Since 1973 SYO has been an engine room of excellence, produced some of Australia’s finest musicians and educators, and built a community of classical music lovers. Many SYO Alumni go on to professional jobs in orchestras in Australia and overseas. Indeed, many of Australia’s professional orchestras and ensembles wouldn’t exist without the specialised training SYO provides.
| First Name | Last Name | Instrument | Years In SYO | Currently |
| Katie | Betts | Violin/Viola | 1995 – 1998 | Queensland Symphony Orchestra (2nd violinist), previously MSO, DSO (concertmaster) & TSO (tutti viola) |
| Alex | Bieri | Trumpet | 1996 – 2000 | Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra |
| Lauren | Brigden | Viola | 1996 & 1997 | Melbourne Symphony Orchestra; 2015, 2016 & 2017 Australian World Orchestra |
| Elizabeth | Chee | Oboe | 1993 – 1998 | Associate Principal Oboe, West Australian Symphony Orchestra |
| Jacqueline | Dossor | Double Bass | 1998 – 2000 | Australian Haydn Ensemble; also Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra |
| Guy | du Blêt | Percussion | 1996 & 1997 | Orchestra Victoria |
| Thomas | Dundas | Violin | 1998 | Opera Australia Orchestra |
| Claire | Edwardes | Percussion | 1995 – 1997 | Artistic Director & Percussionist, Ensemble Offspring; Casual Lecturer, Percussion & Composition, Sydney Conservatorium of Music; 2011 & 2013 Australian World Orchestra |
| Christopher | Emerson | Violin/Viola | 1990 – 1996 | Hallé Orchestra, UK (viola) |
| Nicole | Forsyth | Viola | 1991 – 1994 | Casual Lecturer in Historical Viola, Sydney Conservatorium of Music; Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra |
| Alison | Frilingos | Cello | 1992 – 1997 | Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Volksoper Vienna, Austria; member of Darian Trio; 2015 & 2016 Australian World Orchestra |
| Anita | Gluyas | Cello | 1996 – 1998 | Salut! Baroque; Bach Akademie Australia; Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra |
| Philip | Green | Clarinet | 1995 – 1997 | Associate Principal Clarinet, Opera Australia Orchestra; 2016 Australian World Orchestra |
| Lisa | Grosman | Violin | 1991 – 1995 | Viola teacher, Sir Zelman Cowan School of Music, Monash University. Formerly Irish Chamber Orchestra and 2011, 2013 & 2015 (viola) Australian World Orchestra |
| Neela | Hetzel de Fonseka (nee de Fonseka) | Viola | 1995 – 2000 | Radio Symphony Orchestra Berlin; 2013 Australian World Orchestra |
| Neela | Hetzel de Fonseka (nee de Fonseka) | Violin | 1995 – 2000 | Radio Symphony Orchestra Berlin; 2013 Australian World Orchestra |
| Andrew | Howes | Violin | 1999 – 2005 & 2010 | Graduate, Royal College of Music, London; currently studying for a Master’s degree at the Manhattan School of Music, New York. Andrew’s composition Cathedra was given its world premiere at the City Recital Hall by the Sydney Youth Orchestra on 28 March 2015 |
| Hayley | Järvi (nee Reid) | Flute | 1994 – 2001 | Absolute Ensemble, New York |
| Adam | Jeffrey | Percussion | 1998 – 2002 | Principal Percussion, Estonian National Opera Orchestra |
| Roslyn | Jorgensen | Trombone | 1999 | Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra |
| Naoko | Keatley (nee Miyamoto) | Violin | 1991 – 1999 | London Symphony Orchestra, 2011, 2013, 2015 & 2017 Australian World Orchestra |
| Francis | Kefford | Viola | 1996 – 2000 | Leondari Ensemble, UK; Director, Saronic Chamber Music Festival, Greece |
| Matthew | Larsen | Clarinet | 1995 & 1996 | Sub-principal Clarinet, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra |
| Emily | Long | Violin | 1991 – 2001 | Sydney Symphony Orchestra |
| Gary | McGibbon | Tuba | 1997 & 1998 | Lecturer, Classical Tuba, Elder Conservatorium of Music |
| Fiona | McNamara | Bassoon | 1990 & 1991 | Sydney Symphony Orchestra |
| Anya | Muston | Violin | 1995 – 1999 | First Violins, BBC Philharmonic |
| Timothy | Nankervis | Cello | 1990 – 1993 | Sydney Symphony Orchestra, also Seraphim Trio; 2015, 2016 & 2018 Australian World Orchestra |
| Monica | Naselow (nee Grosman) | Violin | 1992 – 1994 | Former violin, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra; now Concertmaster & Education/Outreach Officer, Darwin Symphony Orchestra; 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017v& 2018 Australian World Orchestra |
| Antonio | Neilley Menendez de Llano | Tuba | 1999 – 2006 | Solo Tuba, Malmö Opera, Sweden; 2018 Australian World Orchestra |
| Stephen | Newton | Double Bass | 1997 – 2002 | Melbourne Symphony Orchestra |
| Jason | Noble | Clarinet | 1996 | Ensemble Offspring |
| Alex | Norton | Violin | 1997 – 2002 | Sydney Symphony Orchestra |
| Matthew | Ockenden | Bassoon | 1993 – 1995 | Associate Principal Bassoon, Opera Australia Orchestra; 2011 & 2015 Australian World Orchestra |
| Martin | Penicka | Cello | 1995 | Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra |
| Tahlia | Petrosian | Viola | 1992 – 1998 | Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra; also New Bach Collegium Musicum; 2015 & 2017 Australian World Orchestra |
| David | Phillips | Double Bass | 1995 | Adelaide Symphony Orchestra |
| Jane | Piper | Violin | 1991 – 1999 | Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, 2013 & 2015 Australian World Orchestra |
| Bianca | Porcheddu | Violin | 1991 – 1994 | Australian Brandenburg Orchestra |
| Shefali | Pryor | Oboe | 1995 – 2000 | Member of the Board & Chair, Artistic Advisory Committee, Australian Youth Orchestra; Associate Principal Oboe, Sydney Symphony Orchestra & Artistic Director of the SSO’s Vanguard Program; 2015 & 2018 Australian World Orchestra |
| Guy | Ross | Clarinet | 1995 | Chief Operating Officer, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra |
| Clare | Rowe | Cello | 1994 – 1997 | Hallé Orchestra; 2015 Australian World Orchestra |
| Emma | Sholl | Flute | 1994 – 1997 | Associate Principal Flute, Sydney Symphony Orchestra; 2011, 2013 & 2015 Australian World Orchestra |
| Greg | Stephens | Horn | 1996 – 2000 | Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra |
| Patrick | Suthers | Cello | 1999 -2001 | Canberra Symphony Orchestra |
| Rixon | Thomas | Oboe | 1990 – 1995 | Solo Cor Anglais, Royal Danish Orchestra; AND 2011, 2013, 2015 & 2016 Australian World Orchestra |
| Jason | Tong | Violin | 1995 – 2005 | Camerata of St John’s |
| Sally | Walker | Flute | 1995 & 1996 | Part-time Lecturer in Flute, School of Creative Arts, University of Newcastle; part-time Lecturer in Classical Performance (Woodwind), Canberra School of Music, Australian National University; freelance flautist |
| Dushan | Walkowicz | Double Bass | 1990 | Associate Principal Double Bass, Queensland Symphony Orchestra |
| Lyndon | Watts | Bassoon | 1992 | Former Principal Bassoon, Munich Philharmonic Orchestra; Professor of Bassoon, Berne University of the Arts, Berne; 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 & 2018 Australian World Orchestra |
| Rachel | Whealy | Cello | 1990 & 1991 | Orchestra Manager, Sydney Symphony Orchestra & Orchestra Manager, Bach Akademie Australia |
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