Steel City Strings biennial youth program returns in 2021, showcasing some of the region’s most talented young musicians.

Hana Lee, winner of the recent Concerto Competition at the Wollongong Conservatorium of Music, will play a movement of the Mozart Violin Concerto in A Major and Tomas Phillips will play a movement from the achingly beautiful Mozart Clarinet Concerto with the orchestra that includes a number of young players. 

Young violinist Elliot Winn will be playing some  Bach and Vivaldi duets with Artistic Director
Kyle Little and vocalist Daisy Pring (featured artist in the NSW Schools Spectacular last year) brings her contemporary style to the program, with special arrangements by composer John Spence of the Wollongong Con.

This year the orchestra held a Composition Competition, advertised statewide and open to those under age 25. It attracted 19 entries. The winner was Recovery by 17-year-old Western Sydney composer Adriel Sukumar, who earned the $1000 prize and the opportunity to have his work performed in three concerts across our region. His composition was inspired by the pandemic – given the situation in India it will be even more poignant when performed.

Artistic Director Kyle Little says it is really pleasing to see such promising young performers featured in this year’s program. 

“It is important for us to continue to provide performance opportunities for emerging artists in our region,” he says. 

Cedar-Rose Newman of Wombarra, who has been a soloist in previous programs, certainly values her performance experience with the orchestra and says that opportunities like this program have been pivotal to her development
as a performer. 

Celebration of Youth is proudly supported by Create NSW.

Concerts will be held at Chevalier Performing Arts Centre, Burradoo (2pm, Sun 20 June); Wollongong Town Hall (7.30pm, Sat 26 June); and Nowra School of Arts (2pm, Sun 27 June). 

Bookings via www.steelcitystrings.com.au or www.wollongongtownhall.com.au