The Spokesman-Review reported that the Spokane Youth Symphony Orchestra recently performed at the Sydney Opera House as part of an Australian tour.
The teenage ensemble presented Aaron Copland’s “Down a Country Lane” and “Old American Songs,” Camille Saint‑Saëns’s “A Night in Lisbon,” excerpts from Johannes Brahms’s Serenade Op. 11 No. 1 and Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 82 “The Bear,” according to the newspaper.
During the visit, the group also performed at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music alongside the Northern Sydney Youth Orchestra, Sunshine Philharmonic Orchestra and Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies, creating a collaborative international music community.
Outside of concerts, the students explored Sydney’s museums, churches, botanical gardens, a farm and Taronga Zoo, and a subset traveled to Cairns to view the Great Barrier Reef.
Roughly 50 students and an equal number of chaperones made the trip, with most of the funding raised by the musicians and their families, supplemented by donor contributions.
The tour was inspired by a Colorado Springs youth‑symphony program, prompting artistic director Philip Baldwin to schedule the Sydney visit. Development manager Pia Hallenberg said the chance to play at the iconic venue drove the choice of destination.
Organizers expressed optimism about future tours, aiming for larger trips on a biennial basis.
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