From its inception it provided young musicians with extensive exposure to media publicity: the orchestra has made 30 TV programs and five CDs and has been aired on ABC Classic FM. As well as being broadcast on television and radio nationwide, it had a challenging concert schedule, performing at venues such as the Sydney Opera House and

Sydney Town Hall The Sydney Town Hall is a late 19th-century heritage-listed town hall building in the city of Sydney, the capital city of New South Wales, Australia, housing the chambers of the Lord Mayor of Sydney, council offices, and venues for meetings an ...

every year. The orchestra toured internationally, giving its members opportunities to showcase their repertoire abroad and experience different cultural environments. Since 1993 it toured New Zealand, Tonga, Taiwan, New Caledonia, Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Malta, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Japan, Estonia, Finland, Russia, the People's Republic of China, Spain, Hong Kong and Macau. The members of the orchestra were aged from 12 to 25 and came from a variety of cultural backgrounds. They worked with many international artists, including Giuseppe Giglio (Italy), Roman Rudnytsky (USA), Jansyk Kakhidze (Georgia), Christina Ortiz (England), Dimka Ashkenazy (England), and

Liam O'Flynn Liam Óg O'Flynn ( ga, Liam Ó Floinn, 15 September 1945 – 14 March 2018) was an Irish uilleann piper and Irish traditional musician. In addition to a solo career and as a member of Planxty, O'Flynn recorded with: Christy Moore, Dónal Lun ...

(Ireland). The Australian artists they performed with include Horst Hoffmann,

Myer Fredman Myer Fredman (29 January 1932 – 4 July 2014) was a United Kingdom, British-Australian Conducting, conductor. He studied at Dartington Hall and in London with Peter Gellhorn, Vilém Tauský, Sir Adrian Boult, and was assistant conductor to Otto ...

Kathryn Selby Kathryn Shauna Selby Member of the Order of Australia, AM (born 1962) is an Australian Classical music, classical piano, pianist. She is often known as Kathy Selby. Biography She grew up in Sydney. She entered the Sydney Conservatorium of Music ...

Donald Hazelwood Donald Leslie Grant Hazelwood AO OBE (born 1 March 1930) is a celebrated Australian violinist and concert master. Career 1952-1998 Donald Hazelwood first played with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 1952, as a second violinist under Eugene ...

, Marilyn Meier, Dene Olding,

Don Burrows Donald Vernon Burrows (8 August 1928 – 12 March 2020) was an Australian jazz and swing musician who played clarinet, saxophone and flute. Life and career Donald Vernon Burrows was born on 8 August 1928, the only child of Vernon and Beryl and ...

, James Morrison, Geoffrey Collins, Nicole Youl, Elizabeth Whitehouse,

Rosario La Spina Rosario La Spina is an Australian operatic tenor who has had an active international career since the early 2000s. He has worked with many leading opera houses and orchestras, singing under such conductors as Renato Palumbo, Bruno Bartoletti, ...

, Judy Bailey, Chris Shepard, Stephen Mould and

Simon Tedeschi Simon Tedeschi (born 1 May 1981) is an Australian classical pianist and writer. Early life Tedeschi was born in Gosford to Mark Tedeschi QC, Senior Crown Prosecutor for New South Wales, and doctor Vivienne Tedeschi, the daughter of a Polis ...

. In November 2013, the Board announced the disbanding of the orchestra, and the endowment of a position in the Fellowship Program, one of the main education programs of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, in perpetual remembrance of Matthew Krel. The orchestra's final performance was on 1 December 2013, at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre in Penrith, New South Wales under the baton of Simon Thew.''Sydney Morning Herald'', 20 November 2013
"Elite musicians devastated as SBS youth orchestra disbands"
Retrieved 14 April 2014

Key facts

*Established in 1988. *Founding Conductor and Artistic Director:

(1945-2009) *Orchestral Manager/Assistant Conductor: Simon Thew (-2008) *Orchestral Manager: Fatima De Assis (2008-) *Honorary Secretary: Ian Hamilton *Musical Director: Joanna Drimatis (2010) *Conductors 2009: Simon Thew, Robert Johnson, Ronald Prussing *Conductors 2010: Simon Thew, Geoff Gartner and Joanna Drimatis * Guest Conductors 2011: Simon Thew, Geoff Gartner and

Carolyn Watson Carolyn Narelle Watson is an Australian conductor. Education Carolyn Watson attended Figtree High School and studied at the Wollongong Conservatorium of Music before pursuing an undergraduate degree at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. From ...

* Guest conductors 2012: Thomas Tsai, Geoff Gartner and Simon Thew * Chief Conductor: Thomas Tsai (2013), guest Simon Thew * Disbanded 2013. Final concert 1 December 2013, Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, Penrith.

References

External links

SBS Youth Orchestra website
Australian youth orchestras Disbanded orchestras Musical groups established in 1988 Musical groups disestablished in 2013 Special Broadcasting Service 1988 establishments in Australia 2013 disestablishments in Australia {{orchestra-stub

Key facts

See also

References

External links